Looking for ways to mount a TV? Here's our tried and tested favourites along with the practical advice you'll need to follow

There are several ways to mount a TV on a wall in your home, depending on where you decide to put one. Do you want to recess the TV so it sits flush to the wall, or are you happy for it to be mounted on the surface? Or, perhaps you even want to be able to hide it completely from view in your living room design when not in use.

While there are plenty of different ways to mount a TV on the wall, there are some practical considerations to take into account when making your selection, not least of all regarding how your wall is constructed.

In this article we'll explore the options you have for mounting a TV as well as looking at ways of making your TV less of a feature, and more of a hidden extra.

Ways to mount a TV in your home

While mounting a TV onto a wall is a popular choice amongst homeowners, there are also other places to put it, for instance if you have sloped walls or walls with beams om not a large enough space. Here are the options.

It's also worth being aware that you need to make sure the bracket you use is compatible with your TV. The key information you'll need for your bracket is the VESA dimensions. These are guidelines that match flat screen TVs to suitable wall mounts and can usually be found in your TV specification or manual. You can then match your TV to the correct mount, although be sure to check it matches the screen size and can support the weight of your TV too.

1. Mount the TV straight onto the wall

If you're happy for your TV to be visible in the room, your main choice for mounting a TV is straight onto the wall with a specialised TV mount. These come in a range of different options ranging from fixed mounts that mean the TV stays in one position, through to ones that have a full range of movement, allowing you to pull the TV in and out from the wall, and angle it in a different direction.

I've personally used several different types, and currently have a fully flexible TV mount in my living room. As it's an open-plan space, being able to pull the TV out and tilt it towards some of the seating is particularly helpful.

Shop for TV mounts

2. Create a recess in the wall

For a more streamline finish, creating a recess in a stud wall and mounting the TV inside it also has other advantages.

As well as helping to visually disguise your TV but pushing it back into the wall's structure, it also creates an opportunity to hide cables and plugs. If you're building the wall from scratch, your power source and any type of connectivity cables for internet or streaming can be run directly to the back of the recess, pulled through, and located out of sight behind the TV.

Homebuilding & Renovating's content director, Laura Crombie, created a recess in her home along with a flexible mount to allow her to hide items behind the TV, but still be able access them when needed.

"We created two recesses when mounting our TV," explains Laura "The TV is mounted just over a recess which has a hidden alcove inside for games consoles. As well as giving us a more streamlined finish, it also meant we could hide away some of the less attractive family entertainment essentials such as gaming consoles."

I f your want to create a recess for your TV, your wall structure will need consideration, as well as there being a few extra factors to think about as well, namely:

1. Ventilation: Your TV gets hot, so you'll need to make sure there is sufficient airflow around the back and sides of the TV to prevent overheating. A few mms won't be enough so don't try and make the recess too snug
2. Access: As well as needing space for ventilation, you'll also need to be able to get your hands inside the recess to access the TV itself, including mounting it, removing it or dealing with any electrical faults. Therefore when sizing your recess, make sure you take this into account.

It's this second point that leads me to encourage you to use a flexible mount, rather than a fixed one when installing a TV inside a recess, much like Laura Crombie did. However, I had to learn the hard way from my mistakes.

In one property I owned, recesses had been built into the walls by the developer. They weren't exactly right for the size of TVs I owned, but nonetheless were a nice feature. However, I made the mistake of installing one of them with a fixed mount, and then realised it was nigh on impossible to remove it from fixed mount when it came to moving out. Damage to the wall and the TV mount was inevitable but could have been avoided by using the right mount to start with.

3. Mount to the ceiling

Another option can be to purchase a mount that means your TV is attached to the ceiling, rather than the wall. This can be an option if you are looking at options for a loft conversion bedroom for example, where a sloped ceiling may be the only available location for a TV.

Once again, VESA dimensions on your bracket can be used to find the right type of ceiling mount, and it will be once again a case of understanding how to attach it to the ceiling using the correct fixings.

Amazon has a range of ceiling TV mounts to choose from.

4. Build a media wall

If you are looking for feature wall ideas to house your TV, another way to mount your TV is to include it within a media wall. This gives you the option to create storage for other media equipment and entertainment such as toys and books.

While the appearance of it will depend on personal taste and the overall look you are hoping to achieve in the room, some homeowners choose to create them so they look like a full piece of furniture, while others still mount the TV directly to the wall and build storage around the TV instead.

In Laura Crombie's case, it was the former. "We mounted one of our TVs onto an MDF-backed media wall. But, relying on the MDF alone wasn't enough to provide us with a secure fixing. This meant we had to reinforce it behind with timber struts so we had a stable base to screw the mount into."

Try this freestanding media cabinet for an alternative solution

5. Use a floor standing mount or TV furniture

Not keen to drill or screw into your new, pristine walls? There is of course always the option of using furniture to house your TV. These can range from floor standing mounts, such as this artist's easel style Hoxton Tripod TV Stand with Mount from John Lewis, through to TV cabinets or stands.

For floor mounted options, you'll again need to consider your TV size and weight to match it to the right mount. With furniture, it's more about weight and screen size. Most TV stands will state what size it's suitable for, such as this Cream Malvern Oak Effect Up to 80 inch Slim TV Unit from Next, that I've just purchased for my mum's new flat.

Laura Crombie

Laura Crombie is Content Director for Homebuilding & Renovating and has been a homes journalist for more than 17 years. She’s DIY-renovated three properties and written about decorating and design for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Metro.

Where to mount your TV

Where you mount your TV will depend on the layout of your room. Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and snugs can all potentially house a TV, but where?

"The obvious place is the wall opposite your favourite sofa, where you will spend most of your time watching TV," says Steve Jenkins, Homebuilding & Renovating's DIY expert. "Make sure it's at a comfortable height, roughly eye level when sitting down.

"However, if you have kids or pets, you might want it slightly higher," he notes. "One tip is to stick a similar-sized piece of cardboard on the wall in the preferred position and then sit in your favourite seats and check it's a comfortable viewing position. Alternatively, if you’ve got helpers, you can have them hold the TV in place."

Being practical about it helps too, adds Steve, and can save extra DIY jobs in the process.

"Also, think about how far from a power point and a TV aerial point the TV will be," he says, "as the fewer wires on display, the better."

Make sure you think about the focal points in your room and where the TV best fits in, and at at the same time, don't forget to take into consideration your doors and windows, and where light enters the room. Having windows or large sliding patio doors facing the TV will lead to glare and the need for window coverings to potentially be pulled in the middle of the day.

Steve Jenkins

Steve is an avid DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating homes. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has strong all-round building skills, having previously worked in the industry for 10 years.

Drilling into a wall or ceiling to mount a TV

Decided on where to mount your TV? Now comes the important part of making sure it's mounted securely and safely. Steve Jenkins explains the type of kit and tools you'll need if you're undertaking the job yourself.

"The first thing to note is what type of wall you are mounting to. For drilling into brick walls, you’ll need Rawl plugs and screws. As a general guide, 80-100mm screws with appropriate Rawl plugs should be sufficient for most TVs. You will typically need six fixing points to ensure a secure fix.

"Drilling into plasterboard walls will need plasterboard fixings, and these typically can’t hold as much weight as brick wall fixings," notes Steve. "Ideally, locate the studs in a stud wall and screw into them. And, if you have a very large or heavy TV, you may need larger screws or more fixing points regardless of wall type.

"You will need a cordless drill and masonry drill bits for brick walls. For plasterboard, you may need a drill and a spade bit. Some kits like this Plasterboard Fixing Kit from Amazon come with the bit. Or, this TV Fixing Kit, also from Amazon, is good for brick walls," he adds.

Ways to hide your cables — and your TV

Hiding cables

Building a stud wall from scratch and including a recess for your TV means you can run cables behind the plasterboard for the neatest solution. But you also have options if you're mounting to a finished wall.

"A simple solution is to place furniture in front of cables, but this may not be viable or aesthetically pleasing," says Steve Jenkins. "Another option is to use cable covers like this Paintable Trunking from Amazon. Run them from behind the TV to the floor, and either choose a colour that matches the wall colour or paint them to suit.

"Alternatively, to completely hide any cable, you can chase them into the wall. But this is time-consuming, messy and more expensive. If you have plasterboard walls, you can cut a hole in the wall behind the TV and another at the bottom of the wall, drop the cables down the gap, and pull them through at the bottom. However, this is not a quick, straightforward solution like a cable cover."

And, if you have brick or stone walls, I can confirm that chasing out walls for cables is also a very messy, noisy and time-consuming job, with lots of repair work required afterwards to reinstate the plaster finish on your walls. It's not for the faint-hearted, but if you're renovating and want a sleek finish everywhere, it can be worth it in the long run.

Hiding your TV

If recessing your TV into the wall doesn't hide it enough for you, there are also a number of different ways you can cover it as well. Choosing to install doors on your media wall is one of the easiest ways to cover it. Adding a sliding door just in front of the TV section can allow you to still display accessories and decor either side on shelving.

Another option when it's mounted on a wall, or in a recess, is to mount sliding rails above and below the TV and add a piece of artwork on doors that can be pulled across to cover the TV when not in use.

Some homeowners choose to 'frame' their TV instead, using a custom made frame and then displaying an image on the TV screen so that it looks like artwork, while products such as Samsung's The Frame TV are designed entirely with this approach in mind.

For a more cost effective option, dust covers with an artwork style appearance are also available and simply fit snugly over the TV when not in use. As an aside, if you're considering a TV in an outdoor kitchen area, using a waterproof TV cover such as xxxx from xxxx is a must.

Or, if your smart TV can display your photos, creating a collage or rolling display of images as a screensaver can be a very low cost way of turning your TV into a giant photo frame. It's of course not zero cost as leaving it on, rather than on standby will incur some minimal energy costs.

Try these covers for disguising your TV

Feeling confident to proceed with mounting a TV as part of your DIY plans this weekend? If you're looking to mount a TV above a fireplace, find out what the experts recommend before you make a start. Then, once you're equipped and ready to go, take a look at these stylish TV mounting ideas for making sure your TV and fireplace combined wall looks the best it can.