Mounting a Flat-Panel Display

When it comes to displays, thin is in. But how do you put them on?

It’s the stuff of countless stylish ads: a plasma display floating on a blank wall, unencumbered by wires or support brackets. Technology doesn’t get any cooler than that.

Although the result implies otherwise, hanging a plasma or LCD flatpanel display isn’t quite as easy as hanging a framed photo of your family dog. It takes a combination of the right hardware, some construction skill, careful planning, and brute force. Plasmas are heavy, and putting one on a wall is a two-person job. A robust individual could probably hang a 42" plasma panel without help, but attempting to do so would be inviting disaster. Manufacturers’ warranties cover performance defects, not installation accidents.

The first step, quite obviously, is to decide where you’re going to hang your flat panel. Do you want it to hang flat, or does it need to tilt? Will it always be viewed from one position, or does it need to swing out? Flat panels are often installed in family rooms adjacent to kitchens; a mounting bracket with an articulating arm allows a panel to move through a 90° arc, so that it can be viewed from several locations. Figuring out exactly how the display will be used determines the type of mounting bracket you’ll need—as does the panel’s weight. Always use mounting hardware rated for more than twice the weight it will actually bear. Sanus Systems, Peerless Industries, Chief Manufacturing, and many other companies make display-mounting hardware for every application.

Remember that you want the vertical center of the screen more or less at eye level. If you need to put your flat-panel display higher than that, use a tilting bracket that will let you angle it down toward your viewing position. The picture will look better and your neck will be happier. Positioning the panel horizontally depends on what's near it—loudspeakers, electronics, furniture, art works, structural elements. Keep in mind that visual center is different from dimensional center. The visual center of a wall is the spot you’ll look at directly from your primary seat. That’s where you want to hang the display.

Once you’ve decided where it’s going, it's time to begin probing the walls to locate studs. An electronic stud finder is useful in normal sheetrock-and-woodframe construction. In older buildings with lath-and-plaster, you may have to drive a few nails or drill a few exploratory holes to find out where the studs are. (See Issue 62, “How to Install In-Wall Speakers and Wiring,” p. 25, for more about this.)

Your mounting bracket needs to be secured to the studs with the proper hardware, not hung on the sheetrock with molly bolts or hollow wall hangers, regardless of how much weight the packaging claims they will handle. (Panels can also be mounted on masonry walls, using lag shields and bolts instead of heavy wood screws.) Studs aren’t likely to be perfectly symmetrical relative to visual center. No problem. Most mounting brackets—especially the Sanus “Visionmount” tilting bracket shown in this installation—allow a considerable amount of side-to-side adjustment. As long as the bracket is within several inches of the panel’s center, you'll be fine. The bracket does need to bridge two studs, however, and be secured to both.

Once you’ve determined the pair (or trio, for very large displays) of studs that will support your panel, drill a small hole between them and with a stiff wire probe inside it for obstructions down to floor level. You’re going to hide your connecting cables and power feed inside the wall. If you have a clear bay, you’re good to go. If you encounter fireblock or crossbracing, you’ll need to open the wall so you can drill the necessary holes. That's not as traumatic as it may seem—removing a large section of drywall, replacing it, patching, and painting adds considerable time to the job, but little material cost.

Up Against the Wall

Measure carefully, then position and level the wall bracket (photos 1, 2, 3), and mark where you'll insert the screws. Using a drill bit slightly smaller than the diameter of your mounting screws, drill pilot holes for each screw. (Don’t try to force large-diameter screws into wood without drilling first. The screws can splinter the studs and make for a weak installation.) After you’ve drilled all your pilot holes, attach the bracket with the supplied hardware, leaving it slightly loose. The Sanus Visionmount comes with large hex-head wood screws (as well as plenty of hardware for other mounting situations). With a level on the top of the bracket, use a socket wrench to tighten the screws the last little distance. Don't over-tighten. Too much enthusiasm can strip out the holes or twist the heads off the screws. You want the bracket level and snug against the wall, nothing more.