You can (and should) take it upon yourself to mount your flat panel TV on the wall; however there are a few things to consider before setting out on this task.

 

1. Buy the Right Wall Mount for Your TV’s Application

 

Take a little while to reflect on how your TV will actually be used?  Will it be used at different viewing angles? If the answer is “yes”, then you should probably be looking at swivel wall mounts so you can angle it toward your kitchen while you are cooking or toward the bathroom while you are getting ready in the morning if it is a bedroom TV.

 

Give due consideration to the layout of the room. If your TV will be mounted above eye-level, then a tilting wall mount is probably in your future. Planning ahead will help you get the most out of your viewing experience.

 

2. TV Wall Mounts are Made for Different Sized TVs - Get It Right

 

In my experience, the boneheads at Circuit City and Best Buy don’t know jack about mounting a TV on the wall.  If you’ve read the content on this site, you know more than they do. TV wall mounts are now standardized in sizing and bolt options. You should get your TV wall mount from a reputable vendor like ArmorMount so that you can be sure that your mount fits your new TV.  Having good customer service and a return policy is important.  Picking up the phone when you aren’t sure is ok too.  You don’t have to spend $200 at Circuit City on a TV wall mount that you can get from a good online vendor like ArmorMount for $75 or so.  ArmorMount and other online vendors have great mounts, and you get better advice too - because that is all they sell.  In fact, ArmorMount guarantees that their mounts will fit your TV or you get 100% of you money back.   Click here to see what ArmorMount has to offer and what they give you for free.

 

3. Wooden Studs in Your Wall Make Life Easier

 

Make sure you know what is inside your wall.  Wooden studs make the job so much easier.  Metal studs make installations more difficult and require more thought and consideration on the approach you should take to mounting your TV.  If you have metal studs in your wall, make sure you exercise extra care in getting the job done right.

 

4. Apartment Dwellers, Make Sure You Are Allowed to Put Holes in the Wall

 

Take the time or read your lease or talk to your landlord before you start the the wall mounting project.  Banging on or putting holes in the wall of an apartment can get you into hot water with your landlord.  Make sure you are allowed to put it on the wall before you invest in a wall mount or other tools.  If you are not squared away on the front end, you could end up shelling out damages to your landlord or even get yourself evicted for breaching your lease.

 

5. Get Your Tools BEFORE Starting the Project

 

Once you start on wall mounting your TV, you don’t want to have to stop for an emergency run to Home Depot for a socket or Office Max for a desk grommet.  Make a list of the tools and accessories you need the day before you plan on installing your TV on the wall.  Look in your tool box and make sure you have everything.  If not, go borrow that tool from your neighbor or make that run to Lowes.

 

Planning ahead will help you TV wall mount installation go much smoother.  It will also help you while you are working on your project because you will have already planned your steps and you will know what is coming next.