TV MOUNTING ANSWERS

HOW HIGH SHOULD I MOUNT MY TV?

Mount the TV so the center of the screen sits close to your eye level when you are seated. For most couches that lands around 42 inches from the floor to the center of the screen, according to Sanus. Taller seats and bigger screens move it up a little.

Too high is the most common mistake. Bob Vila cites a SMPTE guideline that you should not have to look up more than about 35 degrees to see the top of the screen.

Try the free height calculator with your screen size and seat height. On install day, I confirm the exact height with you before I drill, and I mark it on the wall so you can see it first.

HOW HIGH SHOULD A FIREPLACE TV GO?

As low as the mantel and the heat allow. A TV over a fireplace always sits above eye level, so the goal is to keep the bottom edge just clear of the mantel, with a little space for heat to escape. A tilt mount, which I include, angles the screen down toward your seat.

A deep mantel pushes the TV higher, because the screen has to clear it. Pull-down mounts can bring the TV down to eye level when you watch, but they are heavier and more involved, so I quote them separately.

Details, including what the fireplace add-on covers, are on the over-fireplace TV mounting page.

IS A TV ABOVE A FIREPLACE SAFE?

It can be, if the wall stays cool enough. A common guideline is that the wall where the TV hangs should stay under about 100°F with the fireplace running (HomeServe). Heat is what damages TVs, and heat damage may fall outside the TV’s warranty, so check before you commit to that wall.

A mantel helps by pushing rising heat away from the wall (Bob Vila). Gas fireplaces with a drywall surround are the most common case I see in newer homes. Wood-burning fireplaces can put out more heat and soot, and they are usually surrounded by masonry.

The over-fireplace add-on, $79* on a drywall surround, includes a heat and height check. If the wall runs too hot, I will tell you to pick another spot. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

HOW FAR SHOULD I SIT FROM MY TV?

For a cinema-like view, sit about 1.2 to 1.6 times the screen size away. That range comes from two guidelines: SMPTE suggests the screen fill about 30 degrees of your view, and THX suggests about 40 degrees (Wikipedia summary). For a 65 inch TV, that is roughly 6.5 to 9 feet.

Sit closer and the picture feels bigger. Sit farther and you need a bigger screen to get the same effect. If your couch is fixed, measure from your eyes to the wall and work backward to the screen size.

WHAT SIZE TV IS RIGHT FOR MY ROOM?

Measure from your seat to the wall in inches, then divide by 1.6 and by 1.2. The two results are the range the SMPTE and THX viewing guidelines suggest. At 8 feet (96 inches), that is about 60 to 80 inches. At 10 feet, about 75 to 100 inches. Wall space and budget decide the rest.

Sound & Vision covers the same guidelines in more depth. On my side, a standard install covers TVs up to 75 inches, 76 to 85 inches is a priced add-on, and anything bigger gets a custom quote. See large TV mounting.

CAN YOU MOUNT A TV WITHOUT STUDS?

Not safely on drywall alone. Drywall is a soft surface, and mount makers such as Sanus tell installers to fasten TV wall mounts into wood studs or solid masonry. Every standard install I do goes into wood studs. If the studs are not where you want the TV, we pick a nearby spot that works.

Hollow-wall anchors are sold for shelves and pictures, not for a TV that gets bumped, tilted and pulled on. I do not hang TVs on drywall anchors.

Many mounts let the TV slide a few inches sideways along the mount after it is fastened to the studs, which helps when the studs are slightly off-center (Sanus).

HOW FAR APART ARE WALL STUDS?

In most homes, wall studs are 16 inches apart, measured center to center. Sanus mount instructions list 16 inches on center as the typical spacing, and some walls use 24 inches. A TV mount should reach at least two studs, which is why the stud layout can limit how far sideways the TV can go.

Many newer homes around Cane Bay, Nexton and Carnes Crossroads are drywall over wood studs, which is my standard install. I find and mark the studs before we settle the final position, so you see the options before anything is drilled.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN DRYWALL HOLD?

For a TV, do not ask the drywall to hold it. The studs hold the weight. Sanus instructions say the wall must support five times the combined weight of the TV and the mount, which is why the lag bolts go into wood studs and not into drywall alone.

Find your TV’s weight without the stand in the manual or on the maker’s spec page, and make sure the mount is rated above it. TVs over about 100 lb get a custom quote from me.

CAN YOU MOUNT A TV ON METAL STUDS?

Metal studs need different hardware than wood studs, and the right method depends on the stud and the mount. They are far less common in houses than in apartments and commercial buildings, but they do turn up. Walls with metal studs get a custom quote from me, so I can look at the wall before anyone drills.

Not sure what is behind your drywall? The wall readiness quiz helps, or send a photo with a custom quote request.

CAN YOU MOUNT A TV ON BRICK?

Yes. A TV can go on solid brick or block with masonry anchors, and I offer it as a priced add-on of $99*. Most guidance, including This Old House, favors anchoring into the brick itself rather than the mortar joints. Stone, stacked stone and brick fireplaces get a custom quote.

Angi covers the brick versus mortar question in more detail. Hiding wires on brick usually means a paintable cord cover, because cables cannot be fished through solid masonry. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

WILL A TV MOUNT DAMAGE MY WALL?

A TV mount leaves a few bolt holes in the studs behind it, and that is about it. They are hidden while the TV is up and small enough to patch when it comes down. Apartment List notes that mount holes are not normal wear and tear for renters, so check your lease first.

If you move the TV later, removing the old TV and mount is a priced add-on. Patching and painting are not included. See TV mount removal and relocation.

HOW LONG DOES TV MOUNTING TAKE?

A typical single-TV install takes about 1 to 2 hours, a range TaskRabbit also gives for the Charleston area. It depends on the wall, the TV size and any add-ons such as wire hiding or a soundbar. Your booking holds a 3-hour arrival window, and I give you a time estimate once I see the job.

Arrival windows run Monday to Saturday: 8 to 11 AM, 11 AM to 2 PM, 2 to 5 PM and 5 to 8 PM. You can book online from 24 hours ahead.

WHAT IS VESA, AND WILL A MOUNT FIT?

VESA is the standard hole pattern on the back of most TVs, measured in millimeters, such as 300 x 300 or 400 x 400 (Wikipedia, Ergotron). A mount fits if it supports your TV’s VESA pattern and is rated above its weight. Both numbers are in the TV manual.

Have your TV model number handy when you book. I check the pattern and weight against the mount before it goes on the wall, whether it is the basic tilt mount I bring or one you supply.

TILT, FIXED OR FULL MOTION: WHICH MOUNT?

A fixed mount holds the TV closest to the wall. A tilt mount angles the screen down, which helps with glare and with TVs mounted a little high. A full-motion mount swivels and pulls out, which suits corners and wide rooms. Crutchfield’s mount guide lays out the same trade-offs.

My standard install includes a basic tilt mount, or a fixed mount on request. A full-motion upgrade is a priced add-on of $79*. Full-motion and articulating arms for TVs 75 inches and up get a custom quote, because the arm puts much more leverage on the wall. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

CAN YOU HIDE TV WIRES WITHOUT AN ELECTRICIAN?

Yes, in most homes. AV cables such as HDMI are low voltage and can run inside the wall. For power, a listed plug-in in-wall power kit plugs into your existing outlet and feeds a receptacle behind the TV, with no connection to house wiring. Want an outlet moved or added instead? Ask me when you call or text, and I will talk it through with you.

My wire options are a paintable cord cover, in-wall AV cables when an outlet is already behind the TV, and in-wall concealment with a plug-in power kit in a single stud bay. Runs across studs, sideways or into another room get a custom quote. See hide TV wires (Legrand explains the kit approach too).

CAN THE POWER CORD GO IN THE WALL?

No. A regular TV power cord is not rated for use inside a wall, and the electrical code does not allow it to be run there. The proper fix is a listed in-wall power kit, which uses its own in-wall rated cable and receptacles (Wiremold CMK70 FAQ). The plug-in type is the one I offer as a priced add-on.

A plug-in kit plugs into the outlet you already have below the TV. Nothing is connected to the house wiring or the breaker panel. If you would rather have an outlet moved or added behind the TV, ask me when you call or text and I will talk it through with you.

IS THE TV MOUNT INCLUDED?

With THE HANGMAN, yes. The standard install includes a basic tilt mount, or a fixed mount on request, for one TV up to 75 inches. Many services leave it out: Best Buy lists the mount as not included with its Geek Squad mounting. If you already own a mount, the install is $199*.

If you supply the mount, I check it is rated for your TV and fits its VESA pattern before it goes up. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

HOW MUCH DOES TV MOUNTING COST?

A standard install with THE HANGMAN is $229* for one TV up to 75 inches on drywall over wood studs, with a basic tilt mount included. Around Summerville, third-party sites such as HomeAdvisor put the average at about $270. Flat add-ons cover bigger TVs, fireplaces, brick, wire hiding and soundbars.

Every price, the local comparisons with sources, the tax rule and the deposit are in the TV mounting cost guide. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

IS PROFESSIONAL TV MOUNTING WORTH IT?

For most people, yes. A mounted TV frees floor space, sits at a better viewing height, and is fastened to the studs instead of balancing on a stand. Paying for it makes sense when you do not own a stud finder, level and the right bits, or when the TV is too big to lift onto a mount alone.

If you do it yourself, follow the mount’s instructions to the letter, use the hardware it specifies, and fasten into studs. If you would rather skip the ladder, book a window and I bring the mount.

CAN RENTERS MOUNT A TV?

Usually, with permission. Check your lease and get written approval from your landlord before anything is drilled, because mount holes are not normal wear and tear (Apartment List, Sanus). Ask whether they want the holes patched when you move out.

If you own a home in an HOA community and are unsure what your covenants cover, check them before booking. A cord cover is the least invasive way to tidy the wires in a rental.

HOW HIGH SHOULD A BEDROOM TV GO?

Higher than in the living room, if you watch from bed. Your eye level is higher when you sit up against a headboard, so the center of the screen usually moves up to match. A tilt mount, which I include, angles the screen down toward the pillows. On drywall over wood studs, a bedroom TV is a standard install.

Two TVs in one visit, say the living room and the bedroom, is fine. The second TV is priced per TV on the booking page.

CAN YOU MOUNT A SOUNDBAR UNDER THE TV?

Yes. I mount soundbars centered under the TV as a priced add-on of $59*. I use the bracket that came with your soundbar when it has one, leave a small gap so it does not block the TV’s remote sensor, and route the cable cleanly. Hide the rest with a wire hiding add-on.

More on brackets and placement on the soundbar mounting page. *Most standard jobs. Basic mount included. Specialty installations and additional work may cost extra. Final price confirmed before installation.

DO I NEED TO BE HOME?

Yes. An adult needs to be home during the arrival window to let me in, agree the height and position before I drill, and check the finished install. If nobody is home during the window, it can count as a missed appointment under the deposit policy, so reschedule ahead if plans change.

Rescheduling or cancelling 48 hours or more before your window is free. The rules inside 48 hours are on the Cancellation & Deposit Policy page.