Practicalities of mounting plasmas.

skywalker

Im sure this has been discussed here before, but without a search function its impossible to find.

What are the practical problems with mounting a plasma on a wall? I mean some of them weigh 30kg or so, does the wall have to re reinforced to take that kind of weight? how solid a wall does it have to be to mount one at all (like a smaller 10kg one). Who/How much does it cost to get it fitted etc.

Im just looking into the area as Im starting to price them. Any input welcome.
Thanks
skywalker.

GristlyEnd

I mounted my plasma over the fireplace. I got the bracket from RS100 in the UK. You can get it with a various tilt options. It is secured to a brick wall with anchor bolts. Think I used 12 bolts which are rated for around 200kgs per bolt. The messiest part is hiding the cables to the plasma. I opened up the wall on mine and replastered when finished.

It can be done DIY, just needs some patience.

Guy:Incognito

DarrenG wrote:

I mounted my plasma over the fireplace. I got the bracket from RS100 in the UK. You can get it with a various tilt options. It is secured to a brick wall with anchor bolts. Think I used 12 bolts which are rated for around 200kgs per bolt. The messiest part is hiding the cables to the plasma. I opened up the wall on mine and replastered when finished.

It can be done DIY, just needs some patience.

Do you not find it very high up? Is you not leaning back looking high up at the wall?

GristlyEnd

I have a 5 degree tilt on the plasma. It's not mounted that high over the fireplace. There is just enough room underneath for the front 3 speakers of my 5.1 system. At first it does feel a bit funny looking at it but you get used to it very quickly.

Part of the reason I mounted mine was it was getting hard to watch with the sun shining in through the front windows plus I was able to get a proper a/v stand for my equipment in the corner that tv was originally placed.

Borzoi

skywalker wrote:

What are the practical problems with mounting a plasma on a wall? I mean some of them weigh 30kg or so, does the wall have to re reinforced to take that kind of weight? .

A brick or concrete wall wouldn't need to be reinforced. But a plasterboard (internal) wall would not be enough - unless you manage to hit the wooden uprights. If it's an outter wall, it probably plaster and brick/concrete, you need to have the bolts though whatever bracket you use, to then go though the plaster and gat, and firmly bite into the wall

skywalker

Its a plasterboard wall I was thinking of, attaching it to the wooden studs. Is this out of the question?

Cinemaworks

If your hitting the wooden studs then u will be fine with 42" plasma's if you were going for something bigger then i would put a hole through where you were going to mount the screen to have a look inside and see how good your studs are.

as long as you have four good fixings like coach bolts that normally come with wall brackets then dont worry too much. i did some rather crude weight test with 50" plasma's on studding we erected for that purpose and 2 guys hanging off it didnt budge it an inch..

so 42" will be a breeze, just make sure all four are going into wood....and with studding cabling shouldnt be too much trouble..

skywalker

thanks for the info guys. Just one more question, the smaller ones, say 26" ones which weigh around 12kg. Would you be able to mount those on a plasterboard wall without worrying about hitting the studs?

pH

To be honest if you're careful and know what you're doing then you'd even put a 42" plasma up on plasterboard.

Some Plasterboard Fixings have a load strength of 50kg, so 4 of these into good quality plasterboard should more than hold the weight, especially if they are not close together to create a lot of stress on a particular.

That said, very few people would recommend hanging something of that value on plasterboard fixings, the fixings have to be used absolutely correctly and it probably wouldn't survive someone hanging off it.

Cinemaworks

Im sorry pH but i would definately warn against holding 42" plasma's on plasterboard only.. Its very risky.. and i wouldnt sit my daughter in front of a screen mounted that way... enough said as im getting shivers down my spine just thinking about it....

unklerosco

My 42" plasma is on a plasterboard wall... 3 of the screws are in the upright sutds and i used these(http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp;jsessionid=XCNDSWY214U2ZCJO2C3CIIQ?cId=100067&ts=36514&id=15328) for the rest. Have about 10 of them in it(maybe more) I hung out of the bracket for a while before i put the plasma up... tis rock solid.