Most of the TVs I mount go up without any drama. But every so often, a job reminds me why getting it right the first time matters, and why DIY TV wall mounting can end in disaster.

The 26-Inch TV That Took Years to Fall

Years ago, a customer on the Northern Beaches called me to mount a new TV. The old one needed replacing because it had come straight off the wall. It was a small 26-inch set, and it had been up there for years with no obvious problem before it finally gave way.

Nobody had fixed the bracket into a wall stud. The plasterboard alone was carrying the weight, and that’s a lot to ask of plasterboard over time.

That’s the part worth paying attention to. It didn’t fail straight away. It held for years, which probably made it look like a perfectly good job, right up until it wasn’t.

Thankfully, it was a small, light TV, and no one was near it when it came down. The TV didn’t survive the fall. But it’s easy to imagine a worse outcome with a heavier modern TV, or with someone standing in front of it.

Why DIY TV Wall Mounting Can Look Fine Until It Fails

This is the part that’s easy to miss with a DIY job. A bracket that misses the studs can hold for a long time before it fails. There may be no warning sign and no gradual sagging you’d notice. It can look completely secure right up until the moment it isn’t. That makes it riskier than people realise, not safer.

The basics matter on every job, not just on big or expensive TVs:

Find the studs properly. Bunnings’ Workshop team also suggests going into the studs first.
Use the right fixings for the wall type, such as masonry anchors for brick.
Check that the bracket’s weight rating covers your TV.

It doesn’t take a big TV to cause damage or hurt someone when a wall mount fails. This one was only 26 inches.

How I Make Sure a Big TV Stays Put

With larger TVs, the stakes are even higher. When I mounted a 75-inch Samsung Frame in Naremburn, the bracket didn’t line up with the studs where the customer wanted the TV. So I used a wider bracket that could span two studs. I wrote about it in securing a 75-inch Frame into the studs.

Get Your DIY TV Wall Mounting Checked on the Northern Beaches

Got an older TV on the wall and don’t know how it went up? Or are you planning some DIY TV wall mounting yourself? It’s worth getting it checked properly, rather than assuming it’ll stay up because it’s been fine so far.

If you’re on the Northern Beaches or North Shore, get in touch through the contact page or send a message.