Studs Too Far Apart For LCD Wall Mount (1 Viewer)

[dale3h]

I recently purchased a Toshiba 42HL167 42" Flat Panel LCD as well as a Sanus Systems VMAA18 Articulating/Full Motion Wall Mount. I followed the instructions to put the mount on the back of the TV, and when it came time to mount the wall-plate, I found that my studs may be to far apart for the plate.

How could I go about solving this? By "solving this" I mean something like:

*mounting 2x4s on top of the wall (mounted to the current studs), and the wall plate to the new 2x4s
*buying some reinforced steel and making an "adapter"

I need a safe/clean way to solve this. Thanks guys (and gals)

 

[chuckg]

yikes! how far apart are your wall studs? They are almost certainly either 16 inch on center, or 24 inch on center.

The cheapest and easiest way to solve it is with a piece of plywood. Yup, that fantastic ubiquitous material. Just go to the big blue store, or the big orange one, and get a piece big enough for the job. I would use 3/4" thick.

Figure out where you want the TV, and where the studs are. center the plywood where you want the TV, but overlapping at least 2 sets of studs. Screw the plywood to the wall studs with drywall screws - and use plenty. then screw the metal TV mount to the plywood. A bit of paint on the ply, and it'll look fine.

 

[Leo Kerr]

Or if you want to be really fancy, you can open up the wall, sister in some additional 2x4s where you want them and need them to be, make sure they're well attached, and then close up the dry-wall again.

Or, be aware that some 'grades' of plywood seem to take paint better than others, and it might be worth "investing" in a 2x4 sheet of birch ply rather than the cheapest, nastiest plywood on the market...

Leo

 

[TommyHawk]

Had roughly the same problem - my studs were not aligned so I could center the TV on the wall.

I cut a 3/4" x 4" plank (not plywood - I forget what it actually was - solid wood from a Depot scrap bin) long enough to mount to the studs, but short enough to remain hidden behind the tv. Traced the board on the drywall and carefully cut that away so as to mount the plank directly to the studs with 4 lag bolts & washers (two in each stud).

Painted the board with wall paint, attached the tv mount to the board, bolted to the studs, mounted the tv.

I cut the drywall very carefully so there is virtually no gap between the board and the drywall, but you could get ambitious and putty, sand and paint the seam (but it's behind the tv anyway).

Worked great - haven't thought about it since!

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Wow, Tommy! Speaking as a former installer, I must say that was a fabulous idea! You’re right, a little joint compound, texture and paint and it would be invisible!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt