Height, bracket, fixing, cables — the four decisions, in the order you need to make them.
Height is the decision people get wrong most often, and it is the hardest to undo once the holes are drilled.
The rule is simple: the centre of the screen should sit at seated eye level. For a typical sofa that puts screen centre around 40 to 45 inches from the floor. Sit in your actual viewing position, look straight ahead at the wall, and mark that point.
The fireplace problem. Mounting above a mantel routinely puts screen centre at 60 inches or higher — around 20 degrees above eye level. That is fine for a passing glance and tiring across a two-hour film. If the fireplace is the only option, use a pull-down mount that brings the screen to eye level in use, and check the mantel surface temperature with the fire lit before committing.
| Type | Wall gap | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed / flat | ~1 inch | Perfect viewing position, minimal look | No access behind for cables later |
| Tilting | ~2 inches | Mounted slightly high, glare control | Vertical adjustment only |
| Full-motion / articulating | 2–5 inches folded | Corner rooms, multiple viewing spots | Costlier; needs stronger fixing |
| Pull-down | Varies | Above-fireplace installations | Expensive, heavy, fewer models |
Full-motion mounts put considerably more leverage on the wall than a flat mount of the same rated capacity. Fix accordingly.
Check two numbers against your TV: the VESA pattern (hole spacing in mm — 200×200, 400×400, 600×400 and so on) and the weight. Buy a mount rated comfortably above the TV's actual weight rather than right at its limit, since the rating assumes ideal fixing conditions.
This depends entirely on wall construction, and it is where a mistake becomes dangerous rather than merely untidy. Full detail is in wall types and fixings, but in summary:
Three options, in ascending order of effort and appearance: leave them visible, run them in surface raceway painted to match the wall, or route them inside the wall. In-wall routing requires an in-wall rated power kit — running a standard power cord through a wall cavity is a code violation almost everywhere in the US. See hiding TV cables.
Aim for the centre of the screen at seated eye level, which for most sofas is 40–45 inches from the floor. A practical check: sit where you will actually watch, look straight ahead, and the point you naturally look at is where the screen centre belongs. Most TVs are mounted too high.
On drywall, yes. Drywall anchors are not rated for the dynamic load of a television on an arm, and a mount that pulls out takes a section of wall with it. Locate studs with a stud finder, verify by drilling a small pilot hole, and bolt into the timber with lag bolts.
VESA is the standard spacing between the four threaded mounting holes on the back of a TV, quoted in millimetres, such as 400×400. A mount must match your TV's VESA pattern or it physically will not attach. It is printed in the TV manual and usually measurable directly.