Design Guide:
DIY Plasma TV Installation
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Equip Yourself With the Right Tools
A successful Plasma TV installation requires the right set of tools to carefully secure your precious investment. Unless you can afford to see a couple of thousand dollars fall to the ground and break into pieces, you should only install your mounting system directly into framing studs. Any type of wall anchoring mechanism is not recommended for this type of application. Hence, you'll need a decent quality stud finder to help you determine their position if you're working with a finished room.plasma tv installation
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Who wants to look at a crooked TV? A good level is also a necessity. It doesn't really matter what type (traditional bubble or a more sophisticated laser level) you get.
You'll need an electric or cordless drill and appropriate drill bits. We certainly recommend drilling pilot holes into the wall and stud prior to affixing the screw. It'll make screwing in the screw a lot easier and should prevent any other issues, such as affixing the screw at an angle. You'll also probably need a socket wrench set for fastening the mount to the wall, since the mounts typically come with some fairly large lag screws/bolts.
In addition to a tape measure, make sure you also have a good yardstick, preferably one made of metal with more precise scaling on it. This is good for precisely measuring things on a flat surface while also serving as a nice balance for your level. I use this approach all the time when hanging things around the home such as art or posters.
Installation Alternativesplasma tv installation
Standard Wall MountA standard wall mount is characterized by installing a mounting system on a flat wall. This is the most common approach to Plasma TV installation.
Plasma TV Recessed Wall Mount
A recessed wall mount is achieved when you cut and offset an opening in your wall, mounting the TV support bracket on the offset within the wall. This type of Plasma TV installation is becoming more prevalent and is often done over a fireplace mantel. One important consideration to make when going this route is the size of the recessed opening -- if you anticipate getting a larger TV down the road, you may not want to pigeon hole yourself (or make upgrading more difficult to accommodate) by cutting a close fit to your current TV. Size and depth of the opening is also an issue regarding air circulation, as Plasma TV's typically generate a greater degree of heat (uses more power) than its LCD counterpart.
Plasma TV Fireplace Installation (Standard/Recessed)
If you choose this approach and decide to mount directly or recess your TV over a fireplace, you should consider these things to safegaurd against any future safety issues or damaging your television:
- A well constructed shelf for your mantel will help shield your television (to some degree) from heat rising from the
fireplace.
- Make sure you have allocated some space between your fireplace and TV (i.e., don't install it directly over top of it) --
place it a couple of feet up above the mantel.
- Don't use a ventless fireplace or consider installing the TV over a ventless fireplace. A Plasma TV already generates
enough heat on it's own.
- Depending on the size of your TV, allow 4-5" of space around your television and 4-6" of depth to ensure you foster an
adequate amount of air circulation to your unit.
Other Considerationsplasma tv installation
Obviously, it's best to prewire for your Plasma television installation during a rough-in phase if you're finishing an unfinished room.Don't even think about undertaking this project by yourself. You need one other person to help you hold things, especially considering the fact that TV's are not only heavy (can be as heavy as 100 pounds), but awkward to hold and position on a mount.
Hooking up your home theater components to your TV prior to installing the TV on the mount is advised as the back panel of the television isn't as easy to access once the TV's on the wall.
Consider installing a surge protected outlet to protect your investment. Panamax is seemingly a reputable and recommended manufacturer of such products in various home theater circles. You can check out their product lineup by clicking here.
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Home Theater Plasma TV Installation → Design Guide.
