Because so many mounts are available, it's hard to give you exact steps to follow to install your mount. However, the following are some time-honored lessons learned:
- It's all about the anchors. Great mount, wrong anchors, bad results. Take the time to figure out the right anchors for your job, or you'll be very sorry. You can find specific anchors for specific types of materials. Don't be the local tech blog's funny story of the day about the guy who tried to mount a 50-inch plasma TV by using drywall screws.
Most mounting instructions start with the assumption of wood stud installations, but there are specialty kits (with some mounts) for concrete anchors, drywall anchors, or metal studs. A good rule to follow is that your anchors should hold five times the weight of what you're putting on the mount. Most manufacturers test their products with 5/16-inch lag bolts (some use 3/8-inch), although a 2-1/2-inch-long lag bolt is generally acknowledged to be acceptable for large mounts. The main goal is to hit the center of the stud with the bolt. Use a stud finder, or - if you must - drill pilot holes to find the width of the stud so that you can determine its exact center before you put in your bolts.
- Double-check all clearance requirements. Most mounts require you to lower the display onto the mount. This means you need to have a little more clearance above the mount to make sure that you can slide the display into place. Generally, this can range from 1/2 inch to 4 inches, depending on the manufacturer, so if you have a really tight space, think about this in advance. Never plan for an exact fit, or you'll be sorry.
- Think of the complete range of motion of the fully mounted display. If you have designed your mount to tilt, swivel, or extend your display, you need to consider the full range of motion for the mount plus the display as an installed unit, plus any other accessories like speakers. As a completed unit, it might not have the full range of motion promised on the mount box, because of sheer clearance issues specific to your installation.
- Consider protecting your lifted displays. When you lift (or drop) your display by using an automated mounting system, your display is only as protected as the space where you store it. If your storage space is an attic that isn't insulated, your display is exposed to the same elements your attic is, including extremes of temperature. Projector lifts, on the other hand, tend to be enclosed in a box that has a plenum rating and can go in a false ceiling.
- Check your wall structure to make sure that it can hold the weight. Your walls might not be strong enough for the HDTV you want to hang on them. This is especially true now that the larger wall-mountable LCD and plasma units are getting cheaper. The bigger the display, the more likely you might need to create a special mounting structure within the wall to support the mount. You probably need to take some wallboard or plaster off to do this.
- Check and double-check your measurements (and then ask a friend or family member to check them again for you). It pays to take time and practice the field of movement with the display, as if it was mounted, to ensure that everything fits just right. Having good lateral and vertical shift helps, but that can cover up only the most minor of mistakes.
Don't feel like you failed if you call in a professional installer to help you mount your HDTV. This is one area where, if you need to, you should pay the money to get it done right. A good mount and installation should last you many TV sets. The mount shouldn't keep falling off the wall.
