If your TV wasn't on a cantilever bracket i.e. it was on a flat wall bracket instead - then the answer would be yes. But as soon as you have a bracket that moves the weight of the TV away from the wall such as a cantilever bracket, which is what you've got, then you start to introduce a lot of leverage. This multiplies up the effect of the weight so it's the equivalent of hanging a much heavier TV. If you've ever tried to open a tin of paint then you'll know that it's virtually impossible to prise off the lid with your finger nails, but much easier if you use a screwdriver with a long shaft. That's the effect of leverage. In situations like this you really want to get a solid fixing on to a stud.
Finding the stud without using fancy tools
Tools: For this you will need either a thin nail/panel pin or a sewing kit pin with a ball end so it doesn't hurt your fingers. If you're using a nail or panel pin then a pair of pliers might be useful to help you push it in to the wall and pull it out after. You'll also need the mark 1 human knuckle.
Info: Studs run vertically - floor to ceiling - and in a straight line. The timber width is generally 50mm. The stud spacing will (or should) be either 400mm apart or 600mm apart depending on the thickness of the plasterboard.
Safety: Electrics - it's possible your stud wall will have a light switch and it'll definitely have a mains socket somewhere near where you want to mount the TV (otherwise how would you power it, right?). Bear in mind then you'll have electrical cables inside the wall. Generally power cables should run vertically, and for power sockets the feed should come in from below but it's not unheard of for them to be wired from above. Remember too that stud walls are generally built between rooms, so do check about the location of power sockets and light switches on the other side of the wall before you go making holes in the wall with bits of metal. In general then, avoid fixing anything to the wall directly above or below any sockets and switches. Nailing or drilling in to a power cable could end your day pretty quickly.
Method: Start off with the mark 1 human knuckle and knock on the wall.
It'll probably sound hollow unless you happen to knock over where a stud is located. Work your way across the wall in the area where you'd like to mount the bracket. You'll soon get a feel for hollow or solid soundings, so this will give you the rough location of the studs.
Tip: If you find that the wall sounds solid even though you've moved well past the width of a vertical stud then you might have found a noggin. This is the name for a horizontal stud fixed in between the verticals to give the wall strength and help support the plasterboard.
Once you have a rough feel for a stud position you can then go on to fine tune the exact location. This is where the pin or nail comes in. Probe the wall with the pin or nail starting from the more hollow-sounding side and working towards where you think the stud is. If there's nothing behind the plasterboard then the pin will go straight in. If it doesn't then you've found the stud. Your goal is to find the left and right edges of the stud, so work across methodically until you have them marked.
Tip: The reason you want to know where the edges of the stud are is because when you come to fix your bracket you really want to drill in as close to the centre of the stud as possible.
Fixing your bracket: If possible, align the bracket with the centre-line of the stud. If not then at least try to get two sold fixings - one each for the top and bottom holes. It would be better to use larger screws than come with the standard fixing pack unless those ones are particularly large. There are two reasons for this: First, a screw with a larger surface area provides better grip. Second, many of the screws supplied with brackets are made of a softer metal than those you'll buy from a DIY store. This means when fixing in to something firm the soft metal heads get chewed up by the screwdriver. After that then it's much harder to get then tightened up properly and they may even be impossible to remove to fit something better. It's simpler to use better screws from the outset.
Tip: Pilot drill the fixing holes before screwing in the bracket. Pilot drilling is where you drill using a smaller diameter drill bit than the screws. It reduces the risk of the wood splitting; especially where the fixing holes are close to the edge of the timber. It also makes the screws easier to tighten up because you're not having to apply a lot of force to cut through the wood.
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