32 inch flat screen TV on drywall

[LTA]

Hi,

I'm trying to mount my new 32-inch flat-screen TV on the wall. It will be on a wall mount that is articulated twice and can extend about 50 cm from the wall.

The wall is single drywall. I'm having trouble finding a suitable stud in the area and am considering mounting the wall bracket with three drywall anchors (Apolo Mea Hrm 5-16, the kind that expand on the back of the drywall) directly into the drywall. But I'm worried the wall won't hold.

The TV weighs 7.5 kg, with three attachment points in the wall mount = three drywall anchors in a vertical orientation over a length of about 20-30 cm.

I think the lever effect when the arm of the mount is fully extended will be quite large, but on the other hand, the TV won't be in that position very often.

Does anyone have any good advice or tips on this?

 

[hahalj]

It's tough when you can't find studs, have you tried using a stud finder?
Otherwise, you could arrange a wooden board in suitable material, plywood, OSB, or something nicer, make it larger than the TV mount, paint/lacquer it in a suitable color, screw it with as many toggle bolts for drywall as you feel is necessary, and then screw the TV mount into this. It'll hold like a rock.

 

[LTA]

Well, I do find studs. But they are not in a good position. Either too far to one side or too far to the other side. I've received different advice from those I've spoken to. At Järnia, they were completely sure that the drywall anchor would hold, but others I've talked to have been skeptical.

Off-topic, could I run a drywall anchor through a stud and get it to hold? Or would it end up crooked then?

 

[hahalj]

A drywall plug through a stud? Is that even possible? They are well-suited for board thickness corresponding to single or double drywall. Or am I misunderstanding you?

 

[Janus82]

According to Gyproc, a drywall anchor should hold about 30kg if loaded straight down. However, if you pull perpendicularly on the mount, they can only handle a load of 10kg. Since you will be able to extend the TV a bit from the wall, you will get an extra torque creating a perpendicular force.

If the TV weighs 7.5 kg and the mount can be extended to 50 cm, and assuming it's 20 cm between the top screw and the lowest point on the mount, the top screw will be loaded with just under 19 kg perpendicular to the wall.
(7.5*0.5/0.2=18.75)

Now it has indeed been many years since I went to high school and calculated things like this, so I may have made some mistakes. But as I see it right now, I wouldn't dare to hang the TV solely on the drywall.

 

[MathiasS]

I would probably take a piece of MDF, use a rounding router on the edges, paint it white and screw it in with wood screws into the two nearest studs. Or if only one stud is in the right place, screw into that and complement with a drywall anchor at each end....

 

[MathiasS]

...and then screw the bracket into the MDF of course.

 

[Claesk]

2 flat bars. Attach to the studs and secure the TV mount to the flat bars.

 

[LTA]

Thank you all!

Now it's just a matter of finding where the studs are located. When I checked again with the stud finder, I didn't find the studs in the same spot Now the detector indicates different spots each time... Could it be because it's an exterior wall? On the interior walls, it finds the studs very easily.

@ Hahalj, what I was thinking was if the drywall anchor could go through the metal stud and expand on the backside and thereby attach to the stud. But maybe that would turn into a mess?

 

[LTA]

Forgot to mention at the beginning. One of the people I spoke with expressed no doubt that the plug would hold, but rather whether the enkelgips would manage it.

 

[Claesk]

A metal stud is like a board. Just the right length of plug.

Outer wall. Are there studs? Is it drywall? Not plaster?

 

[hahalj]

Thank you all!

Now it's just a matter of finding where the studs are. When re-checking with the stud detector, I didn't find the studs in the same place Now the detector indicates different places each time... Could it be because it's an exterior wall? On the interior walls, it finds the studs very easily.

@ Hahalj, what I was thinking was if the drywall anchor could go through the metal stud and expand on the backside, thus fastening to the stud. But maybe it'll be a mess then?

Ah, I understand. Unfortunately, I have no experience with screwing into metal studs. But I'm absolutely convinced that a board in, for example, MDF as MattiasS suggests will solve the problem. By distributing the force over a larger area and preferably having some anchor point in a stud, it will hold.

 

[Claesk]

MDF board or 2 flat irons between 2 studs.

 

[emde]

Have had both 32" and 42" on drywall with molly. 42" was fixed against the wall, 32" had an arm. The arm was twisted halfway out.
Both stayed for several years without the slightest sign of coming loose.

 

[currenthill]

Thank you all!

Now I just need to find where the studs are. Upon re-checking with the stud finder, I couldn't find the studs in the same place Now the detector indicates in different places each time...Could it be because it's an exterior wall? On partition walls, it finds the studs with no problem.

@ Hahalj, what I was thinking was if the drywall anchor could go through the metal stud and expand on the backside and thus attach to the stud. But maybe it would turn into a mess then?

Neodymium magnet from, for example, Class solves this. I have completely switched from the stud finder to a magnet. Works perfectly fine to find the screws/studs.