Wall Mount Installations

5 different ways to Wall Mount your TV

Mounting your TV will add some class to your entertainment space and with the evolution of the of the flat panel TV it is becoming more and more prevalent to have your TV wall mounted, and for good reason. It is safer, looks neater and is all round a better viewing experience. In this short little article we will give you the top 6 different styles of TV wall mount installations based upon over 10 years of wall mount installation experience.

1. The Flat Mount: This may seem pretty self explanatory however there are some key considerations when choosing wall mount installations using a fixed TV bracket:

TV Wall mounted in a fixed position using a Sanus Secura Fixed mount QLL22-B2

• Choosing the correct placement, a general rule of thumb here is to take the size of the TV screen and multiply this by 2.5 to get your viewing distance. However now with the clarity and definition of 4K panels, you can get as close as 1.5x the screen size and still get a great viewing experience. (see the look up table at the end of this article)
• The height should place the middle of the screen at your seated eye level, however this is not always practical. In the industry we tend to stick to securing the TV so the bottom of the screen sits anywhere between 900mm and 1100mm from the ground and this serves a second purpose.
• Before making any penetrations to the wall you must ensure that the wall cavity is free from obstruction to the location of where your connected devices will reside. A cheap stud finder will help you ascertain this or you can use an electrician’s yellow tongue (see YouTube Tutorial)
• When choosing your flat bracket, first assess the TV’s VESA mounting pattern (either 200×200, 300×300 or 400×400) and select a bracket that is wide enough to allow some left to right movement. This will ensure you get perfect alignment with the rest of the wall and/or feature.

2. The Tilting Mount: Wall mount installations using a tilting mount is quite common when choosing the height to mount your TV.

Though it is only necessary when the Television has to be mounted at a height that is well above the aforementioned recommendations (in case of an obstruction like a fireplace). Here are the main applications for choosing a TV wall mount with the tilting function.

Secura QLT25-B2 Tilting Mount

• Bedroom: When a wall mount installation is in the bedroom you will be most probably watching whilst lying down, so the standard mounting height rules do not apply. Whilst laying down in bed and on your back, your head is most certainly aimed towards the ceiling. For this reason we mount the TV up high and tilt the bracket down towards your pillow. This will give you the most comfort and allow you many hours of uninterrupted viewing.
• Outdoors: When mounting a TV outdoors in areas such as a patio or pergola. You may want to consider mounting your Television at a height that is free from people walking by and also will allow viewing whilst standing. Again, the tilting of the TV bracket will give better viewing experience and avoid glare from the outside light reflections.
• Play Rooms: Otherwise known as rumpus rooms or gaming areas. If the purpose of the room is for standing entertainment (think pool tables, darts, indoor bars) then ideally you want to have your television mounted at a height they is suitable to both stand and top sit. Therefore mounting the TV a little high and having the option to tilt downwards when needed (for example during a football game and/or playing a gaming console), is your best option.

 3. Full Motion (swivel) Mounting: Give yourself the option of maneuverability as well as folding TV flat against the wall.

You may also have the option of tilting if the bracket has this feature. But the main reason you want to mount your TV with a full motion bracket is to have movement across an array of degrees over one or maybe two more pivoting axis. Using a full motion mount for your the wall mount installations have many benefits, and only a few drawbacks. We typically see full motion TV mounts used in a living room where there may be an adjacent kitchen, the viewer then has the option to pivot the TV towards the kitchen for preparation of meals whilst watching TV. Another reason for using a full motion bracket (sometimes referred to as a swivel bracket) is when the shape of the room means the only possible location for a television is in the corner of the room. In this case a full motion bracket will enable mounting to one of the walls and the pivoting arms will extend out and the television will sit on a 45 degree angle to both adjoining walls.

Full Motion TV Bracket with cable management

Full motion brackets are not all created equal, in fact, there is such an array of different sized brackets that it is best to cross reference your TV model number with the bracket manufacturer before purchasing. Generally speaking, the more expensive brackets give you many more options for movement, stability and cable management, whereas the range of fixed flat brackets pretty much all do the same thing. Some considerations when purchasing a Full Motion TV Bracket are:

• Weight: This may sound quite obvious but this is absolutely the main priority here as there are several mechanical forces at play here. Even if the Television is only just within the weight specifications, a fully extended arm (on the cheaper generic brackets) tend to slightly buckle making it difficult to mount accurately. Yes the TV is safe and will not come off the wall, however maneuverability is a problem as the bracket struggles with the weight. Selecting a bracket with at least 15% tolerance of the total weight of the TV will ensure a smooth gliding full motion mount with great maneuverability and stability.  
• Length or articulation: Essentially we are referring to the length of the brackets pivoting arms, some full motion mounts only have 1x Arm but in most cases there are 2x articulating arms ranging between an average of 210mm to 270mm per arm. This total length is of particular importance the larger the screen is. Or better said, the larger the screen, the less maneuverability the full motion bracket has. Let me explain. A 65” TV is around 1450mm, meaning from the center of the screen to the edge of the screen will be half this distance at 725cm. A full motion bracket with 2x 250mm articulating arms will extend out to +/-500mm which restricts the television pivoting a full 90 degrees from the wall. Use the same bracket on a 43” TV with a total width of 950mm (and half this to 475mm) and the TV will pivot 90 degrees when the bracket is full extended. Use a 75” TV with half of its width being around 800mm, your pivoting angle is restricted even further. You get the picture.
• Power points and cabling: Most LED TVs and OLED TVs now come with only a very short power cable (sometimes only 1 meter) and to make matters worse these power cables are fixed to the TV meaning you can’t just go out and buy a longer power cable. If your power point is located close to the ground, the total length of the power cable will need to equal the distance from the ground, up to the bracket and then again out to the TV when the full motion bracket is fully extended. So for example. A power outlet may be 300mm from the ground. The bottom of the TV is 1 meter off the ground (we need 700mm of cable length here). If the arms extend 500 mm and the power cable connects a further 300mm from the center of the TV then we need at least a total length of 700 + 500 + 300 = 1.5 meters in total (and that IF the power point is directly under the TV). If you are connecting peripheral devices such as Bluray players and gaming consoles, and these devices are in a cupboard, you will need to add at least 1 more meter to that total. We always carry 3 meter cables on board as 9 times out of 10 this is always required with mounting a TV on a full motion bracket.
• In the case above it may make sense to have a power point installed behind the TV, but this isn’t always the desired effect. When relocating the powerpoint to a higher position you need to consider that the dimensions of the powerpoint as well as the plug that will go into it now needs to have enough space when folding the TV back. There are now some really neat and super sleek full motion brackets that cost upwards of $500 and fold almost completely flat to the wall the same as a standard flat bracket, but when a power point obstructs this from happening you may have wasted your money. Secondly, if you have other devices being connected to the TV underneath in a cabinet then again, you are wasting money moving a powerpoint as you still need to get longer cables to connect these other devices. In this case it is best to get a new and longer power lead professionally fitted (tested and tagged)

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4. Ceiling Mounting: Mounting a TV from the ceiling has its own challenges but with the right approach it can have marvelous results.

In situations where there is no access for cabling within the walls, you may be able to mount your television from the ceilings where there may be a roof cavity for cabling needs. Typically though, TV’s that are mounted to the ceiling usually installed to provide free obstruction to what may be a walkway, a window or a commercial premises where the public cannot interfere with the TV. Before you go ahead with mounting a TV to the ceiling you need to consider.

Applications for Ceiling Mount TVs

• Ceiling access for cabling. Power, antenna and audio visual cables will need to be connected to the TV and therefore access to the ceiling is required. There should be adequate space for a person to get in the ceiling for installation and maintenance. If there is no access, installation and maintenance costs may rise as the technician may need to remove roof tiles, roof sheets or special equipment just to make simple changes.
• Is the ceiling raked? Meaning is the internal ceiling matches the same angle and pitch as the external roof of the home. For these style of ceilings you will need a specific bracket that has the ability to be adjusted to the raked angle so that the TV remains level after installation.
• Connected devices: Due to the nature of a ceiling mounted TV, any connected devices will need to be located somewhere else far from the location of the TV (example: inside another room or cupboard). When connected devices are to be connected elsewhere, they need to be connected via a HDMI-CAT6 Balun. These baluns range in cost according to the function required and are a great way for any installation to keep a nice clean installation with connected devices kept hidden away.

5. Motorised Mounting: The most luxurious of all mounting options of course is to have your TV on a motorised bracket.

In which the TV will disappear into the ceiling with the touch of a button, or perhaps it descends into free standing table. There are many ways to incorporate a motorised bracket and because these are a high end product generally they are custom designed to suit the application. Before going to such an expense you should consider the following before choosing to mount a TV with a motorised bracket

• Maintenance: Accessibility is a must! There are absolutely no guarantees that your TV will last forever, in fact, most television now have a life span of less than 5 years so you need to really consider how the TV will be replaced if you have a permanent fixture that is a motorised bracket within your houses framework.
• Control: The purpose of this luxury item is to have access to your television with a touch of a button. Therefore multiple remotes to control the TV, the bracket and the devices will take away from the experience. Incorporate a control system into the design when choosing to mount your TV with a motorised bracket.
• Importing: With online manufacturing and importing becoming more popular it can be tempting to import your motorised TV bracket to save money (in some cases it is 1/10 of the price) however do this at your own peril, in our experience when dealing with imports from unknown manufacturers there has been little or no support and you have no back up if something goes wrong. Because you have built the rooms framework around the motorised bracket, it is best to use a local manufacturer and/or distributor with an experienced team that can guarantee workmanship and product support.

TV VIEWING DISTANCE LOOK UP TABLE