Where to start for complete beginner to Home Renovation DIY?

Question

I'm a complete beginner with no prior experience in woodworking or house renovation projects. I'm currently planning to mount an 85-inch TV (100lbs) on a 12-foot wall in my house. However, I have concerns about the wall's weight-bearing capacity, especially since most online videos I've seen only address 8-foot walls. Can you provide guidance on whether it's safe to install the TV on a 12-foot wall? How much weight can studs hold in general?

Additionally, I'm interested in learning more about home renovation projects and specifically woodworking basics. I've searched on YouTube, but the abundance of videos has left me unsure about where to start. Could you please recommend a step-by-step online course or point me in the right direction? Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

The wall question first,

A studs holding capacity is not a real issue. Hanging most any normal item that most people would have in their home is not a problem. The length of the wall is not an issue either. The force of a hanging object is downward from gravity and is countered by the threads of whatever screw you used. There is not an issue of the wall bowing or collapsing unless you installed a hammock for a rhino between 2 walls. ( I hope you get the point)

What you need to do is locate the studs and use a screw that is appropriate to hang what you intend. The TV mounts usually come with screws and instructions on which ones to use for the type of wall your have as well as how many screws are recommended. ( for a 100# TV I think 4 5/16th or 3/8 screws 2 inches into the studs would work well)

I can't recommend a YouTube station or video. There are as many with bad or wrong info as with correct info.

Try contacting a local trade school. If you don't have time to go to classes, they may have some online. If there are homes being built in your area, a 6pack of beer and soft drinks offered at the end of the day in exchange for some explanations of what the guys are doing can go far.

Answer 2

This is going to sound very old-school, but I'd actually suggest a book. The one I was given by my father years ago was Do-It-Yourself Home Repairs, which is now well out of print. It taught me a lot. There's a number of well reviewed books in this space. Once you have read through one of those books cover to cover, you'll be in a much better spot to know where you need to study next, what questions you need to ask, and what you feel confident doing.

As to your second question about the TV, I suggest you split it off to a distinct question, add pictures, and describe what tools you're thinking of using. That should give us a better idea of your level of skill, as well as what you're up against. It's entirely possible that hanging the TV will be as simple as following the mount instructions carefully. That said, the downside risk is fairly large, and most decent sized towns have someone who specializes in mounting TVs, so you might want to hire this out but ask whoever you hire if they're willing to explain their process so you can learn from it.

Answer 3

Books! Seriously.

People keep trying to "google" knowledge. Google does not work that way. Google (and ChatGPT) only answer questions. They do not tell you which questions to ask.

For that, you need a well-rounded primer on the subject, because you actually do need to know the material. And for that, you need a book.

And when Google or AI do answer questions, they're dead wrong LOL. I just asked Bing a common question around here, size of wire for a 100A subpanel, and its AI contradicted itself with 2 answers, both wrong - one inadequate and the other needleesly costly.