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Everything You Need To Know Before You Buy A TV & Mount It On Your Wall

When it comes to creating the perfect entertainment space for friends and family in your home, there are a few things that you absolutely need to have: a comfortable and roomy couch, plenty of squishy throw pillows and cozy blankets, and a crisp sound system. And, of course, a high-quality TV – it’s the most important part! Depending on your overall expectations and budget for technology, there are a number of features and considerations that you can choose from to create the entertainment space of your dreams, including smart TVs, LED screens, high-definition (HD) capabilities, number of HDMI ports, refresh rates, and screen size – and that’s just the beginning. Depending on which brand you prefer – LG, Sony, Samsung, TLC, Insignia, VIZIO, etc. – the possibilities can be endless. So, where do you begin?

When it comes to creating the perfect entertainment space for friends and family in your home, there are a few things that you absolutely need to have: a comfortable and roomy couch, plenty of squishy throw pillows and cozy blankets, and a crisp sound system. And, of course, a high-quality TV – it’s the most important part! Depending on your overall expectations and budget for technology, there are a number of features and considerations that you can choose from to create the entertainment space of your dreams, including smart TVs, LED screens, high-definition (HD) capabilities, number of HDMI ports, refresh rates, and screen size – and that’s just the beginning. Depending on which brand you prefer – LG, Sony, Samsung, TLC, Insignia, VIZIO, etc. – the possibilities can be endless. So, where do you begin?

First Things First – Pick The Right TV For Your Unique Needs

When you invest money in a new TV for your home, you want to be sure you’re getting exactly what you want and need – nothing more, nothing less. Some TVs (like smart TVs, for example) are great for people who don’t have traditional cable television. Instead, they can simply stream content on-demand through platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO. On the other hand, if you’re a movie lover with a theater-like set up in your basement, you might want to splurge for that massive 85” screen with an HDR-compatible set that enables more realistic colors and better contrast for a superior viewing experience. Whether you just want a basic TV to watch the evening news, or a giant HD screen for football watch parties, we can help you find the exact model for your unique needs at OneStep.

After you make the all-important decision re: what type of TV to buy, OneStep experts can help calculate the proper screen size for your home based on a number of factors. Then, we can also help install your new TV so all your friends, family, and loved ones can enjoy watching without arguing for the best spot on the couch! To create a seamless, attractive entertainment space for all, many people like to mount their TV on the wall. There a number of reasons why mounting a TV on the wall is a great idea. Not only does it free up precious floor space, but it also lifts the screen up to a height that’s optimal for viewing – no matter where people may be sitting in the room. However, mounting a TV to the wall can be difficult, especially if you’ve never done it before. Below are the top four things to consider before you attempt to DIY your own TV mount job.

The Top Four Things To Consider Before You Mount Your Own TV

1) Do You Have A Space For All Your TV “Extras”?

Although modern TVs have many capabilities of their own, they do come with a few “extras” such as cable boxes, DVRs, game consoles, high-quality sound systems, and maybe even a DVD player, if you’re old school. Not to mention all the wires! If you want your home’s entertainment space to look sleek and neat at all times, you’ll need to develop a system that smartly conceals all the “extras” that come with traditional TVs. At the end of the day, mounting a TV to the wall is a bigger job than it seems. You also need to figure out a smart storage solution and cord-concealing plan. If you’re a DIY newbie, concealing cords can be a challenging task, and if your goal is to have your cords installed inside the wall, it’s definitely best to contact the TV mounting pros.

2) Can Your Wall Support The Weight Of A TV?

It happens all the time: a homeowner thinks he or she can manage a TV mount job on their own, only to end up with holes covering the wall in question… or worse. If a wall doesn’t have the right support structure, a TV could simply fall from its precarious position and shatter all over your floor. Yikes! Even modern, flat-screen TVs can weigh upwards of 30+ pounds. That said, you’ll need to ensure your wall has studs to support your TV’s weight. Unfortunately, many homeowners think an anchor or two will do the job. But, that’s simply not the case. Wall anchors may work okay for a week or two, but it’s almost inevitable that your TV’s weight combined with gravity will eventually pull the anchors down through the drywall. Then you’ll end up with a torn-up wall and a completely broken TV set.

3) Do You Have The Proper Mounting Tools & Equipment?

Before you even think about mounting your TV to a wall, you need to be sure that you have the right mounting tools and equipment handy. According to CNET, a few tools that you’ll 100% need are a stud finder, drill, a drill bit that is around the same size as the mount screws, and a screwdriver bit. We also suggest a tape measure and leveler for a perfect finish. If you don’t already have that equipment lineup in your toolbox, you’ll need to buy it or rent it from your local hardware store. In order to set the TV up at an ideal viewing angle, you might also need to purchase an adjustable mount that lets you easily rotate the TV at different angles, so that people can watch the screen with ease and comfort. An adjustable mount will also help ensure that all your TV’s ports are accessible.

4) It’s Always Best To Do It Once And Do It Right.

Last but not least, the most important tip is to make sure that when you do the TV mount install, you get it right on the very first try. Otherwise, you risk the chance of disrupting the integrity of your wall’s structure and interior studs by drilling multiple holes, which will then need to be re-filled with putty, sanded down, and possibly re-painted. If you happen to live in an apartment or rental home that charges additional fees for holes in the wall, that piece of advice goes even further. Instead of whipping out your 10-year-old toolkit and blindly drilling holes in your home, consider consulting the experts at OneStep for a professional TV mount job. Not only will you have peace of mind knowing the job is done right, but you’ll also save time and possibly money down the road.

At OneStep, we are TV mount installation experts. Not only can we help you select the perfect TV system for your family’s entertainment space, but we can also help you install that system for years of enjoyment. With a simple phone call, we’ll dispatch a OneStep tech to your home to mount your new TV on the manufacturer’s stand, and also connect all relevant devices and important sources. Additionally, we’ll program your TV remote(s) and hide the wires for a flawless, attractive finish. Although a simple TV mount job may seem like an easy thing to DIY, things aren’t always as simple as they seem. With OneStep on your side, you can breeze through the installation process and start enjoying your new TV sooner than you ever imagined.

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Sources:

- https://www.tomsguide.com/us/tv-buying-guide,review-1943.html
- https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/brands
- https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/what-size-tv-to-buy/
- https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-hide-tv-wires/
- https://www.todayimhome.com/post/how-much-does-a-tv-weigh
- https://www.cnet.com/how-to/read-this-before-mounting-your-flat-screen/
- https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/patch-and-repair-drywall
- https://www.onestephome.com/installation 

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