How to Mount a Flat TV on Your Wall

Bringing a television off the floor or entertainment center and mounting that flat TV on the wall will add instant appeal and sophistication to any room. It will also save space and make your room seem larger and more comfortable. Never installed a wall mount TV? With these easy tips you soon will be hanging your TV like a professional.

Mounting Brackets

Finding a mounting bracket for your TV is an important first step. This bracket is available from the dealer where you purchased your TV, or simply search online for your TV’s model number and brand. Some brackets are specific for only certain types of walls, so make sure the wall you plan to hang the TV on is listed on the bracket’s hanging information. 

Cable Conduit

If you are not going to put your cables behind the wall, you can get a clean look by getting a cable keeper or conduit to run all the cables behind as they hang down from the TV to the outlet or floor. If you have a DVD player or cable box/DVR box you want to hang on the wall as well, getting a wall mounted electronic shelf with cable column combined will allow you to solve both problems at once. The shelving looks great hanging just to the side of your wall-mounted flat TV.

Basic Steps

1. Find the wall studs. While some people can find these reliably by knocking on the wall and listening for the hollow sound indicating the space between studs, it is a better idea to pick up an inexpensive stud finder (less than $20) from the hardware store. With a pencil, mark off both sides of every stud that runs across the wall you plan to hang the TV on. It is important that you will be using the very center of the stud to hold the weight of the TV. 
2. Using a level, put marks in the center of each stud that runs across the span the TV mounting bracket will hang on. These marks, best if you use an X so the center is clear, will be where the screws are. Be careful that you are specific with your marks, or the TV will hang crooked when you are finished. 
3. Use large screws to hang the mount. #14 screws are a good choice, if your mounting bracket doesn’t come with screws already. Once you install the wall portion of the mounting bracket with the screws, check the bracket to make sure it is level. If it is not, take it down and try again. It is highly important that it be level. 
4. If you are running the cables behind the wall, cut a hole in the drywall now to run cables. Otherwise, install the cable keeper or skip this step. You can always use zip ties to keep the cables in a clean looking cluster. 
5. Install the TV portion of the mount on the back of the TV. Check to make sure these are firmly in place. 
6. Hang the TV on the mount. 
7. Connect the cables and admire your work.