Safe to mount LCD to one stud?

[JackJohnson]

Hi everyone.

I picked the mono price low profile wall mount ID 4114 last week. I have two windows and I want to mount my Sony LCD in between them. I found a stud directly between the two windows. The studs are exactly 14" apart. The wall bracket is not wide enough so is it safe to mount the bracket by just the center stud.

Another option I can do would be bolting the center and left side of the bracket. Here's a picture to better explain http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lcdgy6.png
Will that be okay to do? I'm afraid there might not be enough support on the right side.

Thanks.

[57]

You don't state the size of the TV, which is very important. The two-stud idea might work for a small LCD, but for a big one, you should likely cut out a piece of the drywall and replace it with some plywood (which you could plaster over), to which you could bolt the mount.

[JackJohnson]

sorry my LCD is 40inch

[JackJohnson]

I decided to just mount the LCD to two studs, it will be off center but its secure. I like your idea 57 but it sounds like a lot of work. I appreciate the help though.

Hopefully I can get it mounted by the end of the week and post some pictures up.

[57]

I would suggest the plywood idea, with the plywood spanning the three studs, but hey, you might be OK if you do some good bolting, the studs don't split, if the bolts are in the middle of the studs, etc.

[WestCDA]

One stud would not be a good idea, but the offset as you show is perfectly acceptable, and the mounts are designed to allow for exactly that.

Provided you are using the correct mount for your display size and weight, the longitudinal piece is formed as a channel of fairly heavy gauge steel, and plenty strong enough to 'cantilever' the half of the display's weight on the unbolted side - provided one of the bolts is at least centered in the bracket (don't put the two bolts on one side only). The lag bolts I've received with the Monoprice mounts are of a proper size for the load, but make sure you're drilling into the centre of the studs.

The stud location vs. desired TV location is almost never optimal for a symmetrical bolt pattern.

[das75]

thumbs up to the plywood idea.

plus depending on the studs location, the TV would probably cover the plywood anyways.

[TECHNOKID]

thumbs up to the plywood idea.

Definitely the safest and logical solution! Just pay the price for something that has good finish and possibly some trimming around it if it is ever visible.

[WiredRacing]

The best 1 stud solution is going to be an articulating arm style mount.

Also make sure you use a very thick bolt.. like size 14 and about 2.5" long (.5 inches for the drywall, 1.5 inches for the 2x4.

Ultimately it just depends on how much work you want to do to make the whole thing look pretty.

With the mount you have, personally I don't think a 40" LCD weighs enough to worry much (60lbs?), just make sure you use those butterfly style screws for the portion going into just drywall.

But of course, to err on the side of caution, spanning 2 is the way to go with that mount. Costs a hell of a lot more to replace a busted LCD panel than to pull some drywall and build a frame back there.

[WestCDA]

As he's shown in his diagram, he has two studs available to bolt to - he's just concerned about the 'offset' bolt pattern as the mount will not be centred on the studs. I have the Monoprice mounts as well - the backing piece is a formed piece of heavy gauge steel and there is no problem with bolting them 'offset' as shown with four lag screws to two studs. The instructions that come with the mounts only contain a caution to use six bolts and anchors when mounting to brick/masonry. The information on their site actually states you CAN use a single stud when mounting to wooden framing - per his original post. Myself, I think that's cutting it a little lean.

If the OP's studs are 14" apart with one in the exact centre as he stated, the mount should span three studs - the spec on the 4114 states the backing plate is 32" wide. If they are actually the more common 16" on centre, he could probably still use all three studs (should he really want to) with slight modification to the mount. I don't think it's necessary or worth the effort.

I've mounted two 42" plasmas with that same mount, using offset lag screw patterns (four screws) into two studs 16" O.C., and they are not light sets. The mount is designed for up to a 63" display, and will take a LOT more weight than it's supporting now, offset or no. For those concerned about the lag screws 'tearing out', look up the withdrawal value for a single lag screw of a given length and diameter from various species of wood - perhaps you'll sleep better.

If you could continuously increase the weight of the display load to the point where the mount failed, I suspect either the small diameter (VESA mount) screws would shear from the TV, or the mechanical bracket claw/mounting lip interface would deform, before you budged that mounting plate off the wall. In any event, it would take a lot of weight, and make for an interesting experiment ...

[57]

The other possibility is to add a couple of the butterfly bolts on the right side where he only has drywall.

[PHAND]

I've done this before with a 42" plasma and a single steel stud. Drill the stud and use 1/4" toggles. Then use toggles on the drywall further over. Don't hang off it and you'll be fine. Don't use an articulating mount, it WILL come off then.

[Petee_C]

? How about drill a couple extra holes in the mount that would line up with the 2 closest studs to still center your tv on your wall ?

edit: didn't see your pic before posting....

[JackJohnson]

Hey guys I appreciate all the comments.

I ended up mounting the LCD by my original plan using two studs with 3 lag bolts in the center and two lag bolts holding the right side. Since the mount claims to support up 163lbs I figure it should be safe to hold my 60lb TV. The wall bracket was very secure I tried tugging it and ran several weight test on both sides and the sucker wouldn't budge. I feel very safe mounting my TV with the left side unsupported by any bolts. The mount is very solid and would recommend it to anyone. Only problems I had was the machine screws for the TV were a bit long so I had to use the provided spacers but then that created a problem because the screw wasn't long enough to go into the back of the TV after using the spacers. I drove to my nearest Home Depot and bought some machine screws and everything was perfect. Once I get my power bridge and hdmi cables I hope to get some pictures up in the gallery section.

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to help me out.

[JackJohnson]

BTW this was my first DIY project and I absolutely enjoyed it and would recommend anyone looking to wall mount their lcd or plasma to mount it yourself. You'll save yourself a lot of money and its something really simple to do.

I must of drove at least 7 times to Home Depot and find the right screws :P It was all worth it though.