Do It Yourself TV Mounting

I have a dear friend, a single mom, that awoke to a horrendous noise at 5:00 am one morning. After checking on her son, calling 911, surveying the doors and windows, she went into the living room and found this where she and her son were playing mere hours before.

This scene is one that nobody should have to experience, but can happen if proper precautions are not taken when mounting a TV. My friend quite reasonably expected the brick mantle to hold the weight of her flat screen TV, but in this case, it obviously did not.
There are some rules that we at Norris AV urge you to observe should you decide to do a TV mounting project yourself.
First, know your structure. a brick veneer on a fireplace may not be tied well to the structure behind as in the picture above. While the brick will hold a lot of weight vertically, it may not withstand the leverage of a TV mounted to the brick only. If you are mounting on the brick veneer of a masonry fireplace, it is always best to go through the brick veneer to the second layer of masonry. At that point you are going to be into the wall around 8". If you are mounting to brick veneer over drywall, always locate studs and go through the brick to them. Always use fasteners of the type and size recommended for the material you are fastening to. It is also important to use the recommended type and size of drill bits.
The next point of safety is the mounting system itself. Use a mount that is rated for the size and weight of your TV. Manufacturers build in some safety factor in their ratings, and you should never exceed the rated weight or display size.
When attaching the mount to the wall, be sure to use as many attachment points as is recommended by the mount manufacturer, especially for articulating mounts that extend away from the wall and add much more leverage.
 When attaching  the mount to the TV, use the correct length and size bolts that are supplied with the mount. Reputable mount manufacturers will supply an assortment of bolts to fit virtually any TV.
Make sure you understand how the wall and TV parts of the mounting system go together and get help putting the TV in place. Use any locking mechanisms supplied with the mount to assure the TV doesn't come off the mount if bumped.
If after reading this you feel you have the skills and tools to do it yourself, that is great. Norris Audio Video, LLC can provide the mounting systems you need as well as any other accessories. If you want a turn-key installation, we do that too! Give us a call at 806-351-0280 or 888-667-7474

806-351-0280