The Studs of Home Theater: How to Mount Your Display
Most home theater owners are looking for the most secure way to mount their flat panel displays. In many cases, depending upon the size of the unit, flat panels are mounted on the wall in the home theater room. As far as the mounting to the wall is concerned, it is imperative to make sure that there is good structural support of studs. There is a range of fasteners that adequately meet the demands of most if not all flat panel display units for wood stud applications.
When mounting to stud applications involving the typical 2 x 4, 16-on-center stud application, the industry standards today ensure quality of studding. Normally, it is not necessary to reinforce the studs. If the mounting hardware has been adequately tested before market, there really is not a need to reinforce the installation unless an end user has a particular concern or they just need peace of mind.
Another issue of importance to home theater owners involves the threat of heat buildup. When the flat panels were first introduced, there was an issue as far as heat buildup is concerned. A lot of the manufacturers recommended minimum wall distance spacing. As the products improve technologically, even with the plasmas, which throw off the most amount of heat, heat buildup has been better controlled. The current problem that is experienced with flat panel displays is no longer heat buildup, but the cabling in the back of the unit when adopting a picture on the wall installation. Companies have recognized that the wall mounts are too thin. The actual fact of the matter is that the coaxial cable that from the back of the standard flat panel set curls around, taking up a substantial 3/4″ to 1″ as far as clearance is concerned. There really is no true, ultra-flush mount, unless an in-wall product is used.
Most readily accessible mounting products are designed for standard wood stud installations. With metal studs, the professional installers often have their own solutions they prefer. Unlike wood studs, where a lag bolt is a lag bolt, with the metal studs, there is a variety of different toggle bolts around. The other difficulty that occurs is the lack of a final industry standard as far as the gauge or grade of metal studs recommended. Some metal studs are stronger than others are. Due to the lack of metal stud standards, many mounting manufacturers recommend that only flat and tilt wall mounts be used on metal studs, and that the articulating mounts not be used because of the strength issues of the metal studs, unless there is proper reinforcing applied.
Before mounting any flat panel display, consult your unit’s mounting recommendations. Before purchasing mounting hardware, investigate the design of your home theater room for the stud materials and mounting possibilities. A little homework goes a long way to avoiding future problems after the set is placed upon its permanent mount.
Flat Out Right: Choosing a Home Theater Flat Panel Mount
When considering the different types of mounts that are available for home theater applications, there are basically two camps: flat panel mounts for LCD and Plasma sets and projector mounts. Flat panel mounts are available in several different basic types and include flat fixed mounts, tilt mounts, articulating mounts, ceiling mounts, and recessed and motorized mounts. For home theater owners in the market for a flat panel mount, there may be certain features or benefits that are “must haves” depending on viewing application and the location of the set.
First and foremost, as a flat panel TV consumer, home theater owners need a product that they can trust. To many new home owners, the purchase of a flat panel TV is a significant investment. They want to make sure it is securely mounted and that the mount provides consistent functionality; it should not bend, crack, or sag when under the load of the television itself. When fastening a flat panel TV to the wall mount, there is a standard pattern in the industry that is referred to as the VESA pattern, which is the Video Electronics Standards Association of America. VESA is a worldwide standard and is followed primarily by the primary LCD set makers. Some of the sub-tier makers, the secondary, second tier, third tier are not quite as rigid or as structured, as far as mounting patterns are concerned; which means, if choosing an off-brand mount, there is the possibility of having a non-standard VESA pattern. The resulting problem means that, should the chosen mount not conform to the VESA pattern of standard mounting holes, an adapter kit is necessary in order to make the set fit the mount.
Mounting adaptor kits are relatively low-cost and are available in several different types of models that would add 4″ left to right range, 2″ top to bottom, all the way up to a product that adds 16″ left to right, and 6″ top to bottom. There is a wide range of accessory kits for extending the mount hole-range of the wall mounts. The primary concern for the home theater owner is to make sure that the mounting hole patterns and adapter plates that are installed are correct for the size of the TV being mounted. For a larger set, the chosen mount, and adaptor kit (if applicable) should be substantial enough to ensure the set is not in danger of falling off the wall.
As a responsible home theater owner, the choice of display set and subsequent means of mounting the set are concerns not to be taken lightly. LCD and Plasma panel displays are an investment in home theater entertainment. Choosing a mounting system that correctly supports the selected set will guarantee the safe display of the set and years of home theater entertainment.
