Let's face it, flat panel HDTVs look cooler when mounted up on the wall versus being sat on a TV console. Wall mounting is also an excellent way to conserve space by not needing a bulky console on the floor anymore. Nevertheless, a lot of HDTV owners still shy away from having their displays wall mounted, even if they wanted them that way. One reason is because they're afraid they might tear up their wall with ugly holes and make a mess if they try to do the job themselves. Another is that they refuse to pay what it costs to have a professional TV installer mount the TV for them. Well in this article I'm going to share with you how easy it is to mount your own flat panel television on the wall using a retractable TV corner mount.
Retractable corner mounts are probably the easiest to install on the wall because they require you to find only one wall stud in which to drill your bolts. Others require bolting into two studs, which means more measuring and drilling. Once installed, corner wall mounts allow you to adjust the TV screen in 3 dimensions – extending, swiveling and tilting. What makes this possible is a single retractable cantilever arm that holds the television on the front end and is attached to the wall mounting plate at the back end. With most models the arm has three pivoting points, which allow you to tilt and turn your HDTV in virtually any direction so that you can get a perfect head-on view of it from any position in the room. Also, depending on your seating arrangement, it may be better to position the TV in a corner of the room instead of mounting it flat on one wall. Retractable TV corner wall mounts allow you to do just that.
First thing to do is make sure you buy a corner-cantilever TV mounting kit that is compatible with the size and weight of your flat screen television. Then you need to gather all the necessary tools and materials for the job, such as a power drill, drill bit, stud bolts, stud finder, ruler or tape measure, pencil, bubble level, and a Phillip's head screwdriver. After you've done that and decided where on the wall you want to position the TV, it's time to get to work.
Let's say you want to mount your 42-inch flat screen LED near a corner so that you'd be able to pull it out and swing it over into the corner at a 45-degree angle (cater-cornered position). Here are eight simple steps to get that TV on the wall in no time.
Step 1. Locate the stud closest to the inside of the corner with your stud finder.
Step 2. Using the mount's wall plate (or paper stencil if equipped) and pencil, mark two spots for your pilot holes. Check that the wall plate or stencil is level by using the bubble level.
Step 3. Drill pilot holes through the wall into the stud at the pencil marks.
Step 4. Attach the mounting brackets or TV mounting plate onto the back panel of your TV using the provided screws. Always use a screwdriver to tighten, not a power drill.
Step 5. Now it's time to attach your corner mount assembly to the wall. Line up the mounting plate with your pilot holes, and drill two or more stud bolts through it. Tighten securely.
Step 6. Once the mount assembly is secured to the wall stud, you may hang the TV brackets onto the cantilever arm using the bracket hooks.
Step 7. Now swing the TV over into the corner, forming a perfect triangle with the two adjoining walls. If done properly, your corner mount should be completely hidden behind the television screen.
Step 8. Voila '! Now all that's left is connecting your TV power cord and audio-video devices, and you're done.