Wall mounting a TV has grown in popularity now; they are lighter and smaller in construction, albeit with higher image quality. Besides a cleaner, more organized appearance with no wires, cables, or connections in sight, mounting a TV on the wall helps save space by eliminating the entertainment consoles.
Since most TV mounts are made for drywall, they are simple for DIY enthusiasts, although each TV bracket will be designed for fitting to wall studs. The issues arise if you try to mount a TV without studs, as hollow walls such as drywall have no strength or sturdy anchor point to support the mounting bracket or your TV. Attempting to do this would see a hole in your wall where you see just the crumbly center of your drywall. Hanging a picture frame is far different than heavy TV.
If you have a wall without studs, you can use our guide and find alternative ways to hang your TV without studs. By the end, you’ll see the best wall anchors and methods available for a secure mount of your TV. Now, you can toss away the need for a stud finder and join the many who already use a no studs TV mount on a plaster wall or drywall location in their homes. (Learn How To Get Silicone Off Hands)
Can You Mount a TV in Drywall: What To Consider
When your walls lack studs, anchors and mounting plates are a reliable and simple way to keep the TV wall plate in place.
Although the procedure is simple, bear the following in mind:
1. Weight of TV
Make sure the wall anchor screws you use are rated to support the weight of your TV.
Although TV’s weight might vary from model to model, a 32-inch television typically weighs between 25 and 30 pounds. Therefore, your TV manual should contain such information.
It is essential to lift your gadget with caution. The weight of even a flat-screen TV can be substantial. As a result, it’s highly advised that you get a friend to help you with the mounting process.
2. Condition of the Wall
When mounting a TV on drywall or plaster that is dated and old, even the strongest wall anchors won’t make much of a difference.
The weight of your TV may cause walls that seem thin to flex and bend, potentially even breaking.
3. Pick The Right TV Mount for TV
The VESA pattern establishes a standard pattern to guarantee that wall mounts will fit any TV.
Mounts, however, are rated to fit particular TV sizes and weights. For instance, a 40-inch TV’s weight and proportions would not be supported by a wall mount designed for a 32-inch TV.
The wrong mount selection could cause your TV to fall from a plaster wall to the floor and cause damage to both.
4. Consider Mount Type For Wall
Most studless wall anchors are fixed and tilting mounts. Fixed mounts are stationary, while tilting mounts let you adjust the TV’s vertical angle.
Full-motion mounts should not employ toggle bolts or other wall anchors. These mounts, with arms and swivels, increase weight. In addition, adjusting a mounted TV might strain anchor points and the wall.
If your wall has no studs, don’t worry. TV mounting options are plentiful. If you’re unsure about these options, ask a technician who knows how to mount a TV on the wall without studs. It’s better to pay for help than to end up with a broken TV and drywall.
After choosing the right TV mounting bracket, determine the proper placement and height. Proper wall location is vital when wall-mounting a TV because you can’t alter it later, even with an articulated mount. (Learn How To Remove Kwikset Deadbolt)
5. TV Position
Choose a wall first that is centrally located with enough seating and space. The correct TV position also needs power, so check this as you go along.
From there, determine the mounting height, usually with the TV screen close to eye level when seated. One person can hold the TV while another examines the angle and position.
Put the TV at the right height, with the middle of the screen at eye level. (A second person can verify comfort and angle while you and another hold the TV.) Mark the desired position in the lower right or left corner with a pencil or masking tape.
Top TV Wall Mounts Without Studs
When you need to mount a TV to a wall without studs, any of the following may be suitable for your home.
Wall Anchors
Anchors are some of the easiest ways to hang anything on the walls without a stud. These work differently to keep screws from slipping out of their holes or damaging the drywall.
Most drywall anchors are often near where the picture-hanging hardware is in the store.
1. Toggle Anchor
Despite having a butterfly toggle at the end, toggle anchors and toggle bolts appear to be regular screws. Toggle anchors work by securing the drywall’s underside when they are installed in a wall.
The toggle presents outward force to the entire sheet of drywall to resist instead of just the crumbly core; thus, pulling on the screw or applying any other external force has no effect.
It’s the distinction between pulling at the entire wall and just a single screw.
2. Molly Bolts
Although they need a little more effort to use than other drywall anchors, these are strong and ideal for medium and heavy loads.
There are two types of these: pointed and non-pointed molly bolt. Installing pointed molly bolts requires a few light but firm taps with a hammer. They feature a sharp tip.
Non-pointed molly bolts are recommended for plaster walls; however, they need cutting an installation hole. That’s the same process that toggle anchors employ, by the way.
These bolts remain thin when not tightened, but when they are, the sleeve swells and forms an anchor on the molly bolts to the plaster walls—toggle anchors and this mechanism function similarly.
You can remove the screw and replace it with the screws for your TV wall mount once the molly bolt is firmly fastened.
3. Mounting Plates
Consider employing a mounting plate or cleat made of metal or plywood besides these drywall anchors to mount a TV.
Using any of the anchor screws mentioned above, mounting plates are positioned behind the TV and fastened to the wall. After that, you can screw the mounting plate into the base of your TV wall mount.
A mounting plate should increase the number of anchor points and increase the surface area that can support the weight of the mount and your TV.
If looks are a concern, make the mounting plate smaller than your TV so the monitor will cover the plywood or metal. (Learn How To Remove A Built-In Microwave)
If that isn’t possible, you can always paint or stain the mounting plate to conceal it or provide a more upscale appearance.
4. Ceiling Mounts to Mount a TV
If your walls lack studs, using a ceiling mount for your TV from the ceiling is an alternative; that is less frequent to hang TV without studs.
Although it might take longer and not always be possible, all ceilings feature beams or joists, which serve the same purpose as studs.
Depending on how your home is built, you could need longer screws to reach the joists, and they might be farther apart than you expect. Nevertheless, the joists should be present, and it saves drilling into your plaster wall to use standard wall mounts to mount a TV.
How to Mount Your No-Stud Wall Mount
What You Need:
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Tape Measure
- Spirit Level
- Hammer
- Screwdriver with a Philips head or a flathead
- TV stand
- Mounting hardware
How To Mount A Television
- Put the wall mount in the desired location.
- While retaining one hand on the middle base of the wall mount, insert a nail into one of its ends.
- Put a level to use to straighten.
- Once it is level, hammer in the opposite end and start with the nails farthest from one another.
- The final nails are driven in (some nails may require more force)
- Your television should be connected to the VESA bracket (fits VESA spacing 100, 200, 300, 400, and 600mm)
- To change the tilt of your TV, attach the included spacers to the bottom VESA holes.
- Draw the cable to release the spring lock on the wall mount for your television. Again, it is advised to have a friend there to help.
- Pull the cable to re-latch the spring lock to secure the TV in place again.
What You Should Know
Anchors and mounting plates work well and are typically easy to use when there are no studs in the wall to secure a TV wall mount.
While the procedure is simple, there are a few considerations to bear in mind:
Watch the Weight Of Your Television: Check the weight capacity of the wall anchor screws you intend to use to ensure they are adequate for your television.
Check The State Of Your Walls: Strong wall anchors won’t help much if you’re trying to mount a TV on old, cracked drywall or plaster.
Walls that appear weak may bend and crack under the weight of your TV.
Use The Right TV Mount: Any TV that meets the VESA specifications can be mounted on a wall using a VESA-compliant wall mount. Mounts support a particular weight or TV size.
Your wall could be damaged if your screen fell from an improperly installed mount.
Pick the Appropriate Mount Type: Most studless wall anchor options are suitable for both level and swivel mounts.
Tilting mounts allow you to adjust the TV’s vertical angle, whereas fixed mounts keep the TV in one fixed position.
It would help if you didn’t use a toggle bolt or wall anchor with a full-motion mount. The arms and swivels included in these mounts allow for full angular changes and add some weight to the angle.
If you frequently move your mounted TV, you could stress the anchor points and the wall unnecessarily. (Learn How To Protect Carpeted Stairs)
Pick The Best TV Position: Selecting the ideal wall is the first step and will determine if you need molly bolts or another method if wall studs are not in that location.
- After that, you’ll need to decide on the proper mounting height, which is typically close to eye level when seated in front of the center of the TV screen.
- Helping hands is helpful here, as one person may hold the TV while the other examines the positioning and angle.
- In that case, you can mentally note when you’d like to secure the mount.
- Adjust the TV so that the middle of the screen is at or slightly below eye level.
- Having a second person hold the actual TV while you evaluate the comfort and angle is helpful.
- Put a dot or a piece of tape in the lower right or left corner to show where you want to move to.
Final Thoughts
Have no fear if you have a wall without studs. There are still assorted options for hanging a TV on the wall. If you aren’t sure how to mount a TV on the wall without studs, it’s best to see an expert.
Spending a little more money and asking for help is preferable to breaking the TV and damaging the wall, which will require further work and expense. Your TV wall mount will need to be placed in the ideal location with the correct height set after you have selected the proper mounting bracket.
Even with an articulated wall mount, your ability to later adjust the TV’s position would be severely limited; therefore, choosing the right wall is crucial when wall-mounting a TV.
