I’ve mounted my fair share of TVs over the years, and let me tell you – it’s not always the straightforward DIY job those YouTube tutorials make it seem. The first time I tried mounting my own telly, I ended up with a slightly crooked screen and a handful of extra screws that supposedly should’ve gone… somewhere. Not my proudest moment!
Wall mounting your TV seems simple enough in theory. Buy a bracket, drill some holes, hang it up – job done, right? But there’s actually quite a bit more to it than meets the eye. When you’re dealing with expensive electronics & potentially dangerous structural work, sometimes calling in the pros is your best bet.
So before you rush off to B&Q for a power drill and mount kit, consider these five compelling reasons why hiring a professional for your TV wall mounting might save you headaches (and possibly your expensive new 4K OLED from a disastrous tumble).
Safety First: Protecting Your Family & Your Investment
Let’s be honest – a falling TV is TERRIFYING. Modern televisions might be slimmer than their chunky predecessors, but they’re still heavy enough to cause serious damage if they come crashing down. A 55-inch TV can weigh upwards of 15kg, and that’s before adding the weight of the mounting bracket.
Professional installers know exactly how to assess your wall composition. They can identify whether you’re dealing with plasterboard, brick, concrete or timber-framed walls and choose the appropriate fixings. They’ll check for pipes and electrical wiring hidden behind surfaces that could be accidentally damaged during installation.
I remember my neighbour’s horror story about drilling straight into a water pipe while attempting to mount his new telly. The resulting leak caused damage to his living room ceiling and the flat below. The repair costs were nearly five times what he would’ve paid a professional installer in the first place!
Professionals also ensure the bracket is properly secured to wall studs or using appropriate heavy-duty anchors, eliminating the risk of your TV eventually working loose & crashing down due to improper installation. Peace of mind is worth every penny.
Finding the Perfect Position & Viewing Angle
There’s actually a science to proper TV placement. A professional installer understands ergonomic viewing angles and can help you avoid the neck strain that comes from mounting your telly too high (a surprisingly common mistake many DIYers make).
The optimal height for your TV depends on your typical seating position, room layout, and screen size. A general rule is having the middle of the screen at eye level when seated, but this varies based on your specific situation. Professionals take all these factors into account.
They’ll also consider room lighting to minimise glare issues. Nothing ruins movie night faster than annoying reflections on your screen! And they’ll factor in your room’s specific acoustic properties — mounting location can significantly affect sound quality, especially if you’re using the TV’s built-in speakers or planning to install a soundbar beneath it.
Plus, professionals can advise on specialised mounts if you need flexibility — like full-motion brackets that let you pull the TV away from the wall, tilt it downward, or swivel it to different angles based on where you’re sitting. These more complex brackets require precise installation to function correctly & safely over time.
Cable Management Expertise
Nothing ruins the sleek look of a wall-mounted TV faster than a tangled mess of cables dangling down your wall. Ugh. But achieving that clean, cord-free aesthetic is actually one of the trickiest parts of the whole installation process.
Professional installers have clever solutions for hiding those unsightly wires. They might channel cables through the wall cavity (when safe to do so), install cable trunking that can be painted to match your wall colour, or use specialised cable management systems designed specifically for wall-mounted TVs.
They also plan for all your connectivity needs. Will you need to accomodate HDMI cables from multiple devices? What about ethernet, optical audio cables, or power cords for soundbars? Pros think about how all these components work together and create a solution that keeps everything tidy while maintaining accessibility for when you inevitably add that new gaming console.
