TV Mounting: Studs, Mount Types, Height and Hiding the Cables

Mounting a TV is one of the most requested handyman jobs we do, and the reason people call instead of doing it themselves is not the four lag bolts. It is the cables. A TV on the wall with a cluster of wires hanging down to a console is not the result anyone wanted. Here is what goes into doing it properly, including the part inside the wall.

Mount types

• Fixed. The TV sits flat and close to the wall. The cleanest look and the cheapest mount. Right for a TV at eye level directly in front of the seating.
• Tilting. Angles the screen down a few degrees. Needed when the TV is above eye level, like over a fireplace, to cut glare and improve the viewing angle.
• Full-motion. An articulating arm that pulls the TV out and swivels it. Right for a corner install, a room where people watch from the kitchen and the sofa, or where the cable connections need to be reached. Heavier, costs more, and needs solid stud attachment because the load is out at the end of an arm.

Height

The centre of the screen should be at roughly seated eye level, which for most sofas is around 40 to 45 inches off the floor. That is lower than most people expect and lower than most TVs get mounted. A TV that is too high causes neck strain and looks like it is floating.

Over a fireplace the TV is inevitably higher than ideal. A tilting mount helps, and a pull-down mount that lowers the TV in front of the fireplace when it is in use is the real solution if you watch a lot.

Brick, stone and fireplaces

Mounting on a brick or stone fireplace means masonry anchors in solid material, not in the mortar joints. The heat from a working fireplace is also a concern: check the temperature above the mantel with the fire going before committing. Cable concealment on masonry is harder; the usual answers are a surface raceway painted to match, or routing cables around the side into an adjacent drywall wall.

Hiding the cables

The finished look is no visible cables between the TV and the equipment below. In a drywall wall, that is an in-wall cable kit: a recessed box behind the TV, a matching box near the console, and the HDMI, network and speaker cables fished between them through the wall cavity.

Power is the exception. Code does not allow an ordinary power cord inside a wall. The right way is a recessed power kit that puts a real outlet behind the TV and a matching inlet down by the console, connected with in-wall rated cable. It is a small addition and it is the difference between a legal, clean install and a fire code problem behind your TV.

For a TV on an exterior wall or a wall with a fire block, the cable run sometimes has to go around the block, which is a little more time but still normal. Surface raceway is the fallback where the wall cannot be fished.

Sound and smart gear

A soundbar mounts below the TV on its own bracket or sits on the console. In-wall speaker cable runs at the same time as the HDMI. If a streaming device, a Wi-Fi extender or a camera hub lives behind the TV, plan a shelf or a bracket for it. It pairs naturally with the rest of our smart home work and with whole-home automation if you are wiring a room anyway.

Questions we get

Can you mount a TV on a wall with no studs where I want it?

Almost always, using a bridging plate across the nearest studs. On a pure drywall spot with no framing behind it, no.

How long does it take?

A straightforward mount with an in-wall cable and power kit is usually one to two hours. Brick, plaster or an articulating mount on a corner adds time.

Do you bring the mount?

Either way. If you have bought one, we will use it if it is rated for the TV. If not, tell us the TV size and where it is going and we will bring the right one.

Get it on the wall, clean

Wright Way Services mounts TVs and conceals cables across Newnan, Peachtree City, Sharpsburg, Senoia, Tyrone and Fayetteville. Call (770) 301-4638 or see our handyman services.