Here is my issue. In my house I have a recessed area that perfectly fits my 60" LED TV, the issue is that the stud I would use to mount is directly center of the recess and radiates 16" On either side so a typical mount won't reach the other studs. I want to use a fully articulating wall mount so that the tv is mounted to the wall but also can be pulled out so not hidden inside the wall recess. Can I use a toggle anchor to bolt the ends of a mount into the drywall and then bolt the middle of the mount to the center stud? Thoughts, tips, suggestions?
2 Answers
Your best bet to assure that the fully articulated TV mount is secure and will operate correctly is to mount a large piece of 3/4" thick plywood across the wall in the back of the recessed area. Make sure this plywood spans across at least the three studs in the wall and even better if you put it full width and pickup the corner studs as well. Screw the plywood to the studs with heavy duty screws at least 3 or 4 per stud. The plywood can be sanded, primed and painted to match the wall. Behind the TV you will barely see it there, but when you do you will reset assured that you have the best secure mount possible.
Trying to use toggle bolts into just drywall is not a secure proposition. Fully articulated mounts can put a huge amount of torque on the TV bracket when extended and pulled out. This can rip the toggle bolts right out of the drywall. Use the thick plywood as described above and distribute the forces of the bracket torque across a significant portion of the wall structure. And by the way, plywood has fantastic screw holding strength when used with proper sized pilot drilling.
answered Aug 26, 2017 at 14:48
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+1 on this. Drywall bolts are a wonderful thing, but the problem with TV mounts is torque force, not the shearing forces of (say) hanging a heavy picture frame. Screws and a flat plane of wood distribute the torque force perfectly. Aug 26, 2017 at 20:43
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Can either of you provide more insight into the torque force described here? I'm having a hard time getting relevant search results and want to make sure my own TV mount is properly built (that is, overly so, not under). I'm using the plywood method to span studs but want to make sure I've over-built and that I'm not going to lose a screw head, causing the system to fail. I may end up posting my own question, if needed. Feb 26, 2018 at 20:13
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@TylerForsythe - Best idea is to describe what you are doing in a new question. Comments can go away.– Michael Karas ♦Feb 26, 2018 at 22:27
I would (personally) cut the drywall in the recess in question and toe in a 2x4 or two between the studs so that you have a solid plane to work with.
While you could use the right weight bearing mount on drywall, your application would serve better being mounted directly to wood.
If the recess is deep enough, you could use a 1x4 or even a sheet of plywood and mount to that without cutting the drywall.
It all depends on the depth you need, and how much you care about what it looks like behind the television.
Of course, replace the drywall when you are done and patch it in and paint it, if that is the route you go.
