Mounting LED on drywall (no studs)

[Kraven]

Spent a few good hours looking for the damn studs in the wall: ended drilling 1/16 holes behind where the TV should be installed to no avail.

Anyone ever mount a screenon directly on drywall? I bought 10 drywall anchors rated for 200lbs each. 55" LED weighs 42.3lbs.
I gotta drill 1/2" holes, shove the head in, pul the zip cord and secure.

Thoughts?

Cheers, K

 

[gadgtfreek]

I think you will be fine, I have several heavy and large pictures hanging with only easy anchors screwed into the sheetrock. 42lbs is not bad, Id just be using a low pro mount to keep it close to the wall, and definitely not an articulating arm mount that would be used for moving it around. Keep the weight close to the wall.

unless you decide to go into the wall and firm it up.

 

[Kraven]

Bought a monoprice flat wall mount. Thinking of also adding 3/4" spacers to let the screen breath.
I used 2 different stud finders without success. After drilling the 1/2" holes, i might be able to find one or two to
ideally secure it further.

Cheers. K

 

[StevenD]

drill a small hole, then use a coat hangar to poke left and right to see what you find. There HAS to be studs there.

 

[osu1991]

Just make an opening for a low voltage old works box behind where the tv is going and another closer to the floor, so you can fish wiring and not have it hanging down from tv. You should be able to find the studs easily with a coat hanger and the opening for the box.

 

[jayn_j]

Just make an opening for a low voltage old works box behind where the tv is going and another closer to the floor, so you can fish wiring and not have it hanging down from tv. You should be able to find the studs easily with a coat hanger and the opening for the box.

Also, if you create the hole, you can insert some squares of plywood or short 2x4 sections that the screws can attach to through the drywall. Making a larger surface area will greatly increase the strength.

You should separate the HDMI cable from the power box, so that would give you two holes to work with.

 

[Kraven]

Thanks for the tips. Going to take some pics of the project and post'em. I worked hard in the basement after we moved in: knocked out some walls, fixed the ceilling, flooring, repainted the walls etc.. I really hate making holes in the walls.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I bought a studfinder, worked great when I hung both my plasmas. Very accurate.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R5AVVY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[. Raine]

Most common spacing for the wall studs would be 16'' apart, the 1st stud should be 15 1/4 from the corner. If the wall isn't a load bearing wall they might be 24'' apart. You could try measuring from the corner out to where you want to mount the TV. Of course the spacing could be anything, depending on who framed it, especially if it's an old house. Try using a magnet too, possible to have metal studs, though not very likely in a house.

 

[jevans64]

I can find studs by just tapping my knuckle on the drywall and listening for the change in sound. Once I have a general location of a stud, I use a strong 1/4" cylinder magnet to find existing drywall screws/nails. If the wall is unfinished or uses traditional wall paint that is easy to touch up, I'll use a small precision screwdriver to poke the drywall to get an accurate location for the stud. Once you find one, the others should be 15-1/4" from each other end-to-center, which would be the standard 16" apart. Of course, all bets are off if the wall was framed DIY. If you find that you might have a possible stud running horizontal, then you have cross-members, which are boards placed between the studs for stability. They will generally be 48" off the floor. These make fishing wire a PITA but could also be used as a partial anchor for the TV mounts.

 

[Kraven]

@ Jev: Ive tried tapping, pressing, punching, used 2 different stud finders and drilled 30 1/16" holes without success.

Eventually I drilled 10 1/2" holes for the anchors. Before installing them I used a coat hangar to feel behind the wall (no success).
9 Anchors (rated for 250lbs) were installed, the last one located at the end on top somehow broke off. I did afterwards find 1 stud (1/3 from the end of the mount which I drilled in 2 2.5" bolts.

Am still a bit worried since its a pricey TV but she seems to be holding up quiet well. The B**** is, since the TV is level (build in level on the Monoprice mount), i noticed the floor isnt.

Anywho, Its now done and it definetly gives a different feel to the room.

Next up: am going to temporarily run the power, network and coax up to the ceilling and across right into the shop at the other end of the basement.

Cheers, K

 

[jayn_j]

I'm glad you found the one stud. Makes me more comfortable. One thing to note is that the top anchors likely have around three times the forces on them as the bottom ones. They all have about the same vertical load, but that isn't usually what fails. the tv will provide some torque on the mount which will tend to push the bottom ones into the wall, but pull the top ones out. Those are being held in by the little fingers on those anchors and those fingers and the drywall they press against are doing all the work.

I think you are OK, just something to be aware of. The problem generally occurs when people hang on the mount or try to constantly adjust it. Just leave it be.

For running wires: I assume you will run romex through the ceiling and provide a box behind the TV. Don't run an extension cord. Code violation and definite safety hazard. Also, try to provide some separation between the power cables and the signal cable. Keeping them close together will likely introduce crosstalk and you may see/hear a 60 Hz interference pattern if they are too close together. I'd keep at least a foot between them.

 

[mike123abc]

The 2 bolts you put into the stud should hold just fine even if all the anchors fail.

 

[Kraven]

Thanks. Am taking the TV down tonight to lower the brackets behind the TV. Ill take some pictures of the wall mount. The "hooks" behind the TV are about 6 inches apart and hook onto the middle of the wall mount, yet the end/top anchor not being there is a bit worrysome. I dont want to take down the entire mount just to add another anchor.

Cheers, K

PS- Just realized.. I used the Cobra anchors that have a plug, zip cord and anchor. Something very simillar to this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hilti-To...-Anchors-with-Screws-10-Pack-337987/100325206

These things wont come off the wall if I decide to remove or relocate the mount.

 

[navychop]

A bit late, but-

I have at times cut out drywall in the correct size, shape and place to put in an outlet box. Then I can find studs easily. Afterwards, I can repair and paint the wall - or just put in an old work low voltage box and blanking plate. Looks like a covered over land line box. IOW, not even noticed.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[Kraven]

This is what I plan to do.... cut up 2 wholes on each end of the mount: one for wiring another for power. besides adding whichever wiring and power box, am shoving my arm in there..as I rather secure the mount to another stud.

 

[. Raine]

am shoving my arm in there..as I rather secure the mount to another stud.

Ya, definitely would be best to have it mounted securely on two studs. I have a 42'' and a 46" Vizeo here right now that both took dives off of walls. The 42" is repairable but on the 46" the people are out of luck, the LCD cracked. See this an awful lot, sheet rock isn't all that strong really, especially after the TV has been hanging for a few years.

 

[. Raine]

This is what you need, in the picture. If you have a friend who is a mechanic, or technician of some sort, maybe you could borrow one? it's called a bore scope, or inspection camera. The line with the camera can go about 3' into a wall or whatever and is lighted. This one's not the greatest but it's pulled me out of some jams.

 

[Kraven]

Ya, definitely would be best to have it mounted securely on two studs. I have a 42'' and a 46" Vizeo here right now that both took dives off of walls. The 42" is repairable but on the 46" the people are out of luck, the LCD cracked. See this an awful lot, sheet rock isn't all that strong really, especially after the TV has been hanging for a few years.

Am sorry for your loss.

 

[. Raine]

Am sorry for your loss.

Don't be sorry, not my loss! They're TV's that people brought to me for repair, not my personal TV's.