[ABLE1]

I have a small job to hang a Flat Screen. Not exactly sure on the size but it is about 48" diag.

This screen is to be mounted on a Block Wall with Furring Strips with foam and drywall. Total thickness to the block would be 1-1/4".

Please tell me if I am wrong (or right would be nice) that if I use 1/4" x 2-1/2" TapCons will I have any problems??

The plan would be to use at least 6 tapcons and go thru the furring strips and into the block.

I am thinking I am fine but just wanted to check with you's guys.

TIA

Les

 

[Tinstaafl]

Unless that thing is really, really heavy, six tapcons would be plenty strong. OTOH, I've had my share of them strip out when going into crappy block. Plan for tapcons, but take some expanding anchors along just in case you need a Plan B.

 

[ABLE1]

Thanks on the Plan B thought.

And so it shall be...............................

 

[Inner10]

Les,

I think I've mounted TV's on every wall material possible. There are other factors to concider, is it a flat mount or an articulated arm bracket?

Nice light LCD or a big heavy pro plasma?

I've mounted many TV's with Tapcons but I'm really not all that fond of them, if you do use the quarter inch ones then put a good pile of them in and do a chin-up on the bracket to ensure it is solid. Small anchors are pesky to level off your bracket, you have to use fender washers and they don't have much holding power.

My go-to concrete anchor is the Hilti HSU-H 3/8 screw anchor. Put 4 of thoes in block and you could hang an elephant off of it, and it looks alot nicer then a million tapcons. Level the bracket, mark the holes, drill then loosely drive in the anchors, then fine tune the level and tighten the anchors. Then put your bottom 2 in.

Look at the bracket style, some brackets you cannot slide the TV past the anchor heads so you have to pay attention to where you put your screws.

Have fun!

 

[ABLE1]

Hi In,

Not really sure if it is Plasma or not. I would estimate the weight of the bracket and TV together to be maybe 100 pounds. I will look into the Hilti but I need to find a local source.

Not into hanging elephants but if I did they will have to be wearing red sneakers.:laughing:

Thanks,

Les

 

[rwa]

one more thing to check ... if the electrical outlet is behind the TV, make sure there is enough clearance for the plug .... (experience talking)arty:

 

[ABLE1]

Thanks for the concern but not an issue. Low and below.

Les

 

[CarpenterRN]

Out of curiosity, did the TV manufacturer have any recommendations for your installation situation?

 

[Inner10]

I will look into the Hilti but I need to find a local source.

Red Head and Buildex have the same style of anchor, available at pretty much any hardware store.:thumbsup: You just need a 5/16th drill and a half inch socket. Its alot nicer to use a few big guys then a million little guys. Oh and run your vac while you drill.

if the electrical outlet is behind the TV, make sure there is enough clearance for the plug .... (experience talking)

Good call, clock plugs rock, failing that get some 90 degree adaptors. On that note if you are using a low-pro bracket and HDMI get yourself a swivle connector before you snap the end off that expensive cable.:shutup:

 

[Inner10]

Out of curiosity, did the TV manufacturer have any recommendations for your installation situation?

Shawn, from my expierience the TV manufacturers don't want to get involved with a "do at your own risk" activity such as this. I wouldn't not trust a TV company to spec a fastner for mounting a third party bracket on a surface they are not familiar with first hand.

Have you ever asked a TV company about mounting their products?

 

[Cole82]

If your tapcons strip out like we all have had happen. Just stick a piece of 12g solid copper wire in the hole then screw the tapcon back in. It holds like you would not believe.
I have a put up a few big tv's I would recomend using what ever size fastner the mount says to use. The last one wanted 6 3/8" lags into studs. IT was a huge plasma on an adjustable arm thing.

 

[CarpenterRN]

Have you ever asked a TV company about mounting their products?

Not in a situation such as you describe. I was just checking. Believe or not, many don't even think to talk to the manufacturer of the products they install to see what they recommend. I'm glad to hear you are not one of those contractors. The way you describe, your furring strips aren't coming off. Throw a little PL premium behind them and you'll need a catostrophic failure to drop that TV.

Add: I would make sure the length of your screws will go through the fur strips and penetrate the inner wall of the block core for the most "grab." If you are attaching these directly to the block, a healthy dose of PL will hold your tv without any screws, once the glue cures. I've glued 2x4's to block walls and needed a sledge to remove them after the glue has cured. Not that your fir strips are that big, but you get the idea.

 

[Inner10]

Not in a situation such as you describe. I was just checking. Believe or not, many don't even think to talk to the manufacturer of the products they install to see what they recommend.

TV companies will just give you the mounting hole specs on the TV and tell you to find an appropriate bracket, then pass the buck to the bracket company.

I don't think they want anything to do with mounting, imagine the liability if a TV crashed to the ground and killed someone and the manufacturer of the TV was to blame.

[STORY] I was adding a home theatre to an already mounted 50" sony LCD on a swing arm bracket. The contractors the finished the basement mounted the TV. I swung out the TV and started finding studs, measuring, marking etc. The homeowner comes down to chat, a minuit later we hear a CRUNCH as the TV tore off the wall.

The top most load bearing lag screw was not screwed into the middle of the stud, it just caught the corner. I ended up remounting the TV, it hasn't fallen since.:thumbup:

Moral of story, get the centre of the stud!
[/STORY]

As far as the PL suggestion it would definitly makes things stronger but your shooting yourself in the foot. I've taken alot of TVs off, moved TV's replaced TVs added articulated arm brakets etc.

One time I used chemical anchors in a brick wall, we agreed on a height for the TV, I mounted it. Lady sees it mounted..."hmmm can it come down a few inches?"...Sure lemme get my grinder.:laughing:

If your tapcons strip out like we all have had happen. Just stick a piece of 12g solid copper wire in the hole then screw the tapcon back in. It holds like you would not believe.

Thanks for the tip! Never would have thought of that one.

I have a put up a few big tv's I would recomend using what ever size fastner the mount says to use. The last one wanted 6 3/8" lags into studs. IT was a huge plasma on an adjustable arm thing.

Articulated arms have such different loads on the fastners. The arms are basically trying to pull out the top screws, where flat mounts are testing the shear stregnth of the fastners. It really doesn't take much to hold a flat mount bracket, but a swing arm needs some serious care.

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics, there were done a few years ago back when I mounted alot of TVs.

The top pic was a retro job, the TV is mounted with a bunch of lead sheild anchors. It was a really soft brick so it would not take well to large anchor bolts. I ended up removing a brick from behind the tv and another on the left side of the fire place to fish the speaker and video cables.

The bottom pic is lousy, but in fact that TV is mounted with a PRF bracket to that surfboard shaped piece of wood, the speakers are also mounted to the wood. The surfboard is then anchored to one of the biggest and baddest Premier double articulated arms (since discontinued). The cabinet flips open and the entire assembly pulls out and turns 90 degrees in both directions. The swing arm is mounted directly to the poured concrete wall of the condo with 5/8s concrete anchors.

 

[ABLE1]

Thank for all the input. I will plan for the worst which should keep me out of trouble.

Have a good Christmas all.

Les

 

[ABLE1]

Thanks to all that have replied. Very helpful. The thing is hung and all went well. Because of location of vertical furring strips I placed a 3/4" plywood panel on top of the dry wall, secured it to the the furring strips and then mounted the TV bracket on top of that. I use Tapcons to secure to the block wall behind everything along with some additional screws into the plywood. It should take a 8.6 earthquake to knock it off the wall.:clap:


Just for a few smiles I will share my experience today at Home Depot. While I was in the fastener isle and trying to determine the length of Tapcon I should purchase a store worker came by and asked if I needed any help. I said no but explained what I was doing in hanging a big screen TV. He said the Tapcons should do the job and walked off. Then he came back and said that they were running special on these toggles up here. Curious I followed him to the end of the aisle. He showed me these drywall toggles that have a plastic zip attachment for installation. He says I could just hang in the drywall. I said WHAT?? Hand a 80 lb Flat Screen on the drywall. He says yes they are rated at a 220 lb load. I said ARE YOU NUTS!!! Would you hang it if it was yours??? Would you hand one on drywall for a customer??? To which he says it is rated at 220 lbs.......................... I walked off back to the Tapcons.

The really sad part about this it was not some kid working there over the holidays. This guy looked like he has worked as a contractor and is now using HD to supplement his retirement. :blink: What a idiot.

Have a Merry Christmas all.

Les

 

[CarpenterRN]

I'm glad all went well!

If he was talking about snap toggles, he was right. The pullout and shear strength of those, believe it or not, are far superior to regular toggles and pretty much anything else you'd use for hanging on drywall or plaster. I hung a 75# Venetian glass mirror with them and didn't lose a seconds sleep over it....and I didn't hit any studs because of the specific location. BTW, the cost of the mirror was $8G (Venetian glass is very expensive), so the attachment to the wall was not something I took lightly. Check them out, they are the real deal. They also have different sizes and I tend to go with as large of size as practical.

 

[ABLE1]

I'm glad all went well!

If he was talking about snap toggles, he was right. The pullout and shear strength of those, believe it or not, are far superior to regular toggles and pretty much anything else you'd use for hanging on drywall or plaster. I hung a 75# Venetian glass mirror with them and didn't lose a seconds sleep over it....and I didn't hit any studs because of the specific location. BTW, the cost of the mirror was $8G (Venetian glass is very expensive), so the attachment to the wall was not something I took lightly. Check them out, they are the real deal. They also have different sizes and I tend to go with as large of size as practical.

Vertical shear of a mirror when it flat on the wall is one thing. Cantilever of a Big Screen TV standing off the wall 4" in yet another thing. If it is all the same to you I will avoid testing my luck on a customers wall.

Merry Christmas!!

Les

 

[CarpenterRN]

Vertical shear of a mirror when it flat on the wall is one thing. Cantilever of a Big Screen TV standing off the wall 4" in yet another thing. If it is all the same to you I will avoid testing my luck on a customers wall.

You are correct more shear, but less pull-out. The TV would be less shear, but more pull-out. But neither the mirror or TV at that weight would fail with the proper size snap toggle. You don't have to take my word for it, but they do work.

Merry Christmas!!

Thanks, Les! And to you as well!

 

[Inner10]

Les, glad to hear it went well.

As for togglers they will easily hold a flat pannel UNLESS it gets bumped or the drywall gets wet. I use thoes zip-tie ones in hollow block and they work great for mounting all sorts of stuff, cameras tvs etc, you can remote the bolt and the anchor holds in place unlike a normal toggle that would fall in, or a tapcon that would ream out after screwing in twice. In block they have excellent holding power.

Moen offers hollow wall anchors that are rate for 150 static, a variation of the ones for grab bars.

 

[ABLE1]

:thumbup:

Les, glad to hear it went well.

As for togglers they will easily hold a flat pannel UNLESS it gets bumped or the drywall gets wet. I use thoes zip-tie ones in hollow block and they work great for mounting all sorts of stuff, cameras tvs etc, you can remote the bolt and the anchor holds in place unlike a normal toggle that would fall in, or a tapcon that would ream out after screwing in twice. In block they have excellent holding power.

Moen offers hollow wall anchors that are rate for 150 static, a variation of the ones for grab bars.

Hi In,

I can agree that under certain circumstances and you are left with no other way to do the job, they may work just fine. But if their are alternative that are available then why take the chance. You would be relying on the guy that put up the drywall as well. Did he use nails, use enough screws, did he also glue it, is it 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8" or was it manufactured in China??

I know engineers that when they are told by their boss it is required to fit a square peg into a round hole they will do what ever is necessary to please the boss. And will produce the D size drawing to prove it.

That being said I would have been quite happy if I knew where the hollow space in the block were before I started drilling holes, but that was not possible. Now that I drilled for the tapcons and everyone hit a hollow I could go back and re-drill larger and use the toggles and I would have had a mount that would last thru a 9.9 on the Richter Scale. But I am quite satisfied with the 8.6 that I got. :thumbup:

Hope you and everyone found the right thing under your tree this morning.

Mine was not not Snap Toggles. :clap:

Have a Happy New Year!!arty:

Les