HOW TO HANG A FLAT SCREEN ON THE WALL

How do I hang a TV on the wall? How do I mount my screen on a wall mount? At what height should I mount my flat screen?

With screens becoming lighter and thinner, a basic trend has emerged: mounting your TV on the wall. Whether in the living room or in a bedroom, for reasons of use, style or simply saving space,  the flat screen is less and less placed on a piece of furniture, but is now installed on a wall-mounted TV support. However, before taking the plunge, there are a few things to consider: Which TV stand to choose? What type of screws to use? What type of fixing should be used? ERARD will help you answer these questions with some advice and solutions to make your life easier. 

Choosing the right TV wall mount:

First and foremost, you will need to select the right TV mount according to the characteristics of the screen and the nature of the wall on which you wish to mount your TV.

Which mount for which screen? 3 essential criteria to make the right choice:

1.            The weight of the TV: although screens are becoming lighter and lighter, this characteristic should always be taken into account when choosing your mount.

2.            The VESA standard: this standard defines the distance (horizontal and vertical expressed in mm) between the fixing points on the back of the TV. (see our advice)

3.            The size of the screen: this is the diagonal measurement expressed in inches or centimetres.

• Which mounting system is best for which type of wall?

In order to know which support will be adapted to your wall, it’s necessary to identify the material used. Indeed, you will not install your screen on PLACO in the same way as on a solid wall.

A concrete, stone or brick wall (solid wall) will support your TV without any problems, considerably limiting the constraints linked to the weight: you will simply have to drill the right diameter according to the screws you choose.

On the other hand, in addition to being weakened during drilling, a plaster or PLACO wall (hollow wall) might not support the weight of your TV in the more or less long term, all the more so if you opt for a TV support with an offset arm. Rest assured, there are several solutions for installing your screen on a PLACO wall, either through the type of fixing or by using suitable screws. (see our advice).

The greater the weight of your screen, the greater the diameter of the pegs you will need to use (less than 20 kg: diameter up to 6 mm / 20 to 50 kg: between 6 and 8 mm / over 50 kg: > 10 mm).

For plasterboard walls, use MOLLY-type plugs which are totally suitable for hollow PLACO-type walls. If you select a TV support with a large offset, it may be necessary to fix it to the load-bearing wall (using threaded rods for example).

Installing a screen on the wall while hiding wires:

When you hang your TV on the wall, cable management is an important consideration, both from a practical and aesthetic point of view. If you have anticipated where you want the screen when building your home, you can have the cables run directly into the wall. If not, and if you're not a skilled DIYer, you'll probably need to consider other solutions, such as trunking to hide the cables of the TV and other devices connected to it.

The ideal position for your flat screen:

Having made the right choices explained above, you can now install your TV with peace of mind, but how do you identify the ideal height at which to mount your TV? And is there a minimum viewing distance for you to fully enjoy your screen?

There are not necessarily set rules, but generally the centre of the screen should be at eye level when you are sitting on your sofa. In addition, by using a tilt and/or swivel TV mount, you will get more versatility in how you adjust the position of your flat screen.

See our tilt and swivel mounts

Finally, before drilling, we advise you to mark the exact hole positions on the wall, thus facilitating the precision of your installation. However, if you have encountered any difficulties while drilling, ERARD includes eccentric washers in several of its ranges to allow you to make up for any mistakes after drilling. Additionally, most of our ranges include spirit levels directly on the mount to help you position the wall plate correctly.

See our fixed wall mounts