Can You Mount A 42″ Lcd On A Wall-mount Just Into Sheetrock?
January 7, 2010 by Rich
Filed under Frequently Asked Questions
Okay,
So, I bought a nice new LG 42″ flatscreen LCD TV, and a mount for it off newegg.com – I double-checked and the mount I bought was perfect for the TV, the maker specifically recommended it for my TV model. I mounted a small flatscreen myself in the bedroom, but had a handyman mount the frame for this one. The wall I want to mount it on (over a Heatilator) doesn’t have any wood studs – only aluminum. The handyman mounted the frame into the sheetrock using some heavy duty anchors, but the instructions only give directions on mounting it into wood studs and concrete. The question I have is how much weight do you think 6 lag bolts tightened into 6 heavy-duty anchors in sheetrock will hold? Specifcally, has anyone mounted a good sized TV into just sheetrock and had it work fine? Thanks!
It is possible to due so…..but you are taking your flatscreen’s life into your own hands….is there high humidity in your area? if there is, the sheetrock will be negatively affected over time if there is a (100 pound?) LCD hanging on it….it would be better to mount the frame into the studs rather then just the sheetrock.
This should be fine “on paper.”
(Assuming your handyman is competent, of course).
While there are anchors that are rated for heavy weight into sheetrock, I don’t generally go that route, and particularly not for anthing that may move (does this mount have a swivel?) As that will put extra strain on the hardware. If you’re never going to physically interact with the TV once it’s mounted, I’m sure you’re ok.
Otherwise:
If the aluminum studs aren’t optimally positioned, I would use them to mount a cross member (either one sheet of wood, or one board for the top and one for the bottom) and then bolt the mount to the crossmembers.
How much does this weigh?… I really don’t think there should be an issue, 6 of them…. I assume there are 3 on both the top and bottom… or some other configuration, should do just fine.
Here is what I suggest…
Solution 1-
Get a 3/4 in piece of plywood about 18″ x 30″ (more or less) and mount that into the drywall at 8-10 points. Then you can use four bolts to connect the tv to the plywood. This spreads the weight out more lessening the pressure on the drywall at any particular point.
Solution 2- You can “make” studs inside the wall by cutting a hole about a foot in diameter behind where the tv is going to be. You can then slide two 1″ x 4″ beams into the hole and use them to anchor the lag bolts from the wall mount. This is a bit messier, but gives you the most security.
There shouldn’t be a problem. I hung a very heavy mirror over a dresser with that same kind of setup. That mirror was much heavier than your 42″ TV, and it’s still hanging there!
Should work just fine.
If you use heavy duty toggle bolts it will support 50 lbs per bolt…