Why wall mount your Television?
Flat screen televison sets are becoming more and more popular. They are sleek, modern and attractive, plus they provide a solution for saving space at home. A flat screen set is great for placement on a table or a shelf, but best of all the set can be hung on a wall using a TV bracket, because the TV is so wonderfully light. A viewer who has limited space in his home to devote to a big TV should take advantage of this great feature. If you don’t want to clutter up your living room or bedroom with a TV stand, or if you don’t have free shelf space, hanging your set on the wall is a perfect solution. Plus, it looks really neat!
Where to mount your Television
One of the important factors is finding the right spot on the wall to mount the TV. You can try out different areas in a room by hanging a picture or a print to get an idea of how the TV will work in the space. It’s wise to choose a wall that’s about twice as long as the actual TV, because you may want to mount speakers near the set.
Of course, you should also consider where you’ll be sitting in the room when you’re watching TV. The TV should be hung at an appropriate height for sitting on the couch. If the particular spot on the wall seems too low to a viewer who is standing up, then move the TV up. Keep in mind that the very bottom of the TV should correspond to eye level to someone who is sitting. The top of the screen should be eye level to someone who is standing.
You may only have space to mount the TV in the corner of the room, or you may need to position the TV so that it can be viewed in different parts of the room at different times of the day – so that it can be seen in the dining area when eating and the sitting area when relaxing.
Can my Television be wall mounted?
Most Flat screen televisions can be wall mounted. To be able to wall mount your TV there must be 4 pre-drilled holes (some older TVs may have 6 pre-drilled holes) on the rear of the TV, ina square or rectangular pattern, that are used to attach the TV wall mount. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has published a set of standards that TV manufacturers are encouraged to follow relating to the spacing of the pre-drilled holes, this is known as the VESA size. VESA standard sizes include 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm, 200mm x 100mm, 200mm x 200mm & 400mm x 400mm.
Finding a suitable TV Wall Bracket
Most TV Wall Bracket web sites have a facility where you can enter your TV make and model and provides you with a selection of brackets that are suitable for your TV.
If you are unsure if a particular bracket is suitable for your TV there are three pieces of information that you need to check before you choose the TV Wall Bracket:
The VESA size of the TV
The weight of the TV
The bracket functionality required
The VESA size - You can find the VESA size of your TV by measuring the holes on the rear of the TV. This information is often available in the TV User Manual or on the TV manufacturer’s web site.
The weight of the TV - This information can be found in the TV User Manual or on the TV manufacturer’s web site.
The Bracket functionality required - Choosing the right TV bracket is important, make sure you can view comfortably from your viewing position, you may need a Tilting mount bracket to angle the screen down if the TV is mounted higher on a wall, Cantilever mounts can be used to swing the TV round if it is positioned in the corner of the room or move the TV out if it is fitted in an alcove.
How to decide which bracket to buy
You may be presented with a long list of brackets that are suitable for your TV. Which one should you choose?
You may be tempted to buy the cheapest bracket on the list but before you do you should consider the following:-
What guarantee does the bracket have? A longer guarantee period implies a better made bracket.
How strong is the bracket? Will it easily carry the weight of the TV at the fully extended position?
Does the bracket come with all of the fixings you need?
You will have spent a considerable amount of money on your new television, you should make sure the bracket is strong enough and is designed to last at least as long as your television.
Accessories
The use of cables is an unfortunate necessity. Ugly cables hanging down the wall will spoil the impression given by your sleek, modern television.
Using a cable management system, with or without shelves, will keep the cables out of sight and each time a new component is added to the TV the extra cables can also be hidden.
Fitting a TV Wall Bracket
Hanging a flat screen set on the wall is not as hard as it might seem. It involves the usual steps, drilling, measuring, applying a level to make sure everything is straight.
Brackets come with simple step by step instructions to make the fitting as easy as possible.
Before starting to install the bracket check the condition of the wall. The TV wall bracket should be fixed to a solid part of the wall. If you have a plasterboard wall the bracket should be screwed to the timber frame not just the plasterboard unless you are using specialist plasterboard fixings that are designed to hold the combined weight of the TV and the bracket.