Sanus Wall Mount

As LCD and plasma televisions get slimmer, the concept of the "TV stand" is going away. Instead, people are saving space in their rooms by mounting their TVs on the wall like picture frames. Installing a wall mount is easy, but must be done carefully. The last thing you need is to have your new expensive television come crashing off the wall.

Instructions

1

Locate and attach the mount to a stud in your wall. Studs are load-bearing pieces of wood located in your wall meant to support the weight of heavy objects, in this case a television. You can easily locate a stud in one of two ways. You can knock on your wall until you find one (knocking on a stud will produce a sound like you're knocking on solid wood, as opposed to the hollow sound you'll hear knocking on the rest of the wall). You can also purchase an inexpensive electronic "Stud Finder" from any home supply store. These handheld machines use a magnet to locate the metal nails and other materials that are prominent in studs, as they're what everything else in your wall is connected to. The back part of the mount attaches firmly to the stud--if you screw everything in and it moves around at all, it isn't secure enough.

2

Attach the brackets that came with your wall mount to the back of the television. These screw onto specific holes on the back of your television that are designed entirely for this purpose. They will be located on the left and right sides of your TV, near the corners (depending on the type of mount you've purchased you may only use two brackets in the bottom two corners, or four brackets in all four corners). Once attached to your TV, these brackets attach to the part of the mount that is already on your wall and hold the television in place. All of the brackets and screws necessary for this task should be included in the package with your wall mount. Follow the directions in your instruction manual for specific instructions on your particular brand and model of television.

3

Attach the brackets on the television to the part of the mount that is already on the wall. They slide into place, but must be securely attached with some screws and bolts. These are also included in the package with your mount. The stud supports the weight of the mount, which is what is supporting the weight of the television. Make sure the television is not butting up directly against the wall, as it will block the heat from the vents on the back of the TV and cause it to overheat. Once this is done, you can now hook up your DVD, Blu-Ray and any other devices you may have.