"hobbes" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,
I would like to mount a TV above my fireplace. I know many people
think that this is not
a good place to place a TV due to neck strain, heat etc and other
reasons. However
due to various legacy reasons I am in this situation and do not really
have any other option.
The studs in the wall above the fireplace are metal due to building
codes, probablly for
fire resistance reasons. The TV mount area is a 33 inch tall by 50
inch wide inset
by 6 inch alcove. It was designed for a TV, sort of to make the thing
flush. This of course
makes getting at the wires and connections behind the TV difficult. To
help solve this
issue of cable connection access I would like to use a Peerless SP850
wall mount bracket
which can articulate the TV from the wall. This bracket can come out
away form the wall by 10 inches. This will put some strain on the
mount points of the bracket to the wall.
So the question is given that I have sort of the worst of all worlds
he
1) Metal studs
2) Out reach articulating Mount which will leverage the TV out even
more and hence increase
the strain.
3) 50 inch plasma -- about 120 lbs - ish I guess
Just how can I do this without a major crash-bang-wallop situation? I
was thinking of using
quite a few toggler http://www.toggler.com/ bolts. This hardware
available at home depot is sold
by some TV mount "experts" on the internet for 10x the cost.
If so how many bolts do I need? And will by wall hold up to all the
stress placed on it?
Anyone have any experience on this?
Warmest regards, Mike.
By any chance do you know if the metal studs are heavy gauge or light
weight? Without knowing I would consider filling in the entire space with a
piece or 3/4" or maybe 1" plywood cut to the same dimensions as the opening.
Use many drywall screws to secure it to all the studs that you possibly can.
You can predrill holes in the plywood for the drywall screws with a small
bit and use a countersink. Dab some joint compound over the screws and sand
smooth. The idea is to spread the weight out among all of the studs so that
one or two are not carrying the full load. Use plywood with an "A" surface
and paint it to match the rest of the wall. Anchor your support bracket to
the plywood.