Mounting a 32" LCD in kitchen?

[MiniMan64]

So chaps, needs a bit of advice and if there's a more knowledgable source of information I don't know of it.

Redoing the whole house at the moment and before the kitchen is completed I'm looking to mount a 32" LCD on the wall in there, as long as the hanging ceiling light we want to fit doesn't get in the way. The sparkys due in to sort the light so at the same time I'm going to ask him to run a power source and aerial lead up inside the wall before we fit skirting boards and flooring. The wall to the right is an exterior one:




I'm hoping we can do something clever with a wall mounted switch near the floor instead of a plug?

My main concern in the wall mounting, as you can see its a pretty old "panel" type wall that can't be terribly solid so I'm going to have to aim a fixing towards the upright batons? Am I going to have to find a particular width of fixing to match the gap between batons?

Any other advice?

[MiniMan64]

Move to Homes & Garden?

[OldSkoolRS]

What I'd suggest is that you put a section of 3/4" thick plywood across the wall and ensure it is fixed into the studs behind. Then you can screw the TV wall bracket into the plywood: I've done something similar with my projector screen (which is heavier than a 32" TV) as it fixes into my ceiling. Sods law meant it didn't line up with a joist, so I used plywood 'pads' that were screwed to the joists, then the screen fixed to the pads. The plywood could be painted the same colour as the wall (or even wallpapered if applicable) so it wouldn't be obvious unless you jammed your head behind the TV.

When I did my kitchen I blocked off an unused door and put the TV in this position: I put lots of extra timber where I knew the bracket would fix through the plasterboard. I was feeling quite smug that I'd run the power, aerial and even a HDMI cable (for my son's XBox). Then I bought a 'smart' TV and I hadn't run a CAT 5/6 cable. I had no idea that I'd get a smart TV when I was planing the kitchen, so it pays to think ahead in case this is a possibility.

[JimbobVFR]

If this was my kitchen I'd be tempted to strip the wall off and build a new stud wall and inset the TV. If you're doing the whole house I presume you'll be getting a plasterer in at some point so a quick skim won't be a big deal.

This is an old picture of my kitchen.



The wall I built is actually on a chimney breast so the amp and other gear has moved to a unit I built in what would have been the fireplace under the table and I now have an O2 Joggler recessed in the wall behind where the amp is that I use as a squeezebox and some face plates with USB plugs for plugging in various development ces for charging.

[clockworks]

I'd be doing the same as suggested above - strip off the lath and plaster, cut out one or two of the studs and add some noggins to build a "frame", then plasterboard the wall. Fit the power switch at light switch level, close to the door frame.

[Pooky67]

Don't forget a data point with cabling back to your router for 'smart TV' capabilities

[MiniMan64]

Ah ha, had a feeling that was going to be the suggestion. Stripping the wall off isn't going to be an option, budget is getting tight and we're almost finished to be honest. Plasterer has been and gone. The 32" was a broken panel I had in the garage, was bored one afternoon and bothered to fix it! We both hate bedroom TV's and we already have a 46" Plasma in the living room so if it doesn't go in the kitchen it's going back in the garage... ...

Anyway, was hoping for an easier solution with any luck! If I could find a bracket that does line up with the upright joists do you think that would be enough?

[JimbobVFR]

The bracket I used in my front room I'd say yes, it had multiple bolt holes. Not a specific recommendation buy a bit like this. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Designer-Habitat-PREMIUM-W...

[OldSkoolRS]

MiniMan64 said:

Anyway, was hoping for an easier solution with any luck!

Don't know if you saw my post further up regarding using a piece of plywood/MDF fixed to the wall to spread the load and then screw the bracket to that. Pretty easy compared to taking the wall down.

[clockworks]

if you don't want to strip the wall, just screw the wall mount to two of the studs. Get the type of mount that uses a long horizontal bar fixed to the wall, and two brackets that fix to the back of the TV, and hook over the wall bar.