What is the best way to mount a 42" Plasma in a new condo with metal studs in the wall?

Question

The wall in my living room, other side faces my bedroom. Is it best to go in through my bedroom, bolt wood to the studs and then drill from the living room side?

Answer 1

You can attach the mount into metal studs.  Have you purchased the mount yet?  Take the screws from the mount and go to Home Depot or Lowe's, and find the same size screws in "sheet metal" screws.   (Ask a salesperson for help if you are unsure, AND if you can find a salesperson).

Then you're going to have to locate those studs.  Next you need to drill holes through the sheet rock and into the studs.  Then you use your sheet metal screws to attach the mount to the studs in the holes you just drilled.  The screws will hold in the metal just as well as they would in wood because while the weight is pulling out to some degree, it is pulling "down" to a greater degree.

That's how I would do it if I were too cheap to have it hung professionally.  Or put it on a table.  My TV is 46" and I just have it on a TV stand.

Metal studs are used in non-load bearing walls.  That shouldn't have any effect on hanging a 42" TV.   However, if you were to do something crazy, like hang 10 rows of shelving on those studs and then fill the shelves with books, you could pull the wall down.  That would be something to see, no?

Answer 2

You could buy a stand with a bracket connected to it, so it looks like the TV is mounted on the wall without actually putting it on the wall. Someone must build one for metal studs. I know there's some combination of brads & mollys that you can use <i>between</i> studs, but plasmas are really heavy. Really heavy.

I wouldn't risk what you're planning. Insurance probably wouldn't cover that.

Answer 3

obviously you're not handy, so i would make sure your insurance covers the mess you are about to make in the walls, electric and blowing up the tv...

Answer 4

hire people to do it or it is to hard ! but by the mounter ahead of time!