Wall Mount TV Bracket Horror Stories

By Rob Burns

Have you ever known someone who had a TV wall mount horror story? The most common issue when buying a TV mount is getting the wrong mount for your application. The second issue is improper installation.  Either one of these can result in your $1,000 plasma TV falling off the wall only to be damaged.   While everyone is looking to save a little money, buying the wrong mount can cost homeowners big.

Before you even start your project, the first thing you need to do is to figure out exactly where you will mount your TV. Measure the distance to the seating area, measure the wall width and height to insure you have the right TV for the location you choose. Then figure out what types of studs you have, along with their spacing in your wall. (See the installation video below to see exactly how to do this.) If you find you have metal studs or studs further apart than 16” on center you will find that not all mounts will work for your application.

If you have metal studs you must know they are hollow and a traditional lag bolt designed for wood will not hold. They also tend to flex under pressure, which will limit the weight you want to put on them to avoid popping the joint compound off the wall at the drywall screen locations. Our recommendation is to either consult a local contractor or to refrain from employing an articulating mount which could put excess pressure on the stud. You may choose to employ a tilting mount or flat mount, but you will want to use toggle bolts purchased at your local hardware store and drill them into the studs.

Studs that are spaced further than 16” on center will limit some of the mounts you can use to mount your TV.  Avoid the use of articulating mounts whose back plate is narrower than 24”.  Also be sure to read the specifications first before ordering.

Lastly a common mistake when mounting your TV is missing the studs all together. Unless you have a very small TV and approved anchors, drywall and plaster simply will not support the weight of a typical TV.  They may bear it temporarily but rest assured they eventually will give way.  There are several mounts that are designed to mount into only one stud if your wall cannot accommodate a two stud mount.   But never think you can hang a TV on drywall or plaster alone. Not only are you risking your TV, but also the safety of whoever may be standing under the TV if the mount decides to let loose.

Lastly, purchasing an inferior TV mount can be the biggest mistake possible.  In the last couple of years it seems there has been a race to sell the “cheapest” mounts available online.  Many of your marketplace sites such as EBay and Amazon feature TV mounts for $25 or less.  We have purchased some of these mounts to test their quality and have found they are assembled with screws instead of solid pieces of metal and have very thin gauge parts.  Even the hardware is substandard, consisting of zinc or composite fasteners.   Zinc screws are known to sheer under pressure.  We have found the light gauge metal in these mounts will flex under a load.  This is fine with lighter TVs and proper installation, but with larger sets this is almost certain to cause problems over time.   As with all things in life, if it’s worth doing its worth doing right.  Save the horror stories for Halloween.  To find out more about the proper installation of TV wall mounts simply visit our website

Rob Burns is Owner of Wall Mounts Plus, http://wall-mount-tv-bracket.com/ where you will not only find the best quality TV wall mounts but you will also find how-to videos on their proper installation.  We want to make sure you get the right mount the first time.  We cater to the DIYer and are here to show you how to install any wall mount tv bracket safely and securely.