How to Mount Your LCD or Plasma TV

So, you bought your family a new, flat screen LCD or Plasma television. Congrats. You have that lucky wall decided on to mount it in your master bedroom that's soon to become a refuge. There is only one remaining question - How to wall mount your flat screen TV?

The first thing that you need to consider is whether you are planning to hire a pro or mount it on your own. If you're uncertain about any of the following information, play it safe and hire a pro to handle the job. If, however you would like to get your hands dirty and possibly make a few mistakes and miscalculations so you can have a sense of achievement, you should definitely read on.

Once you've selected the wall and set aside a few hours to get this job done, you will need to determine if that wall is an interior or exterior wall. While not so in every case, walls that are on the interior will usually give you less grief than walls on the exterior.

Obviously, we're assuming that you've already made sure that your flat screen LCD or Plasma TV actually can be mounted on the wall, right? Just in case you have not yet done this, you shouldn't worry. Though most of the flat screens now available are mountable, several early models were not. Check the box. Do you see the words “VESA Compatible” or some variation of that? If it is there, you're in luck, and you can proceed. Because you've done a little homework and chosen the appropriate wall mount bracket for the display, you can go straight to the enjoyable part - the tools. If you've got basic tools in your house, including a drill, screw driver, and a tape measure, you're doing okay. It's also helpful if you have a stud finder so you don't end up mounting your television in only drywall.

Once you have a basic idea of where you'd like the flat screen, look for a stud and make placement alterations. Don't forget to confirm you're nearby an electrical outlet or you'll just have a useless screen on the wall. Once you've found a stud, you can go ahead and affix the brackets to the back of the TV screen. You should take care of this before you put the TV bracket on the wall so you know if any revisions should be made to the final mount placement.

Once final adjustments are made, make marks the places where anchor bolts are going to be installed and pre-drill the holes, because they can be challenging to start. You should also cut out a space for cabling when you install the anchors and then you'll be able to run the cables. Be sure the mount is lined up and then sink the anchors. After the brackets and mount are installed, ask a buddy for some help lifting the TV on to the wall. You aren't going to want to try to lift it on your own as the televisions can be pretty heavy and bulky if they're lifted by one person.

Now for the very best part - sit back with an ice cold drink and watch your favorite show on your new wall mounted LCD or Plasma TV.