How to mount a TV to the wall in 8 easy steps

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images)

Learning how to wall mount a Television receiver gives you the power to brand one of the biggest upgrades for your home theater (outside of buying a new Goggle box or a fancy audio arrangement). And nosotros've already found the best Goggle box mounts. Wall-mounting a TV comes with a number of benefits, from a cleaner artful design, to improve ergonomics for more enjoyable watching.

It'southward as well super affordable, with enough of excellent mounting options selling for $100 or less. Whether you have a simple tilting wall mount or a fully articulated, dual-arm mount that provides a full range of motion and positions, the basics for installing that hardware are pretty much the same.

From the prep work to the actual installation, here's how to wall mount a Boob tube, step by step.

See the best TVs we've reviewed
Still shopping: Our TV ownership guide tells you everything y'all need to know
How to watch birds using a security camera and a smart display

What yous'll need

Aside from having a TV and a wall, you'll demand to have a few things on hand to properly mount your TV.

Paper template (optional)
Pencil or masking record
Tape measure
Stud finder
Level
Power drill with drill bit
Philips head or flathead screwdriver
TV mountain
Included mounting hardware (screws, spacers, etc.)

You'll also want at least one other person to help. You'll need an extra pair of easily to help elevator and position the Tv, and peradventure a second person to assistance in getting the position merely right.

Some notes on handling TVs

Have it from a guy who has personally unboxed and set up upwardly dozens and dozens of TVs – yous need someone else to assistance you out. While smaller TVs can be handled by a single person, anything over l inches should be moved and lifted past two people. Even if the weight is manageable for a unmarried person to elevator, the size and shape of the TV brand it unwieldy, and care has to be taken to prevent damaging the brandish. Mounting a broken TV will accept all the fun out of information technology.

When handling a Telly, you'll desire to take actress care to protect the brandish panel. A large canvass of glass or plastic will naturally have some flex to it, but the underlying display applied science usually doesn't. Even a trivial flake of unwanted flexing or pressure on a panel tin can harm a Telly beyond repair. (Once again, take it from a guy who has broken a few TVs over the years.)

To properly elevator and carry a TV, you want to allow the TV chassis do the work of supporting the display. Lift from the bottom of the set, supporting it at the side or top corners to keep the TV upright, in the aforementioned position it would be in normal apply. This is the ideal position for the Television, because the chassis bears all of the weight and pressure. Try not to lean ane style or the other, because the thinnest TVs can really bend nether their ain weight plenty to impairment the brandish.

When laying a TV downward flat, lay it screen-side down on a large flat surface that's covered with a clean, soft blanket or carpet. Any stray objects or debris can scratch the screen or bezel, so make sure it's actually clean!

You want a surface that will evenly support the entire apartment front of the Television, with no uneven portions that would place additional pressure on whatever one spot, or that would get out ane side of the TV unsupported.

Very carefully set the TV down on its bottom edge and gently lean it forrad, lowering it down onto the soft surface, belongings both the top corner and the middle of the side then every bit to evenly back up the Television set, beingness conscientious not to introduce unnecessary twisting or pressure on the panel.

Go the right Television mount

The first thing yous'll need to do is select the right wall mount for your TV. This comes down to two major factors: what size bracket your TV will have, and what style of Idiot box mount volition work best for your set and the room it's in. Any of the selections from our best TV mounts list should piece of work for virtually TVs, but be certain to ostend the details of your ain TV and needs via its manufacturer or the manual information technology shipped with.

Bear in mind that wall mounting a Television set may also put information technology at a different altitude from the seating you already accept. Make sure that y'all plan accordingly to put the Tv set at the appropriate distance for optimal viewing. (Cheque out our article What size TV should you buy? for more than details about viewing altitude.)

You'll also want to unbox the mount and familiarize yourself with the production before you beginning any sort of installation and mounting project. Make certain that you have the necessary screws (both for the wall and for attaching to the TV) and that you empathise how the wall bracket and TV mounting plate adhere to each other.

Observe the perfect Goggle box position

Once you've settled on the right mounting bracket for your Tv set, you'll need to cull the right location, and position it at the right height. Proper wall positioning is essential when wall-mounting a Goggle box, because your ability to adjust the TV position afterwards will be quite limited, fifty-fifty with an articulated wall mountain.

Beginning by finding the right wall. This will exist located in a pretty central location, where the seating in your living room or home theater lets you sit comfortably while watching movies and shows. Be sure that the wall also has admission to the necessary power outlets and any cablevision or satellite connections.

Middle the Television receiver at the right height, with the center of the screen more than or less at center level. (This is where information technology helps to take a 2d helper that can bank check the comfort and angle as yous and another helper hold the bodily TV.) You can note the desired position by marking the lower correct or left corner with pencil or masking tape.

Finally, consider the position of the mount in relation to the TV. Some TVs attach mounting brackets in the center of the chassis, while others are offset toward the lesser, then plan appropriately to position your wall mount correctly.

For more than helpful positioning tips, check out our helpful guide on mounting your Tv: all-time viewing angle and top.

How to mount a Television to the wall

Once yous've got everything you demand and take planned out the basics, similar where yous desire to put the TV and agreement how the TV mount is put together, you're ready to mountain the Tv. Information technology'south a pretty unproblematic process, simply doing it right will be the departure betwixt an attractively mounted Television set and one that may not sit correct, or even damages the Boob tube.

1. Notice the studs

Once you lot've settled on the perfect spot on the wall, you'll need to find the studs to mount the bracket properly. Mounting your Boob tube wall bracket to the studs provides the structural forcefulness necessary to support a TV that could counterbalance anywhere between thirty and 100 pounds. Drywall lone will not back up this sort of weight, so it's essential that yous anchor the TV mount into the studs.

Finding the stud location is equally simple as using a cheap stud finder, or using other means to find stud location. Mensurate the mounting points on the Boob tube while bracket to determine how many studs you demand to find. For well-nigh, information technology volition be a span of two studs, 1 for the left and one for the correct. Depending on the specifics of your walls and your called Goggle box mountain, information technology may need to be a span of three studs. Yous can mark the location of studs lightly on the wall with a pencil.

ii. Marker the pigsty position

Side by side you'll need to marking specifically where you plan to spiral into the wall. Ideally, you will apply a level to ensure that these marks are non only even between the two studs, but also to make sure that the amount will not be slanted. You can mark specific locations for the pilot holes on the wall itself in pencil, or, you lot tin tape paper over the intended mounting location, using either a pre-printed template or mark one up on your own.

3. Double check the subclass position

With your marks in place, information technology'southward fourth dimension to position the mounting bracket on the wall. First, place the bracket apartment against the wall, lining up one spiral location with the first marked hole. Keeping that point house, pivot the other side of the subclass equally needed to line upward with the second hole. Use a level to double check that the mount is level when information technology'southward aligned with your planned pilot holes.

4. Drill airplane pilot holes

Using a drill, you'll need to drill pilot holes through the drywall and into the studs in the proper positions.

v. Mount the wall bracket

Once the pilot holes are drilled, you will use the included mounting screws to secure the wall bracket. Using a power drill, screwdriver or ratchet, put in the wall screws to firmly adhere the subclass to the wall, with the screws going into the studs.

Generally speaking, y'all'll desire the screws tight plenty to concord the bracket snug against the drywall, with no fluctuant or rattling of the mounting plate. If the screws are sinking into the drywall or the subclass is warping in any manner, y'all have overtightened.

With the wall bracket properly placed, y'all are more than halfway washed mounting your Idiot box.

half-dozen. Adhere the Boob tube mounting plate

Next you'll adhere the mounting plate to the TV. This is the second half of the TV mount, which volition attach to the back of the TV, and then connect with the wall subclass to securely hang the Idiot box on the wall. Depending upon the type of mount yous are using, the two halves may exist attached through a simple clip, a track system, or even an extendable arm.

Line up the TV mounting plate with the VESA mounting holes on the back of the TV chassis. Using the included screws that should have come with your Idiot box mountain, attach the mounting plate to the TV using a screwdriver.

Be specially careful non to over tighten the screws, which can result in damage to the Telly chassis or stripped screw heads, both of which can cause real issues mounting (or later unmounting) the Television. A skillful rule of thumb is to tighten the spiral until it holds the bracket snug against the chassis, and then tighten a quarter turn.

7. Adhere the Boob tube mounting plate to the wall subclass

With both the wall bracket and Television mounting plate deeply in place, all that's left is to attach the two.

Offset by lifting the Television receiver to the proper height, or slightly higher than the intended position, and then that the Tv set can be lowered to adhere the bracket and plate.

In some instances, this will be a drop-in connector with safety screws that can be tightened after attaching, just others volition utilise attachments that may clip or screw into identify. Be sure to consult the instructions that came with the Telly mount and utilise the included hardware to attach the plate to the subclass.

Accept care when lifting the Television receiver, with particular attention paid to belongings the TV past the outside bezels, and not the glass. Be especially careful not to grab or printing on the screen, which can damage the display very easily.

One time the corporeality is properly fastened, you can permit the subclass to support the weight of the Television set.

viii. Reconnect the Tv set

All that's left at this point is to reconnect ability to the TV and any other devices that might need to be plugged in. Once that's done, you tin kick back and enjoy the newly-mounted TV.

Want a bigger Television? Bank check out the all-time 75-inch TVs
Attempt the best soundbars for bigger, better sound

Brian Westover is an Editor at Tom'due south Guide, covering everything from TVs to the latest PCs. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.