How safe is it to mount a TV tight to the wall with steel studs?

Question

I have a 55" TV that weighs about 37 lbs and I want to hang it on the wall. But I discovered that instead of wood studs, I have metal studs and can't drill into them. Is it safe to mount the TV to the drywall alone, using 1/4" toggle bolts (specifically the Hillman 1/4" Strap Toggle bolts as I am familiar with them)?

I know that usually, the installation manual dictates to use 4 bolts on wooden studs. 2 on each side. But the TV mount comes with a total of 8 or 10 slits (4 or 5 on the top and bottom). Is there any difference, safety wise, to use 8 or 10 toggle bolts versus 5he default 4?

Here is an image from Google Street view history. Hopefully someone maybe has an eye for it, and can tell me if these are actually 3.5" studs.

This is a rental property and I cannot do extensive sheetrock work.

Answer 1

If the TV will be on a pivot arm the answer is absolutely not. If it will be tight to the wall, as you say, and generally nobody will be physically handling the TV (tilting or moving, e.g. to plug in game consoles or whatever) then it can be quite safe especially if you use several (4?) toggle bolts along the top edge of the bracket. You don't need them on the bottom edge, use self-drilling drywall plugs.

You don't need a special bit to drill a metal stud, a good wood bit will do it and if you know how to use a toggle bolt you just use it the same way in the stud as you would in the drywall ... but you get a better result.

Why don't you go buy a sharp new drill bit and a metal stud to practice on? They cost like $4. If you live somewhere with metal studs it'll be the best $4 you ever spend. The only special trick you might want to consider is getting the toggle flat against the inside of the stud wall ... you have to spin it and feel that it's not half on the outside and half on the inside of the channel. You'll need all of 2 minutes of practice to master this.

Here is what the toggle will look like from the back, with drywall and a metal stud and an appropriate hole having been drilled for the toggle. The model you mention would require a smaller hole. And you can see here what I mean about spinning the toggle so it rests flat on the metal joist.

Answer 2

There's a few things in here so let's cover them one at a time

Can I support a TV mount with only drywall?

If we're talking a modern TV (i.e. a 2015+ 4k TV) then yes. I recently had my living room TV die and I bought a 65" 4k TV. It weighs perhaps 50 lbs, which is well within the tolerances of drywall using a flush-mount. I would buy either the best drywall anchors you can (some serious plastic anchors support 50 lbs each) or toggle bolts. Don't forget the washers either.

As jay613 noted, this will not work with an articulating frame. In that case, the stresses on the frame can vary too greatly and you run the risk of tearing the drywall and/or having the TV fall.

Mounting to metal studs

You can absolutely mount things to metal studs. They're hollow aluminum or steel, but you need the right mounting for the job.

I'm really surprised nobody has mentioned the easy way to mount to metal studs: self-tapping screws. I'd buy some 2" or longer (example) self-tapping screws and use a drill or driver with a hex head to put them in (again, you'll need to make sure you add washers). I've done this myself and it holds just as well as wood screws into wood studs.

Answer 3

Metal studs?

Welcome to the world of the "self-drilling sheet metal screw"

Image from "Albanycountyfasteners.com" never heard of them, not associated in any way.

You don't need ones with a rubber washer, but this was the first image that wasn't impossible to copy - you can get them with various head types to match your wall mount hardware, probably a "pan-head" or "truss head" would be most suitable. Assuming typical 1/2" to 5/8" drywall, you'll want 1" to 1-1/4" long. If you have extra-thick drywall, longer.

These screws are handy - they drill their own pilot hole and form their own threads. They are strong, since they anchor in the metal stud. They beat the heck out of using drywall anchors, even though you could use drywall anchors for the scope of your question as asked. But these will do a better job, and might be cheaper as well.

Answer 4

Open up wall where you want to mount the TV, add some wood crossing, re-drywall, install your kit correctly.

I would go so far as adding a full wood "box" so that you have an area parallel to the metal studs that can help support the crosses.

Answer 5

Here's some info which is applicable to the other answers that suggest using sheet metal screws. At least for steel studs, there is readily available engineering data that can be used to judge how well this will work. (TLDR: it should work fine).

Background - steel studs are manufactured to standards. So it doesn't matter who made them, you can assume they're commodity items.

This is the "Screw Capacities" table from the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association "PRODUCT TECHNICAL GUIDE" (p.70):

(sorry that this is only in US units, not metric).

From that table, here are the allowed values for the smallest screws in the smallest/weakest stud type available:

For clarity, these are the 3 different ways in which a screw connection could fail that the table refers to:

"For self-drilling screws, there are three main modes of failure: pullover, pullout, and shear (Fig. 6.8). In a pullout failure the screw loses its grip, while in the pullover failure the material around the screw fractures."

Now, a TV flat-mounted to the wall is mostly(*) going to exert a downwards force on the screw, which should mean that shear failure is the biggest concern. But even in this weakest-possible scenario, a single screw should survive until you put 44 lbs (20 kg) on it.

(70" TV ~= 52 lbs / 24 kg)

How many screws will attach the TV mount to the wall? At least four - thus you have 4 * 44 = 176 lbs (80 kg) capacity, at minimum. This is > 3x the 70" TV example.

Obviously this is not a real engineering estimate - just back-of-the-envelope thinking to judge whether screws would OK to use. My conclusion is that they almost certainly will be fine.

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I would recommend a few things to reduce any risks from inexperience when installing, and unforeseen events (*):

• Use as many screws as possible - they are cheap and probably come in a pack of 10-20 anyway. I'd fill all the holes in the mount, and in every stud it crosses over.

• Don't underestimate screw length - you want definite penetration fully through the stud wall. If in doubt, 1½" or 2" screws seem like a good idea to cope with varying or unknown material thickness.

• Consider adding washers on each screw. The TV mounting holes may have been intended for something big like a lag screw, not a small sheet metal screw.

(*) Such as a pet climbing on it, a person tripping on a cord yanking it really hard, etc.

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If you have aluminum studs the details would be different (thought not necessarily a different ultimate conclusion). If I can find similar info for those or if someone can point it out, I'll edit this to add it.

Answer 6

I don't have experience in dealing with metal studs or installing TV-s so I cannot answer your question but others already offered good advice on those topics.

You (OP), however, mentioned several times that this is not your property; you're renting. In a rental property I wouldn't attempt any of these steps suggested in the other answers to avoid any kind of property damage that you can be liable for. The current landlord may be fine with some changes but if the property is sold, the new owner may not.

I'd suggest getting a table with a TV stand that works for your TV and just putting the TV on the table. It'll take a bit more space but if you need to move it, it'll also be easier.

Answer 7

The steel "studs" are about 14ga galvanized steel - they're used because they're light, strong, and cheaper to handle (albeit you can't nail drywall to them, it must be screwed.)

What I would do is use toggle bolts (image below) and sink them into the studs. The "wings" on the toggle do require a slightly larger hole (about the size of a largish drywall anchor,) but the arms of the toggle, aligned vertically with the channel of the stud, will be more than adequate to hold up your TV.

The only catch is that the toggle must be installed with the screw in place, so you're putting the whole thing up at once. However, I believe there are versions - like the second pic - that have Nylon strips and a receptacle at the wall face that will hold the anchor in place without the screw. The Nylon strips are extra-long - you insert the anchor endwise into the hole, push it back, and the Nylon springs back to have the anchor parallel to the wall. Orient it the way you want, push the retainer down, and the Nylon straps either break off or cut off.

Repair is a matter of cutting the surface of the anchor away and mudding over the hole.

A well-stocked hardware store should have both anchor types available. I'd trust these anchors well before I'd trust running sheet-metal or self-drilling screws into the channels/studs. (Although I never did like steel studs in the first place - always skinned cable when I'd pull networks.)

Answer 8

For googlers who chance upon this thread: for situations where you might have the option of, or just want not to poke holes in drywall, or want a moveable solution, etc., I have my big screen mount screwed into a couple of "tall enough" 2x4s that are spread apart enough so that the "long enough" mount screws penetrate them centerline. Between the screws is that white, 1/2" thick, composite (plastic?) trim, wide enough to be snug against the screws either side of it, that is "long enough" to wedge between floor and ceiling with "enough bow" to it to present corner edges to ceiling and floor. The floor contacts are the composite piece continuing the same direction of bow forward again - mirroring the top - and the 2x4s are square against the floor and supporting the FULL weight while also exerting some backwards slip force that you must consider.

That wrapping hose clamp (with wraparound angulations aided by a standoff odd-2x6-piece) serves as an anit-twist brace for the tall 2x4s. The tall 2x4s do NOT need to reach the ceiling, just the floor. If you ensure NO-SLIP ceiling and floor contact for the 3 contact points, the big-screen is plenty secure to assume any angle and position. Just be sure ceiling contact materials and construction is well-supported to the upwards, forwards, and sideways forces; i.e., try to hit a joist.

Hint: Use better-looking materials than shown in case your handiwork is viewed by other people who can't handle an unfinished look.

I have already benefited from its portability several times (2 or 3 person job to relocate unless you're desperate).

EDIT 02/20/20: This project is for engineer-gifted persons only. If you cannot understand how this device handles the various forces involved (we have little or no earthquake risk here) you should just consider some other solution. Note also that an additional improvement could be added where the floor surface grip might need a little mitigation - some means to maintain the three footing pieces from splaying apart.

Not enough picts for you here? That is because the clutter surrounding this device would be an elephant in the room.

Answer 9

I would engineer a solution....Mount a plywood or solid wood inside the wall, instead of the sheet rock, this is how they mount floating nightstands and cabinets. Without this, mount your TV at your own Peril.