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I Finally Wall Mounted My TV and Gained Back My Entire Entertainment Center
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items My 65-inch TV was eating up the entire top of my entertainment center, leaving zero room for anything else. Books stacked on the floor, speaker shoved in a corner, remotes piled on the couch arm. If your living room feels smaller than it should becau...
Sections
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TV Wall Mounts That Actually Hold Steady
Cable Management Solutions That Hide the Mess
Stud Finders That Don't Lie to You
Drill Bits and Anchors for Solid Mounting
Levels and Measuring Tools for Straight Mounting
Soundbars Worth the Freed Up Space
TV Wall Mounts That Actually Hold Steady
Spent two weeks reading horror stories about TVs crashing off walls at 2am. These held up without a single wobble, even when my kid yanked the HDMI cable sideways.
Grab this if you have a 32 to 55 inch TV and want to swivel it toward the kitchen while cooking. Installed it solo in about 40 minutes and it hasn't budged in eight months.
Mounting Dream Full Motion TV Wall Mount 32-70"
Use this for the bigger screens. My 75-inch Samsung looked terrifying hanging there the first night, but this thing holds 132 lbs and I sleep fine now.
USX MOUNT Full Motion TV Wall Mount for Most 47-84
Snag this one if you're on a budget and don't want to feel like you're gambling with your TV. Solid steel, extends 15 inches from the wall, and the price barely dents your wallet.
Pipishell Full Motion TV Wall Mount for 26-60 Inch Flat
Keep this in mind if you're mounting above a fireplace. The tilt angle saves your neck completely. My wife stopped complaining about movie nights within a week.
PERLESMITH Tilting TV Wall Mount 37-85 inch
Try this if your studs are weirdly spaced. The mounting plate is wider than most, so I didn't have to get creative with toggle bolts or pray to the drywall gods.
WALI TV Wall Mount Bracket Articulating Full Motion
Cable Management Solutions That Hide the Mess
Nothing kills the clean mounted look faster than six cables dangling down the wall like sad spaghetti. These made my setup look like it was done by a professional, which it very much was not.
Use this to run your HDMI and power cables inside the wall. Took about 30 minutes with a drywall saw and suddenly my living room looked like a showroom instead of a server room.
ECHOGEAR in-Wall Cable Management Kit for Power
Grab this if cutting into your wall makes you nervous. Painted it the same color as the wall and my mother-in-law literally asked if the TV was wireless.
D Line Cable Raceway for Wire Management
Stick this on if you rent and can't touch the drywall. Adhesive backing, pops right off later, and it holds four cables without bulging. Landlord will never know.
Simple Cord 80in Cord Hider for Wires on Wall
Pair this with an in-wall kit for a flush finish behind the TV. No cables poking out awkwardly, just a clean rectangle that disappears once the screen is mounted.
Recessed Low Voltage Cable Plate
Tuck this behind the TV so everything plugs in up top. Saved me from running a separate power cable down the wall and it handles the TV, soundbar, and streaming stick without breaking a sweat.
GE Surge Protector Power Strip 3ft Braided Cord 6 Outlets
Stud Finders That Don't Lie to You
My first stud finder beeped at literally everything, including the middle of open drywall. Drilled four unnecessary holes before I wised up and got one that actually works.
Switch to this immediately if your current stud finder is basically a random number generator. It lights up the entire width of the stud so you know exactly where center is.
prosensor 710 franklin sensors prosensor 710 precision
Grab this if you also need to detect wires and pipes. Found a water line I had zero idea was behind my TV wall. Would have been a very expensive surprise.
Customer reviews for Hyper Tough 3-Sensor Stud Finder
Use this for plaster walls specifically. Most stud finders choke on old plaster and lath, but this one found studs in my 1940s house on the first try.
Hyper Tough, 3-Sensor Stud Finder Tool, wood and metal
Keep this around if you want perfectly level mounting holes without holding a bubble level in your teeth. Laser line plus stud detection in one tool saved me a headache.
BLACK+DECKER Line Laser with Stud Finder BDL190S
Toss this in your toolbox as a backup. No batteries, no calibration, just a magnet that sticks to nail heads in studs. Confirmed every reading from my electronic finder.
Ch Hanson 3040 Magnetic Stud Finder
Drill Bits and Anchors for Solid Mounting
Learned the hard way that the screws included with most mounts are barely adequate. Upgraded everything and now I could probably hang a motorcycle on that wall.
Grab this set before you start drilling. The bits that came with my mount were dull out of the package. These cut through studs like warm butter and last forever.
Dewalt Titanium Nitride Coated Drill Bit Set
Use these if you absolutely must anchor into drywall between studs. They hold 265 lbs in half-inch drywall. Way more confidence than plastic anchors that spin and strip.
TOGGLER® Hollow-Wall Anchors
Swap out the included screws for proper lag bolts. Went with 5/16 by 3-inch and the mount feels like part of the wall structure now. Worth the extra two dollars.
The Hillman Group 230051 lag-Screws
Bring these out if you need to drill larger holes for cable passthrough plates. Clean holes, no splintering, and they grab the wood without walking all over the place.
Irwin Speedbor Spade Bit Set - Pack of 8
Toss washers behind your lag bolt heads so they don't dig into the mount bracket. Distributes the load better and makes future removal way easier if you ever move.
Everbilt #10 Stainless Steel Bolt Flat Washer Rust
Levels and Measuring Tools for Straight Mounting
Hung my first TV crooked by about two degrees. Doesn't sound like much until you're watching a movie and the horizon line is slowly driving you insane.
Use this across both mounting holes before you drill. Phone apps and small levels lie. This 48-inch beam showed me my first attempt was off by a quarter inch.
STANLEY FatMax 43-549 48-Inch Magnetic Box Beam Level
Bring this out if you're working solo. Shoots a perfectly level line across the wall so you can mark both drill points without holding anything or begging someone for help.
Dewalt DW088K Cross Line Laser Level Horizontal
Keep a quality tape measure handy. Measured my TV width, wall space, and distance from ceiling at least six times each. The lock on this one actually holds, unlike my old dollar store tape.
Stanley Powerlock Tape Measure, 25-Ft. x 1-In. 1 Pack
Snap a chalk line between your two drill marks before committing. Gives you a visual reference that a pencil dot alone can't match. Wipes off the wall with a damp cloth after.
IRWIN STRAIT-LINE 1:1 100.0-ft Chalk Reel
Use this to mark precise perpendicular lines from your chalk line to the drill points. Overkill for some people, but I already had four extra holes in my wall and wasn't about to add more.
Swanson Tool Co 12" Combination Square
Soundbars Worth the Freed Up Space
Once the TV went on the wall, I realized my old speakers looked ridiculous sitting on the now-empty entertainment center. Replaced them with soundbars that mount right underneath.
Pair this with a wall mounted TV for actual bass without a giant subwoofer taking up floor space. The wireless sub tucks behind the couch where nobody sees it.
Vizio V-Series Model V21-H8 2.1 Home Theater TV
Grab this if you want Bluetooth so your phone connects for music during the day. Mounted it right below my TV with two screws and it looks like they were made together.
SAMSUNG HW-B450/ZA 2.1ch Soundbar w/ Dolby Audio
Try this if you're keeping the budget tight. Sounds way better than it has any right to at this price. Dialogue is finally clear and I stopped using subtitles for mumble-heavy shows.
TCL Alto 6+ 2.1 Channel Home Theater Sound Bar
Snag this for a bedroom setup. Not overwhelming, just fills the room nicely. My partner can finally hear conversation scenes without me cranking volume to 45.
Hisense HS312 3.1ch Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer
Keep this one in mind for a small room or second TV. Costs almost nothing, plugs in with one cable, and still blows away your TV's built-in speakers by a mile.
onn 20 Inch Bluetooth 2.1 Channel Soundbar with Multi
Streaming Devices That Tuck Behind the TV
With the TV flat against the wall, bulky devices sticking out the back were a problem. These are slim enough to hide completely and keep everything wireless.
Tuck this behind your mounted TV and forget it exists. Connects to WiFi, streams everything, and it's so small it doesn't add any depth behind the screen.
Roku Express 4K Streaming Player
Grab this if you're in the Alexa ecosystem. Slides into the HDMI port, hangs behind the TV, and the remote has actual volume buttons so you're not juggling two remotes.
Introducing Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device
Use this if you cast from your phone a lot. Also works standalone with its own remote now. Hides behind the TV like it was never there.
4K resolution
Try this if you want a full Android TV interface without spending much. Surprisingly snappy for the price and the remote is simple enough that my parents figured it out.
ONN Android TV 4K UHD Streaming Device with Voice
Swap to this from the Express if your HDMI port faces sideways and space is tight. The stick form factor bends with the included adapter so it doesn't push the TV away from the wall.
Roku, Streaming Stick 4K, HDR Dolby Vision
LED Bias Lighting for Behind the TV
Wall mounted TV with a blank white wall behind it was giving me eyestrain during night sessions. Added backlighting and it looks incredible while actually reducing fatigue.
Stick this on the back of your TV and your eyes will thank you during late night binges. Reduced my headaches and the ambient glow makes the picture look richer somehow.
Govee RGBICW TV Backlight 3 Lite - For 55-65 Inch TVs
Grab this for a simple warm white glow without the fancy color changing stuff. Peels and sticks in five minutes and plugs right into the TV's USB port for power.
PANGTON VILLA Led Strip Lights 6.56ft TV USB Backlight
Try this if you want the lights to match what's on screen in real time. Watched Planet Earth with this running and my buddy thought I bought a new TV.
Govee 55-65" Co-branded with Netflix LED Backlight
Use this if you want a clean warm white that just works without an app or WiFi connection. Plug it in, stick it on, done. Perfect for people who hate fiddling with smart home stuff.
Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting, USB LED TV Backlight
Pair this with your existing smart home setup since it works with Alexa and Google. Change colors from the couch without getting up. My kids use it as a night light on low.
Monster, Smart LED Strip Lights, 25ft
Floating Shelves to Replace the Entertainment Center
Ditched the giant entertainment center entirely and put up floating shelves. Room looks twice as big now and I actually have surfaces I use instead of dust collectors.
Grab these for under the TV to hold your router and a couple books. They hold 30 lbs each which is more than enough, and the rustic wood tone warms up a plain wall.
Customer reviews for BAYKA Floating Shelves for Wall
Try these if you want a more modern look. Clean white finish, invisible brackets, and deep enough to hold game cases and small plants without anything tipping forward.
Greenco Set of 3 Floating U Shelves, Decorative
Use these wider ones if you need actual workspace below your mounted TV. I put my turntable on one and it handles the weight without sagging at all.
Mainstays Natural 16.5" Wood Floating Shelves, Set of 2
Keep this in mind for a single long shelf that spans the width of your TV. Looks intentional and architectural instead of cluttered. Holds my soundbar and two small speakers.
Sorbus, Wall Mounted Floating Shelves, 24 Inch, Pack of 3
Snag these if you want that farmhouse look without spending farmhouse prices. Solid paulownia wood, came perfectly level out of the box, and they photograph really well for the living room.
Love-KANKEI Floating Shelves Wall Mounted Set of 3
Tools That Made the Install Actually Doable Solo
Did the whole project by myself because my buddy bailed. These tools turned a two-person job into a one-person job without any cracked screens or emergency room visits.
Use a proper cordless drill, not that sad corded one from 2009. This one has enough torque to drive lag bolts into studs without pre-drilling and the battery lasts the whole project.
DEWALT, Impact Driver, 20V MAX, 1/4 in Hex, Brushless
Grab this if you're starting from scratch and don't own basic tools yet. Has everything from screwdrivers to pliers to a hammer. Paid for itself on this one project alone.
Hyper Tough 77-Piece Precision Tool Kit with Magnetic
Keep a magnetic tape measure around so it sticks to the mount bracket while you're holding the level. That third-hand trick saved me from dropping everything repeatedly.
Milwaukee Tool 25Ft Magnetic Tape - 2 Pack
Bring a sharp knife for opening packages, trimming cable covers, and scoring drywall for cable passthrough plates. Dull box cutters make everything take twice as long and three times as dangerous.
Utility Knife URA
Toss this small level on top of the mounted TV for a final check before tightening everything down. Caught a slight tilt my big level missed because the mount had shifted during bolt tightening.
Unbranded 9-inch Plastic Torpedo Level
Wall Repair Supplies for the Holes You Already Made
Between the old entertainment center anchor points and my failed first attempt at mounting, I had about nine holes to patch. These made the wall look like nothing ever happened.
Grab this pink spackling that turns white when it's dry so you know exactly when to sand. Filled all nine of my mistake holes and the wall looks factory fresh after painting.
DAP, DryDex Spackling Kit, 8 oz Pink/White Dry Time
Use this for the bigger holes where toggle bolts ripped out. Comes with a metal patch, compound, and a putty knife. Covered a fist-sized hole from my worst drilling moment.
3M Fast Fix Patch High Strength Large Hole Repair Kit
Keep a quality small brush for touch-up painting over your patches. Cheap brushes leave streaks and bristles in the paint. This one lays down smooth coats every time.
Wooster Brush Q3211-2 Shortcut Angle Sash Paintbrush
Smooth your spackling patches with this before painting. Way easier to hold than sandpaper and gets into corners without gouging. Took each patch from lumpy to invisible in about 30 seconds.
3M Scuff Sanding Sponge, 03195, 3-2/3 inch x 9 inch
Try the spray can version for small wall touch-ups if you don't want to bust out a roller. Match your wall color, spray from 10 inches away, and the blend is nearly perfect.
Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint