A wall-mounted TV with dangling wires looks unfinished, and a bad mount job is genuinely dangerous. Do the prep right — studs, height, and cable plan — and the rest is an afternoon.

What you'll need

  • A mount rated for your TV's size, weight and VESA pattern
  • A stud finder, level, drill and socket wrench
  • A helper — TVs over 43 inches are a two-person lift
  • An in-wall rated cable kit or a surface raceway

The steps

  1. Check the wall and the TV

    Find your TV's VESA pattern (the spacing of the four mounting holes on the back, listed in the manual) and weight. Buy a mount rated for both. Wood-stud drywall is the standard case; brick and metal studs need different anchors.

  2. Pick the height

    Eye level from your seating puts the screen's center about 42 inches from the floor in most living rooms. Above a fireplace, tilt the mount down and expect a compromise — high mounts strain necks.

  3. Find and mark the studs

    Run the stud finder along the wall and mark stud edges, not just centers. Mount bolts must land in solid wood; drywall anchors alone do not hold TVs.

  4. Attach the brackets to the TV

    Lay the TV screen-down on a blanket. Bolt the mount's vertical brackets to the VESA holes with the included spacers and screws — use the size that threads in cleanly without bottoming out.

  5. Hang the wall plate and the TV

    Level the wall plate, drill pilot holes, and drive the lag bolts into the studs. With your helper, lift the TV onto the plate and secure the safety locks or screws the mount provides.

  6. Route the cables

    Use an in-wall power kit (a code-compliant recessed outlet plus brush plates) for the cleanest look, or a paintable surface raceway if you can't open the wall. Never run a TV's regular power cord inside the wall — it's a fire-code violation.

Worth knowing

  • Plan for the streaming stick: plug it into the TV before final cable dressing, and leave its power cable slack.
  • Full-motion mounts let you pull the TV out to reach ports later — worth it over fixed mounts for most people.
  • Photograph the wall before closing anything up so you know where cables run.

Common mistakes

  • Mounting to drywall with toggle anchors instead of studs.
  • Running the TV's power cord through the wall.
  • Forgetting to check stud position against the mount's bolt spacing before drilling.

Research basis: Full-motion and fixed mounts on wood-stud drywall. Steps checked against current manufacturer documentation as of the last-updated date above.