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Flat Screen Installation on a Brick Wall or Fireplace

For those of us over a certain age, we remember the big, bulky TV sets we used to have that were sometimes as deep as they were wide. Obviously, for TVs like this, a sturdy-often low to the ground-cabinet or table was required. It’s a habit that has stuck with us, even as flat-screen TVs have become ubiquitous.

The truth is, flat-screen TVs are far more versatile when it comes to where we can put them, and there are many reasons we might want to get our expensive screen away from the floor. The most obvious reason being that it’s out of harm’s way, something that is especially appealing if you have small children or large pets. Another reason is floor-space-there’s not much you can do with a television-sized patch of wall, but floor space is a commodity in most homes. Also, depending on the size of your room, mounting your TV on the wall may grant you a more comfortable viewing angle.

Given that fireplaces are often front and center, the most obvious place to wall-mount a flat-screen is commonly above-said fireplace. This location is usually ideal for viewing angles, but it’s not your only option. Any wall is a candidate, and with flexible arm mounts, corners are also an option. Let’s look at the steps involved.

Flat Screen Installation

This guide assumes you plan to mount your television flush with the outer surface of the wall. If, on the other hand, you want to mount your TV standing off from the wall, either using a standard mounting plate or flexible arm, the process quite a bit different.

Step 1: Clear the Area

The first step is to clear the area where you want to mount your TV. Clearing the area doesn’t just mean the wall you want to mount your TV on, but also the area below. If you have any furniture nearby, consider moving it, and it would be a good idea to cover the floor and anything you can’t move with a sheet as there will be some dust from the mounting process.

You’ll need to remove any paintings or clocks or anything else on your wall and be sure to take out any hangings that are left behind.

Step 2: Prepare the Surface

The amount of preparation required will depend on your fireplace. If you have an exposed-brick facade, you will need to remove the facade in the area where the TV be mounted. The thickness of these kinds of facades can vary, but there is a strong chance that removing the facade will provide enough depth to mount your TV in.

If you have a bare wall, you have two options. You can cut into the wall to create a recess for your TV, or you can get some drywall and build the wall out, leaving a recess.

Cutting into the wall can be a very involved process, especially if the wall is solid stone (as is often the case above fireplaces). You will likely need to chisel some away, and it will be very time-consuming and intensive work. Framing the wall out, however, is relatively simple. It also gives you the advantage of being able to build routing into the wall for the various cables you will need to route to your television.

Step 3: Outline Your Frame

If you are going into the wall, rather than building it out, you will need to outline where your TV is going to sit. From there, you can neatly frame the television. Be sure to measure your television carefully, as it is far more difficult to add back material that you have cut away than it is to remove it.

Step 4: Create Your Frame

Once you have framed your television, it is time to look at the back face of your recess. If you have built your wall out, there is a good chance you the wall behind will be strong enough to mount directly to.
If you have cut into your wall-or removed some facade-you may need to reinforce the wall before mounting your flat-screen to it. You can do this with wood; however, a neater solution would be to concrete the wall, giving you an excellent stable backing for your television.

It would be at this stage where planning how you are going to route the cables going to your TV would be dealt with (if you haven’t already). With the back of your recess not yet complete, it will be easier to build in some routing channel for your cables to run through. Be sure to factor in the connectors on each cable when you decide how wide any channeling needs to be. It’s no use having neat, out of sight cable routing if you can’t get your cables through it!

Step 5: Installing Your Flat-Screen

Once your wall is ready, and your frame is built, you can begin the process of mounting your television. Be sure to use appropriately rated wall plugs and fastenings. Do not cut corners in this area, as an improperly hung TV is not only a potentially expensive accident waiting to happen; it is also a health and safety risk.

Be sure not to overtighten the fastenings in the back of the television itself. If you strip the thread, it can be tough to repair.

Enjoy Your Fireplace-Mounted Flat-Screen!

After all that hard work, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’ve earned it.
Of course, not all of us have the time to undertake a project like this. Also, not everybody will feel comfortable knocking holes in walls. Fortunately, Neuwave can help in that department. We handle custom flat-screen installation projects quickly and professionally, leaving you to enjoy your newly mounted flat-screen TV with the minimum of fuss.

Get the job done right the first time, with all the quality you’d expect from expert installers such as ourselves. To talk to us about a project, get into touch today at 919-752-4101, and let our professionals take care of your installation needs.