How to Install a Flat Screen Television
Many people let their flat screen TV sit on the swivel stand because they think installing it to the wall is too daunting a task. The only hard part about mounting a TV to the wall is deciding how to hide the wires. Once you get that down, installing the TV is pretty simple. A wall mounted TV tends to look more attractive and usually offers a greater viewing range. There are also several different mounts on the market that can make mounting your TV to the wall painless.
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Things You'll Need
- Wall mount
- Screws
- Drill
- Level
- Fish tape
- Electrical tape
- Needle-nose pliers
- Coat hanger
- Stud finder (optional)
- Piece of cardboard (optional)
Instructions
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1
Decide where you want to mount your TV. The wall where you use must have the necessary electrical outlets nearby and be sturdy enough to hold your TV. You also want to make sure it is in easy viewing range from anywhere in the room. The best way to do this is by cutting a piece of cardboard the size of your TV, and then taping it up against the wall to see how it looks.
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2
Find the studs in the wall. Your TV mount will have to be secured through the wall studs. You can buy a stud-finding device from your local hardware store that will make this really easy. If you don't have a stud finder, knock on the wall with your hand to find the studs. You will hear a hollow sound where the wall is hollow, and a solid sound when you hit the stud.
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3
Mark the center of the studs with a pencil. Then hold your mount up against the wall and use your pencil to mark the top and bottom holes. Line up the holes on your mount with the marks on the wall and use a level to make sure your mount is even. This is crucial because it will be really difficult to correct later on.
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4
Drill the mount to the wall with the screws provided. If you only have a screwdriver you will have to do a little more work, but it can be done.
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5
Use your stud finder again to determine the exact framing of the studs. You need to work between two studs and make sure there are no obstructions in the way. Fire blocks are usually placed inside the wall eight feet from the ground, but you probably won't be mounting your TV that high. Insulation isn't a problem, but it might make running the wires more difficult.
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6
Drill a hole next to your wall mount about 2 to 3 inches away from the nearest stud. This hole should be about 1 1/2 inches wide and tall.
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7
Take a metal coat hanger and then bend it to a 90-degree angle. Stick the hanger into the hole and move it around. If there are no obstructions, drill another 1 1/2 inch hole in line with the first hole. This hole has to be at the bottom of the wall, next to the cables.
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8
Insert your fish tape into the top hole.
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9
Push the fish tape all the way down your wall to the lower hole. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to pull the tape out.
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10
Use black electrical tape to tape the ends of your cables to the fish tape.
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11
Pull the fish tape back up the wall and out of the top hole. Be careful to make sure your cables don't fall off. If you have a lot of wires, you may have to make your holes bigger.
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12
Hold your TV up to the wall mount and attach the cables to the TV. It's really difficult to hold the TV in one hand and attach the wires with your other hand. Your best bet is to get a helping hand for this step.
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13
Hang your TV to your wall by following the instructions that come with your wall mount. This usually consists of hanging it onto the mount and then hand tightening a built-in screw to secure the TV.
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14
Plug in any power cables and power on your TV.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't care about hiding your cables, you don't have to do steps 5 - 11. Just hang your mount to the wall studs, and then hang your TV to the mount. This could look unattractive however, as you will have many wires dangling from the bottom of your TV.
