Need info/help installing a wall mount flat screen TV

[qwerty90210]

Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I should have paid the extra $300+ to have them do it...but I'm being cheap.

I have the wall mount. I want a nice clean look. I want the TV hung w/o any cords showing for the Cable/Direct TV and 2 video game systems. I have no external speakers.

Is there any websites or cheat sheet how to do this? I need to bring the electric outlet up the wall and add a hole for the other cables right? What type of outlet covers do I buy?

Thanks!

 

[FairWarning]

The $300 is money well spent considering the hell you will put yourself through for a day.

 

[Doug]

Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I should have paid the extra $300+ to have them do it...but I'm being cheap.

I have the wall mount. I want a nice clean look. I want the TV hung w/o any cords showing for the Cable/Direct TV and 2 video game systems. I have no external speakers.

Is there any websites or cheat sheet how to do this? I need to bring the electric outlet up the wall and add a hole for the other cables right? What type of outlet covers do I buy?

Thanks!

I'd suggest cutting out a piece of sheetrock large enough to span at least two studs, notching into those exposed studs, about .5 inches, cut a sheet of .5 inch plywood to fill the hole created, nail or screw the plywood in place ( that's your backing), then cover it with a piece of sheetrock, tape and mud it. Perhaps paint it, but it will not be seen once the TV is up, if not painted. .75 plywood is even better.

Its a lot of work, but it will be super-solid. That's the way I did it.

Trying to catch studs with lag bolts thru existing sheetrock is iffy, you can't tell if if you caught it ( stud) in the center, or barely caught wood. Plasma TV's are very heavy.

Once the wall is opened up, you can then drill holes thru the studs for your wires, and have then come out at like 12-18" over floor level and look like a normal AC outlet, cover that with an outlet looking trim piece. Your power cord should come out near an AC outlet, and all other wires with it, hopefully your DVD and etc. is always nearby.

I'll see if I can pull up a photo of my 55" plasma installed.

I'd want a few hundred ( at least) to do it for somebody nearby, but it will never fall this way.

I overbuild stuff, my basement workbench would probably hold 1,000 lbs, and has no contact with the floor.

 

[Doug]

I'm amending my instructions, cut out existing sheetrock to span 3 studs , a bit over 32" horizontally, maybe go 24" vertically, use .75 inch plywood, the studs have to be notched to accomodate it, before you re-sheetrock that 32" X 24" hole ( or so).

 

[Doug]

You should be a fairly decent carpenter to attempt this, BTW.

My way is more than a TV installer would do for $300, but will never fail.

 

[C.P.]

Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I should have paid the extra $300+ to have them do it...but I'm being cheap.

You answered your know question, no?:think2:

 

[Doug]

I consider the 55" plasma to be permantley installed, like a D/W. it goes with the condo when I sell it. No pics available, but they were posted here once. I'm not searching or re-photographing.

 

[Buster]

You answered your know question, no?:think2:

just somebody else showing off their worldly possessions...hey let's let everybody on that fine site called THERX that i bought a big tv.. see it on here everyday...

http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=575117&highlight=Lamborghini

 

[Doug]

I want to know I have solid backing when hanging something heavy. A plasma TV could weigh 150 lbs, if you catch just the side of a stud ( yet it might seem solid), it could fail months later, and fall, as it slowly fails.

I, for example would not hang a heavy mirror ( like 100lbs) over my head on the wall, against the wall where one might have a headboard.

no way would I want to wake up to 100lbs of glass falling on me, and potentially die from it. I'll kill myself on my own when I'm ready to... don't need any accidental help.

 

[Doug]

$150-200 would be a very friendly fee to hang it as I suggest, IMO. I don't know how to hide the wiring short of running it thru the studs, so open the wall, might as well put in solid backing, then.

$150 ( plus whatever materials are needed) is cheap to do this. That would be 6 hours at $25 per cash, for a guy with a lot of tools making a house call, and you pick the right wires, and fetch the plywood,sheetrock,2X4's,etc.

That's like a very,very friendly charge.

 

[1cheater]

http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/05/how-to-wall-mounting-a-lcd-or-plasma/

 

[Doug]

How are wires hidden ? There's a really right way to do it, and other ways. I install stuff that will never come down.

$300 labor ain't bad to hang a big TV, I'm happy to make $200 cash in a day.

 

[FuriousDrew]

I recently was in exactly the same situation and I passed on the installation thinking I could do it myself and save some cash.

Man, hindsight is 20/20. I'm no expert but figured I could handle this, it was hell. I realized the studs in my condo were made of metal and not wood, and the screws included with my TV mount combined with my average quality drill were not powerful enough to mount it properly. I fucked around with a dry wall knife to hide the wires and mangled some holes in my wall trying to get it mounted solid before giving up and hiring a friend of mine to do it who is a carpenter and has professional tools for around the same price a week later.

Just pay it and save yourself the headache unless you are very handy.

 

[Doug]

I charge $25 /hour to work.... pretty reasonabe, IMO, then my hourly cash rate, and 50 cents a mile to go pick up shit at Lowes, Home depot, etc. in my own truck. That's very cheap, but I'm not a licensed contractor.

I don't aim to rip anybody off, but I'll work 8 hours for $200 cash, and have a ton of tools and a truck.

I'm cool, will work with people, soft touch for senior citizens, I'll say no charge at times. If an 80 year old woman called me to change some light bulbs or something for her, and was looking poor... I might do it for a loss, or break-even ( cost and gas money).... I have a heart, but I can't have too many of those "clients".


I'll move a couch or something for a neighbor, somebody has to pay me.If I change out a light fixture for $50 as a job, ( I'm not an electrician), I'm almost lucky to get the $50, but somebody has to pay me, I can't do everything free ! I sure do an awful lot of free work, way too much, in fact.

I'm way too nice, in reality ! I do way too much for free.

 

[maruiz85]

ive done this before, its really not bad. Just mount in on the studs, you can buy a stud finder if u have to. As for the wiring i just cut a square hole behind the tv, and one below where i had all my equipment at, run some fish tape down from the top one to the bottom one and u can tape all your wires and pull them up (thats assuming there isnt a fire block in the way). Got some nice little wallplates for the holes, and it looks nice:drink: