How high should you mount a TV?

Mount the TV so the middle of the screen sits near your eye level when you are seated. For most couches that puts the center of the screen roughly 40 to 45 inches off the floor. Higher than that and you spend the evening looking up.

Find your number

Sit where you usually watch and have someone measure from the floor to your eyes. That is your target for the middle of the screen. Then measure the TV itself and work out where the bottom edge and the bracket land.

A quick check before anything goes on the wall: cut a piece of cardboard or painter's tape to the size of the screen and stick it up at the height you picked. Sit down, watch for a few minutes, and move it until it feels right.

Bedrooms and other rooms

The same rule applies, but the seat changes. In a bedroom you watch from the bed, often propped up, so the screen usually goes a little higher and a tilting mount helps. In a kitchen or home gym you may be standing, so the center of the screen moves up to standing eye level.

Screen size and distance

A bigger screen sits fine a little lower, because the top edge is already high. The farther back you sit, the more height you can get away with. If the room is small, a TV that fills too much of the wall at eye level can feel crowded, so check the screen size before you buy.

Over a fireplace

A fireplace pushes the TV well above eye level. A tilting mount angles the screen down and helps a lot. Check the TV's manual for heat limits above a fireplace that gets used, and hold your hand on the wall above the mantel when the fire is going. If it feels hot, the TV will too.

Fixed, tilting or full motion

Fixed mounts hold the TV flat and close to the wall. They suit a TV at eye level that you watch from straight on. Tilting mounts angle the screen down, which helps over a fireplace or in a bedroom. Full motion arms pull the TV out and swivel it, useful for a corner or an open plan room, but they put the most force on the wall.

Studs, not drywall alone

A TV mount should be fixed into the wall studs, or into the right anchors for the wall when the studs don't line up. Drywall alone won't hold the weight over time, and a full motion arm puts even more force on the wall. Brick and stone need masonry anchors and the right drill bits.

Cords and outlets

Plan where the power and cables go before the bracket goes up. A cord cover painted to match the wall is the simplest way to hide cables. Moving an outlet or adding a new one behind the TV is electrical work for a licensed electrician. Our craftsmen handle basic electrical jobs only.

Old holes

Moving a TV leaves holes from the old bracket. We patch and paint them, so the wall looks clean again.

Before we come

Pick the wall and the height, and have the TV and the mount on hand. Measure the TV and check the mount's box for the screen sizes and weight it is rated for. Clear the area under the wall. If you want shelves, a soundbar or pictures hung nearby, add them to the same visit.

Questions