Installing a Flat Panel TV on the Wall

This guide was authored by Riley Alexander, and Tommy Fountain. If the person using this guide at any time does not feel comfortable performing the tasks mentioned, please seek a professional to assist in your installation process. We recommend that you read through the instructions once completely before starting to avoid any mistakes, and make sure you have all of the proper supplies on hand before starting your job.

So you have bought your new flat panel TV and now you begin to wonder, where should I put it and how you are going to get it mounted on the wall? Professionals charge between $600 to $1500 to wall mount a flat panel; but why pay that much when you can do it yourself with little or know previous knowledge. EZflatscreen.com makes it easy for you to install your TV yourself and save a bundle while doing it. Our kits include just about everything you need to get your brand new TV out of that box, and on your wall in no time at all! Best of all of our kits include detailed instructions that guide you step-by step, through the installation process.

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Items Needed:

Or if buying Items individually you will need:

Tools Needed:

Step # 1: Choose a Location for your TV and Equipment (DVD, Cable Box, Etc…):

The first step in mounting your flat screen TV on your wall is to pick a spot. You may have a spot in mind already which is a good start; however you need to be sure that your choice is where you want it to go. Unfortunately, once you mount the TV it isn’t easy to move it 2 months later if you decide you want it in a different spot. It’s not impossible, but to make things easier, be as sure as possible that you have picked the best possible spot. The key concepts to keep in mind while choosing a location are:

Mounting Location Material (Wall Type) The easiest wall type to mount to is a flat wall that has drywall with wood studs. When picking the wall, it is also best to pick one that is not an exterior wall because of insulation that might be present in the wall. If there is insulation in the wall, it is still possible to run wires through it, however it becomes more difficult. *For mounting on a Fireplace or other masonry structure, please make sure that you are using the “Masonry Mounting kit”. This is available on our website. Height from floor:

Many people Typically, you want to avoid putting the TV too high up the wall. There are a few reasons for this.
• Display Problems -Many TV's and flat panels were designed to be looked at from fairly straight on. By mounting you TV, too high or low you may not be getting the optimal image quality.
• Neck Problems- You would be surprised, but this is a common problem. People mount the screens too high up the wall to make it “look nice,” however it becomes apparent that it many be hard hard for people to watch without straining their necks. The mounts that come with our kit have a Tilt feature to help out on the neck issues; however you can only tilt so much, so keep that in mind while choosing a mounting location.
• Longer Cable Runs - The farther up the wall that you put the TV, the more of a chance of having difficulties running the cables through the wall. The reason for this is that spacer blocks are typically used in the framing on studs. The higher up you go, the more of a chance that there will be a spacer block. If you do run into a spacer block however, it is not the end of the world! Our kit includes everything that you need in order to get past the spacer block!

We recommend that before you drill any holes, you cut out a piece of cardboard from you TV box, or use a sheet of large paper, to form a rectangle, that matches the dimensions of your TV. You may then easy use the outline of your TV to see how it will look/fit in different possible locations. Having a physical outline of your TV on the wall will help visualize it better, as well as make sure you will be mounting your TV at a comfortable viewing angle. Next you must also consider where you want to place all of you other audio/video equipment such as DVD player, Cable box. and such will be located. The easiest place of course is in a cabinet below your TV, however if you wish to place this equipment out of site, by placing it in another room, or in a closet, we also sell infrared relay kits that solve the problem, relaying your remote controls infrared signal, to your out of site audio/video equipment

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Step # 2: TV Mount Bracket

* It is very important that in the following step you make sure all lag bolts are in fact going into a stud. If the wall bracket is not mounted into studs it may not be able to support the weight of your TV. We must also advise you to always check the weight of you TV and make sure that the bracket you are using was designed to handle such a load.

Start by holding the mounting bracket in the position where you have decided to mount your TV. Use a pencil to make a few light marks on the wall in the location you want to mount it. Keep in mind that you will be able to slide the TV from left to right a few inches once it is placed on the mount, however take special care to ensure that you place the mount at the desired distance off the floor because this cannot be adjusted after the mount has been attached to the wall.

Next, Use your stud finder (included in the kit) to find two vertical studs within the area where the TV is going to be mounted and mark them with pieces of vertical masking tape or a pencil. Then go down the wall in-between the two studs that you marked and search for any horizontal spacer blocks between studs. If you happen to find a horizontal spacer block mark it with a pencil or piece of masking tape as well.

Now that we have the studs all marked, we will continue on to mounting the bracket. Your metal mounting bracket has many mounting positions with which you can put the lag bolts through. Hold the mounting bracket up to you previously marked mounting location, and then find a position with which you can line up the holes with the vertical studs found in the wall. Mark the location of these holes while line up with the vertical studs by using a pencil.

Then drill one of the holes for the top of the mount first. Insert a lag bolt through the hole in the mount and into the newly created hole in the stud and tighten it until snug. Do the same on the other side of the wall-mounting bracket, while being sure that the bracket is level before drilling/mounting the other side. Once the top lag bolts have been installed, simply drill holes for and screw in the bottom lag bolts where they line up with the studs. Pre-drill the holes for the lag bolts to make things easier. Try to drill the hole as straight as possible and be in the center of the stud you are drilling.

Step # 3: Getting Powering to your Flat Panel TV

Unfortunately, we cannot fully describe the steps involved in installing a wall receptacle in your wall because of to many varying factors such as:

• Age of wiring
• Current load on the surrounding circuits

Although we cannot provide detailed instructions on how to do this, we can provide you with some links on how to install your own wall outlet. We also recommend visiting you local home improvement store and asking for advice. That way you can explain your current wiring setup to someone knowledgeable.

*Disclaimer: The following links are being provided as useful information only. EZflatscreen.com takes no responsibility for any information posted on any of these third-party sites. Some helpful links (sorry for the long url’s, if you are reading a hard copy of the guide you can simply bring up the online copy of the guide and click on the links)

• RemodelMySpace.com – (http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/how-to-videos/electrical-videos/ how-to-install-fully-wire-a-new-electrical-outlet-receptacle-video.htm) a great series of video clips walking you through the process of how to install a wall outlet.

• ExpertVillage.com – is a do it yourself video website featuring many expert clips on their site showing how to fix any other electrical problems you may encounter

It has also been brought to our attention that many do-it yourselfers simply run an extension cord through the wall to their flat panel, however we must advise you that this is not to building code and that a power receptacle should be properly installed behind your flat panel TV.

However if you are uncomfortable installing a wall receptacle yourself, you can have an electrician come out and install one. Typical honest electricians will charge anywhere from $50 to $175 to wire up an outlet.

Step # 4: Running the Cables (HDMI, Sound Output, Component Video, etc…)

When running the cables, you must remember that they are low voltage wires, and you cannot have a low voltage wire passing by a high voltage wire, such as the outlet electrical wires that you just ran. The reason for this is that it can result in scrambled picture, fuzzy sound, and many other undesired functions. If you are forced to make high voltage and low voltage wires intersect, do so with 90 degree angles and try to keep as much room as possible between them. Your first step is to plan out where you will be running these cables. If your stereo equipment is going to be located right below the TV in a cabinet, you can simply run the wiring down the wall bay and drill a hole at the bottom of the wall. For running low voltage wiring such as this, you may have to modify a wall plate cover, or use one of our specialized wall plate covers. This is due to the fact that the plug end of you cables may simply be too big to fit through the standard hold in the wall plate cover. Next, fish the wiring down the wall. A hole saw has been included in this kit. Simply connect it to your drill. You can, with ease, run all the cables that you need through a hole this size.

Steps to follow:

• Choose where to start the cable run.
• Choose where to run the cables
• Choose what route you will be taking to get there.

Choosing where the cable run starts is usually a very simple matter. It needs be behind the TV and also be hidden by the TV. As for where the cables run to, make sure you don’t go too far away, the further you go, the more a chance of encountering problems. A common place to go is simply down the bay between the two studs that the TV is mounted on. You could even have the wires come out on the side of the wall opposite your TV, if you wish to hide you audio/video equipment in another room. To run the wires simply run the wires down the bay and grab them at the bottom. If you are having difficulty getting the wires fed through the wall, try feeding a coat hanger or a SINGLE stiff wire through the wall first, then once you get it through, tie the cables to an end of it and pull them through with the stiff wire. Another wiring option is to go up into an attic and drop the cables down somewhere else, but keep in mind how much cabling you have and don’t run yourself short!! Sometimes you may encounter a stud bay spacer block. This is a horizontal 2x4 that runs between the two studs. In this case, you will need to use your hole saw and drill right into it, but only go as deep as the thickness of your cables. This should be no more than an inch at most. Then simply go into it enough to be able to chisel out a notch that will fit all your cables. Once you have all the cables in the notch, patch up the hole with the included joint compound. (See “Using Joint Compound” later in this guide). Use the other methods that we have talked about to get the cabling to where you need it. Remember; utilize basements, attics, or closets! Be creative, but NOT unsafe!!!

Step #5 Mounting the TV:

Once all the wiring has been completed, you are ready to hang up the TV! Lay the TV down front side down on a bed of other soft surface that won’t damage it. Then take the brackets that hook onto the wall mount and secure them on the back of the TV using the included hardware. Make sure to use the correct size screws or the brackets could come off. We have included all the VESA standard screws, so they will fit you TV as long as it is a VESA standard TV. Once you have the brackets securely installed, get someone to help you lift up your TV. Each person will need to make sure that they get the brackets securely hung on the mount on their own sides. Be sure to make sure it is hooked on securely before letting go. Next, put the Security bolt or locking bar to LOCK the TV to the bracket.
* For Security bars on the mounts, some models have screws to screw in; some have bars to slide in.

Congratulations… your TV is now on the wall… Now what?

Well, start hooking up the cables. Plug the power cable into the outlet that you have located behind the TV. It might be a little difficult… but keep trying till you get it. Then fold up the extra cable and zip tie it together so that it doesn’t hang down exposed. Hook up your cable box, DVD, VCR, etc… And enjoy! If you have any other questions regarding installation of your flat screen, and your are an EZ Flat Screen.com customer, the simply email us with you order number and any questions you may have regarding the installation process.

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