The Homeowner's Guide to TV Mounting

Getting that new flat-screen TV off the console and onto the wall is one of the fastest ways to make your living room look bigger and more modern. Completing a basic TV mounting project yourself is highly rewarding and can save you installation fees.

However, gravity is relentless. A small miscalculation doesn't just result in a crooked screen; it can end with a shattered, expensive TV and a massive hole in your drywall. At the United Handyman Network, we want to help you tackle this project with confidence, while knowing exactly when it is time to put down the drill and call in an installation pro.

Here is your straightforward guide to the simple TV mounting you can handle yourself, and the warning signs that indicate you need an expert.

Looking for a specialist? United Handyman Network today.

Fast, reliable, and stress-free.

Part 1: Simple TV Mounting You Can Do Yourself

With a reliable stud finder, a power drill, a level, and a friend to help you lift, you can safely mount a standard TV to a traditional drywall-and-wood-stud wall.

How to Mount a TV to Wooden Studs: Mounting a fixed or slightly tilting bracket to standard wooden studs is the most DIY-friendly scenario.

Use a high-quality stud finder to locate the studs in your wall. Wood studs are typically spaced 16 inches apart. Mark the absolute center of at least two studs with a pencil.
Attach the mounting arms (the vertical brackets) to the back of your TV using the correct screws provided in the mounting kit. Do not overtighten.
Determine your ideal viewing height. Have a friend hold the wall plate against the wall, place a level on top of it, and align the mounting slots with your stud marks. Mark the drill holes with a pencil.
Drill pilot holes directly into the center of the studs using a wood drill bit that is slightly smaller than your lag bolts. This prevents the wood from splitting.
Secure the wall plate to the studs using the heavy-duty lag bolts and a socket wrench.
With your helper, carefully lift the TV and hook the mounting arms onto the wall plate. Lock the safety screws at the bottom of the arms to prevent the TV from being bumped off the wall.

Part 2: When to Call a TV Mounting Expert

While hanging a lightweight TV on wood studs is straightforward, different wall materials and complex mounts introduce serious risks. If your project involves any of the following, contact a professional through the United Handyman Network.

You Want to Mount Above a Fireplace (Brick or Stone): Mounting into masonry requires specialized hammer drills, masonry bits, and heavy-duty concrete anchors. If you drill into old, crumbling mortar instead of the brick itself, the mount will eventually pull out and crash down onto your mantle.

You Live in an Apartment with Metal Studs: Most newer high-rise condos and apartments use metal studs instead of wood. Standard lag bolts will instantly strip out of metal. This requires precise drilling and specialized heavy-duty toggle bolts to safely distribute the weight.

You Want to Hide the Power Cord Inside the Wall: It is a major violation of the National Electrical Code (and a severe fire hazard) to simply drop your TV's standard power cord behind the drywall. Hiding power requires installing an in-wall power extension kit or having an electrician run a new outlet directly behind the TV.

You Are Using a Full-Motion (Articulating) Mount for a Heavy TV: A mount that pulls away from the wall and swivels acts like a giant lever. When extended, a 60-pound TV can exert hundreds of pounds of pull-force on the wall. If the lag bolts aren't perfectly dead-center in the structural framing, the mount will rip the studs apart.

You Cannot Find the Studs Where You Want the TV: If your studs are off-center from where you want the screen, do not rely on standard drywall anchors to hold the bracket. A professional can open the drywall, install horizontal wood blocking between the studs to support the exact placement, and patch the wall flawlessly.

Conclusion: The Golden Rule of TV Mounting

Never, under any circumstances, use standard plastic drywall anchors to hang a television. No matter what the weight rating on the anchor box claims, drywall is essentially just compressed chalk wrapped in paper. Over time, the constant vibration of the TV speakers will vibrate the anchors loose, causing catastrophic failure. Always anchor to structural studs or masonry.