Getting a new TV is only half the work. Once you bring it home, there is a task of mounting it on the wall in front of you. Many tried and failed, ending up with calling the professional crew to fix up the wall. Thankfully, we can all learn from their mistakes and avoid destroying the wall or installing TV improperly. Here are some common blunders and miscalculations you should avoid.
Table of Contents
Location
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Besides getting the wrong set of brackets, location is the most common mistake people make when trying to mount the TV. When trying to decide where to put up your new television, some things need to be taken into account. Sun exposure can really ruin your viewing experience, so be careful about where you’re mounting those brackets. Also, short cables and location to the nearest outlet can be an impossible problem to overcome. Further, think about where you’re going to put all connecting devices, like routers, and cable boxes. When these things are taken into consideration before you drill the holes, the process should be painless.
This being said, mounting TV above a real fireplace that you’re actually using during wintertime, is not recommended for several reasons. First off, electronics and heat don’t go well together. This can significantly shorten the life of TV. Second, soot and dust that is coming from the fireplace will most likely end up in your TV’s innards, clogging the inputs and just disable the normal functioning of the television. Further, the viewing angle will surely leave you with a sore neck because of the high mounting. In any case, this is a bad spot for TV.
Find a stud
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Regular sheets of drywall will not be able to hold on the brackets and TV. Even if you put it up, it’s just a matter of time before it crashes down. Whatever your friends and family say, do not take this chance. If you still don’t want to hire professionals, you better have the right tools ready. One of them is a stud finder, which can be purchased in every home improvement store for a few dollars. This little device can spare you a lot of grief and money. Once you know where the stud is, you can start safely drilling holes in the wall. Do not wing this one, make sure that your TV will stay in place once you put it up.
While we’re at it, it’s worth mentioning that you’re going to need a right size drill, a screwdriver, and a measuring tape. If you’re not the handy type enlist some help like your friends and family to give you a hand. Using the proper tools will reduce the amount of time it takes to finish the project and will save you from making a mistake like using the drill that’s too big. Also, measure two or three times to make sure that you have marked the right drilling spots. Double checks never hurt, especially knowing that the faults will be hard to repair.
Height
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Some TV’s like LCD, display the best picture when watched straight on. If your TV is mounted too high, you will get a much worse picture making it useless. If you already did this, tilting the television down towards the couch will improve the experience. Plasmas are not so sensitive when it comes to viewing angles. Still, everyone should be comfortable when watching their favorite show and overshooting can greatly reduce the quality of viewing.
Choose the right type of mount
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Before drilling, make sure that once you hang the TV you can reach every input and cable on the back. If you’re unable, you might need a swiveling mount that can be adjusted and turned at any angle. If you miss checking for this before you put up brackets, you’ll need to demount TV every time you want to plug or unplug cables. So, spare yourself a lot of misery and put up the TV on the wall, just hold it to see if there is enough room for manipulating cords and inputs. Stable mounts are firmer and safer than the swiveling one, but if there is no maneuvering space behind the television, it’s not worth putting it down every time.
Adjusting
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Once your TV is up against the wall, you might notice that sound and colors are not quite the same as they were before mounting. This is particularly the case with LCDs. This is not something that a little adjusting won’t fix. On your television settings, you might be able to better the sound, and if that doesn’t work you can always add external speakers to get a clear sound. Colors are also going to look washed out since you’re watching from a different angle now, and adjusting the temperature and shade could revive the display.
The truth is, with the proper preparation you will be able to safely put up the television set even if you don’t consider yourself to be too handy around the house. Before unpacking the brackets, it would be a good idea to read the manual. If you find it confusing try reading other people’s experiences, this might help you or give you some ideas that could ease the process. In case you still don’t have enough confidence to begin the approach, maybe consider hiring that professional crew like AerialForce. Experts will quickly mount your TV taking into consideration your wishes and merging them with the best spot in the house, taking into account everything we mentioned here from sunlight glare, height, and the safest place (not above the fireplace). Going with the pros will probably save you a lot of time and suffering, particularly if you have some fixing up to do after, like plugging in wrongly drilled holes, or missing the stud. As the old saying goes, if in doubt – don’t. Seeing your television crumbling down, especially if it’s the pricey one, can be a devastating blow to your budget. Hence, to be on the safe side, call the specialists.
