Choose the right TV bracket for your TV and wall

Work out the right bracket type and the correct wall fixing for your TV before you drill anything.

TV-01Measure your TV and note its VESA pattern and weightMeasure the screen diagonally in inches, then turn the TV round (or check the manual) to find the VESA hole pattern on the back — the spacing between the four mounting screws, usually given as something like 200x200mm or 400x400mm. Write down the TV's weight from the box or manual too. You need both figures before you can pick a bracket.

1 each · Tape measure

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TV-02Match a bracket to that VESA size and weightCheck the bracket's VESA range covers your TV's hole spacing exactly — most brackets list a range such as 200x200 to 400x400mm. Pick a bracket rated well above your TV's actual weight, not right at the limit, so there's a safety margin. Undersized VESA plates or a bracket rated too close to the TV's weight are the two most common mistakes.

TV-03Decide fixed, tilting or full-motionChoose a fixed bracket if the TV will sit at eye level directly facing the seating. Choose a tilting bracket if it's mounted high, such as above a fireplace, so you can angle it down. Choose a full-motion arm only if seating is off to one side, because an arm pulls away from the wall as it's swung out — this puts far more strain on the wall fixings than a fixed or tilting bracket.

TV-04Confirm what the wall is made of where you'll fix the bracketRun a stud detector or a fridge magnet slowly across the wall, tracking a line — regular clicks or magnet tugs every 400-600mm mean plasterboard on studs, and whether the magnet grabs sharply tells you steel versus timber. A dull, solid knock all over means solid brick or block; a hollow knock everywhere with no stud line, plus a slight give when you press, usually means dot-and-dab plasterboard over masonry. Old houses with a bouncy, slightly springy wall and horizontal ridges under the plaster are often lath and plaster.

1 each · Stud detector

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1 each · Fridge magnet (for a quick manual check)

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TV-05Drill one small test hole to check timber or metal stud, safelyCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall — a detector helps but can miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or outside the usual safe zones, and a metal stud frame can confuse a cheap detector further. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe; if you have any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit first. Drill a single 3-4mm pilot hole where a fixing will go: fine pale dust means timber stud, grey-white dust means plasterboard or plaster, dark red-brown dust means brick or block, and tiny bright metal shavings (swarf) mean a steel stud.

1 each · Drill/driver with 3-4mm bit

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TV-06Buy the fixing kit that matches your wall, not the bracket box's default screwsSolid brick or block: drill with a 6mm masonry bit into mortar or brick, then use a 6x30mm plastic wall plug and a 50-75mm screw. Timber stud: drive a wood screw straight into the centre of the 38-45mm timber, no plug needed. Metal stud: use a self-drilling metal-stud screw straight into the steel, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the load if you're fixing between studs — never a plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw, both strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Dot-and-dab: you need a fixing long enough to pass through the 12.5mm plasterboard and the 20-40mm adhesive dab gap and still bite into the masonry behind, typically 75-100mm. Lath and plaster: aim for a timber lath or a noggin behind the plaster with a long screw, or use a proper hollow-wall anchor rated for the weight — plain plugs pull straight out of old lime plaster.

1 each · Masonry drill bit, 6mm

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1 pack · Plastic wall plugs, 6x30mm (pack of 20)

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1 pack · Wood screws, 50mm (pack of 20)

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1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud screws (pack of 20)

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1 pack · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors, weight-rated (pack of 4)

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1 pack · Long masonry frame-fixing screws, 100mm (pack of 8)

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TV-07Check whether your wall actually needs a noggin firstA metal stud, or plasterboard on its own between studs, will not hold anything heavy or anything that pulls away from the wall in use — a long full-motion arm, a heavy TV, or repeated pulling and pushing will work the fixing loose over time. If your test in TV-05 found a metal stud or plasterboard with no solid backing right where the bracket needs to go, you need a timber noggin fitted between the studs, a metal pattress plate, or a fixing taken through to the masonry behind. That's a separate job to plan before you buy the bracket, not something to force with a bigger screw.

1 m · Timber noggin, 47x50mm batten (per metre, if needed)

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TV-08Tidy up and keep the fixings with the bracketVacuum up the drill dust from the test hole and wipe the wall down. Keep the correct fixing pack taped to the bracket box so you're not guessing again on mounting day, and note down which wall type you found for each fixing point. You're now ready to move on to the actual mounting job.

1 each · Dust sheet

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