I have a 46 inch LCD flat screen and want to mount it above the fireplace mantle. My only fear is that I have never done this before and I don't wanna jack anything up. The wall doesn't have any studs, so I'm not sure how to approach this project. Any suggestions?
you need studs whether metal or wood. and you will not be able to anchor it to drywall without reinforcing it. this may also include the ceiling. sounds like you need this to avoid all that: http://www.storeyourmedia.com/bello-pp-59-plasma-lcd-mounting-system-silver-or-black.aspx
Are you sure there aren't any studs? I find that hard to believe, but maybe it's true. DO NOT mount it to the drywall only, for sure. I've done this mounting twice (so to speak) and the first time I only had one stud conveniently placed. But it was plenty enough - I used two hefty hex-head screws (top and bottom) and used dry wall anchors elsewhere (lots of them). When I say hefty, I mean hefty. I can't remember size, but the screw itself was bigger than 1/4" in diameter. Worked like a champ. Second one was not an issue - good studs, normal spacing. It seems unlikely that a contractor would build a box around your fireplace flue that didn't have studs normally spaced. I hate to be redundant, but if you haven't used a stud finder, I would invest in one - well spent $10.
Well, it seems that there are studs. But they're further up the fireplace and horizontal. Is this normal or is the builder a whacko?
I recently did a similar installation for my TV. My advice it to cut the drywall out completely behind the area where you will mount the TV. Then place any type of reinforcement or bracing you like inside the wall to properly support the weight and make it easier to mount the TV. I screwed 2x4 supports horizontally mounted face out between the studs. I did this basically throughout the entire area where the wall bracket would be mounted so as to be sure that anywhere I needed to drill and mount an anchor wouldn't miss a stud. Replace the drywall. Mount your TV with peace of mind that it is very securely held and will never fall.
Can you post a pic of the fireplace? You don't really give any details as to the construction of the fp. Is the area you want to hang the tv brick, sheetrock, plaster, what? Is it an insert type or a site built? Get me a pic and I can help.
Long time reader, but this thread gave me reason to register and post. I have a very similar situation. I've included pictures. I bought an old home in the mountains (Flagstaff, AZ) and have been working on it. Hanging the TV just freaks me a little. We facaded the old brick (I think solid) fireplace with this fake dry-stack. There are a few things that make me worry about mounting 46 inch TV above a reclaimed 1000 year old piece of alligator juniper that serves as a mantle. 1) Because of the uneven surface of the facade, should I do something like mount a 2x4 to the facade using lag bolts and spacers to kind of even out the terrain. Then, attach the mount to the 2x4(s). 2) Shouldn't I use large lag bolts, I have a large diameter mason bit that would allow me to drill through the facade and brick (with a hammer drill) to install these. This concerns me because I don't want to mess up the facade. 3) What would you do? This pic is from the first day that I walked in the house: (So you can see what's behind the facade) After: Any help is greatly appreciated. lefire:
Are you sure you want to place it there? If you haven't thought about it in depth, I'd suggest taping a piece of poster paper above your mantle first. This will help you determine if it will be comfortable to view a TV in that position, and remember, you need to be able to view it comfortably for a couple of hours, so looking at it for five seconds or something isn't a valid test. If you care about comfortable viewing, it's undesirable to mount a TV such that the display bottom is more than 30" or so above floor level, and some mantles are 60" tall. For normal viewing distances and normal furniture, mounting a TV at such a height will mean craning your neck to view it. Also, you would definitely need a tiltable mount, because merely looking up at the TV cannot give the correct viewing angle without the TV also "looking down" at you.
I don't have a way to get the pictures onto a computer today, but I'll do it at work later on. I looked in the attic and found that there are some studs, but I'm not sure how its all gonna work. I'll get the pics up, Kyle and then you can hit me with some help, lol.
