Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite

I would like to mount my 32" LCD TV to a wall using a swivelling bracket that I bought. The wall it needs to go to is plasterboard so I need to mount it on the studs. However, I've got a problem - the studs are too far apart for the brackets mounting layout. How can I overcome that?

I am thinking that maybe I can piece together a wooden frame to go between the studs and the TV bracket so that the frame is attached to the studs and the bracket is mounted onto the frame. Could that work? Obviously, I'll have to consider the combined weight on the contraption including the TV itself.

Or better just put it on a stand?

share|improve this question
2  
This question & answers so need pictures. – Jay Bazuzi Jun 20 '11 at 15:03

2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote

Get a piece of 3/4 inch plywood and cut it as wide as the gap between the studs, plus 3.5 inches. It should be about as tall as your tv. Also get a couple of 3.5 inch lag bolts or a box of 4 inch deck screws. Also get 6 or more 1 inch bolts as fat as the mounting slots on the bracket and matching t-nuts.

Center the bracket on the plywood and mark the holes. Drill holes big enough for the t-nuts and install then on the back side. Hang the plywood on the wall and mount it with the lag bolts or the deck screws.

if you use deck screws, try to find ones marked with a shear force rating and over build by a factor of 2-4

share|improve this answer
Sounds interesting. Is it really necessary to go with a solid sheet of plywood here? I can see how this improves integrity of the whole thing but that's a big piece of plywood. – Dmitry Selitskiy Jun 20 '11 at 21:00
1  
@dmitry: As opposed to a couple of 1x4's or something? I think the plywood is the right way to go. It nicely simulates mounting to a flat surface (like the wall) and you can fasten it to the wall with an arbitrarily large number of connections to the studs to fit your level of paranoia. – Satanicpuppy Jun 21 '11 at 15:54
@Satanicpuppy valid points, thanks! – Dmitry Selitskiy Jun 21 '11 at 21:11
1  
if you don't want to open the wall, plywood is definitely the way to go. paint it the same as the wall, and possibly bevel/route the edges, and it will visually disappear. the same could not be said of a couple of strips of 1x4's. – longneck Jun 21 '11 at 23:34
Yes, I thought of that. Good point! – Dmitry Selitskiy Jun 23 '11 at 8:11
show 1 more comment
up vote 3 down vote

How far apart are these studs? You can find brackets with an adjustment.

The frame idea you are thinking of will work if the wood is thick enough and you use the appropriate screws (actually, I'd recommend wood bolts) into the studs. A few 2x4's running horizontally with some wood trim to box the sides should be fine without looking too bad. I would build this on the wall rather than trying to construct it on the ground and mount it. You'll get better joints on the trim if things aren't moving around.

They also make furniture that allows the TV to be mounted on the false wall of the furniture and all the cables then run behind, solving 2 problems at once.

share|improve this answer
I don't have the stud finder at the moment and have not looked at this task for a while, so no measurement at hand. Good suggestions, thanks. Follow on questions: 1) how would I drive and nut the said bolts without needing to make a whole in the board? Or am I missing something. 2) Thanks for the false wall suggestion, but I am not looking at buying any new furniture in the near future. – Dmitry Selitskiy Jun 20 '11 at 14:18
4  
1) You should pre-drill your holes for screws or bolts anyway. Makes them go in easier, acts as a final check that you really are hitting a stud before the screw goes in, keeps the wood from splitting, and only takes seconds. – Freiheit Jun 20 '11 at 14:28
Fair comment, thanks. – Dmitry Selitskiy Jun 20 '11 at 21:00

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.