Wall Mounting Your Plasma TV

So, you've purchased a brand new, flat screen LCD or Plasma television. Congrats. You've likely got that lucky wall selected to mount it on in your spare bedroom that is sure to become your retreat. There's only a single question remaining - How to wall mount your flat screen TV?

The first thing that you need to consider is whether you're planning to mount it on your own or hire an expert. If you're hesitant about any of the following, play it safe and hire a pro to take care of the job. If, however you'd like to dirty your hands and possibly make goofs to give yourself a sense of achievement, you should definitely read on, brave one.

Once you've reserved a few hours to get this job done and chosen the wall, you'll need to determine whether that wall is an interior or exterior wall. While it isn't the case all the time, walls on the interior will usually give you fewer problems than walls on the exterior.

Of course, we're assuming you have already made certain that your Plasma TV can actually be wall mounted, right? Just in case you haven't done this, you don't need to worry too much. Be aware that although a lot of the flat screen TVs now available are wall mountable, there are several early models that are not. Check the box. Can you see “VESA Compatible” or some modification of that? If it's there, you're in luck, and you are able to proceed. Because you have done some research and picked out the appropriate wall mount bracket for the display, we can go straight to the entertaining part - tools. If you have some of the basic tools in your home, including a drill, tape measure, and a screw driver, you're doing okay. It's also a good idea if you've got a stud finder to be sure you don't mistakingly mount your flat screen in only drywall.

When you've got a basic idea of where you would like the new TV, check for a stud and make some final placement adjustments. Don't forget to ensure you're by an outlet or you will have a useless television screen on your wall. Once you have found a stud, you can affix the wall brackets to the back of the screen. You need to take care of this prior to attaching the bracket on the wall so you know if any alterations must be made to the ultimate mount placement.

When final adjustments are made, make marks the places where anchor bolts will need to be put in and drill the holes ahead of time, because they're often a challenge to start. You should also go ahead and cut space for cabling once you put in the anchors and then you can run the cables. Make sure that the wall mount is level and then sink the anchors. After the wall mount and TV brackets are secure, ask a friend for some help lifting the screen on to the wall. You really aren't going to want to attempt to do this alone because the TVs tend to get awkward and heavy if they're lifted alone.

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