Wall mounting your own flat screen TV is easier than you think

Let's face it, flat screen HDTVs look cooler when mounted on the wall instead of sitting on a TV console. Wall mounting is also a great way to save space by not needing a bulky floor console. However, many HDTV owners still avoid having their screens mounted on the wall, even if they wanted to. One of the reasons is because they are afraid of breaking their wall with ugly holes and making a mess if they try to do the work themselves. Another is that they refuse to pay what it costs for a professional TV installer to mount the TV for them. Well, in this article I am going to share with you how easy it is to mount your own flat screen TV on the wall using a retractable TV mount.

Retractable corner mounts are probably the easiest to install on the wall because they require you to find only one wall stud to drill your bolts into. Others require screwing in two bolts, which means more measurement and drilling. Once installed, the corner wall mounts allow you to adjust the TV screen in 3 dimensions: extend, rotate and tilt. What makes this possible is a single retractable cantilever arm that holds the TV at the front end and is attached to the wall mount plate at the rear end. With most models, the arm has three pivot points, allowing you to tilt and rotate your HDTV in virtually any direction, so you can get a perfect front view from any position in the room. Also, depending on the seating arrangement, it may be better to place the TV in one corner of the room instead of mounting it on a wall. Retractable TV corner wall mounts allow you to do just that.

The 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 TV. Next, you need to gather all the tools and materials necessary for the job, such as an electric drill, drill bit, bolts, stud finder, ruler or tape measure, pencil, spirit level, and a Phillip screwdriver. Once you've done that and you've decided where on the wall you want to place the TV, it's time to get down to business.

Let's say you want to mount your 42-inch flat-panel LED near a corner so you can pull it out and rotate it to the corner at a 45-degree angle (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 bracket wall plate (or paper template if equipped) and the pencil, mark two points for your pilot holes. Verify that the wall plate or template is level using the spirit level.

Step 3. Drill pilot holes through the wall in the stud at the pencil marks.

Step 4. Secure the TV Mountings brackets or mounting plate to the back panel of your TV with the supplied screws. Always use a screwdriver to tighten, not an electric drill.

Step 5. Now it's time to attach the corner mounting kit to the wall. Align the mounting plate with its pilot holes and drill two or more bolts through it. Tighten well.

Step 6. Once the mounting kit is secured to the wall stud, you can hang the TV mounts on the cantilever arm using the hooks on the mount.

Step 7. Now turn the TV towards the corner, forming a perfect triangle with the two adjoining walls. If done correctly, its corner mount should be completely hidden behind the TV screen.

Step 8. Voila '! Now all that's left is to plug in the power cord for your TV and audio and video devices, and you're done.