Help fitting a tv to stud wall

[allanf]

Hello all,

First post here so please be gentle!

Im planning on putting a tv to a stud wall. Im a diy novice but would like to give it a go. I just have a quick question about routing cables.

Below is a pic of my propose setup (please excuse the 2 minute paint mockup). Red lines are the studs, red stars are intended mount points, and the yellow squares are where i intend to run cables in the wall by making 2 holes with a plasterboard saw and fitting face plates.

Im confident that im correct in how i intend to mount the bracket, my questions are as follows:

1) Am i safe to cut open the plasterboard on the bottom yellow square and install a face plate, it looks like this could be in an electrical safezone? Are there any risks of hitting an electrical cable? If there is then how has there been a phoneline/tv arial plate been installed next to the plug sockets? Im guessing due to this that the safe zone runs vertically down from the plug sockets?

2) If i am ok to do do this, is it ok to run the power cable down this channel between the two yellow squares?


Cheers for any input guys

 

[chivers67]

The first thing you could do to correctly determine if there's any risk of any cables is remove the face place and back box of the aerial and have a very good look.

The cables are very likely to run up from the floor or down from the ceiling but it's not a 100% given. Have you a cable locator to check the exact route?

Running the cable between the "yellow boxes" is fine.

 

[bernardgreen]

The term "safe zone" is ambiguous. It is "safe" to run cables there but can be very UN-safe to drill holes into the wall in a "safe zone"

All the area above the width of those sockets is to be considered a hazardous area for drilling.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If that is platerboard & stud then the boxes behind the sockets etc may be the plastic type that clip into the plasterboard.

Your best bet will be to TURN THE POWER OFF and then unscrew the sockets etc. If the boxes are the platerboard type then they can be easily unclipped and you'll be able to get a reasonable view of cable routes, spaces etc.

A torch and mirror is often a big help!

 

[allanf]

Cheers for the replies all.

Just removed both the arial/phone plate and the plug socket plates. Unfortunately both have metal back boxes. Im showing my lack of knowledge now, but how are these removed?? I cant get them to budge. There is a small screw in the bottom left of each back box and a big screw in the centre. When i took these out, the centre screw looks like its going into a plastic plug, but i have no idea what this is drilled into? Any ideas? Even with both back box screws removed neither would budge and i didnt attempt brute force.

Thanks again

 

[Adam_151]

The back boxes are screwed through the back (the big screw you mentioned seeing is probably it) and either to a a masonary wall (using a rawlplug) or to a wooden noggin with just a screw, You don't really want to to remove them as in most cases it will damage the wall finish as they are plastered upto!

You just want to see which direction the cables enter the box through, rather than removed it

Are you sure this wall is a stud wall, as opposed to dot and dab?

 

[allanf]

Adam,

Cheers for the reply. When I took the faceplates off, the TV/Phone/Radio entered that back box from above. The electricity entered from below. I guess thats good news as i was only concerned about entering from the sides?

Regarding the dot and dab, in all honesty, no im not 100% sure as im completely new to all this (didnt know what stud or dot and dab even meant until a day or 2 ago!)

I assume it is a stud wall though as ive used both a stud finder and knocked with my fist and both are consistant in beeping and giving dense thuds every 24" or 60cm apart. Correct me if im wrong but it all implies to being a non-load bearing stud wall? I intend to hammer in a few finishing nails to confirm this and find the center of the studs but ill do that on wed when the new tv and bracket arrive.

 

[Adam_151]

The reason why I was questioning on the type of wall, is that you mentioned the boxes appear to have the fixings into plastic plugs, these are used when fixing to masionary, not wooden noggins

Is it an outside wall, or inner wall, most new housing construction uses dot and dab on the exterier facing walls and stud on inner walls.

Easiest way to find out is to cut out for your blank plated box for the signal cables (or even just poke a hole in the center of where its to be) and have a look

 

[allanf]

Yes, I thought the same myself when i seen it, it is definately a small brown plug used for masonary. But everything else points to a stud wall.

It's actually a flat, so im not sure how its been built. We are the last flat on the block. Behind that wall im mounting onto is an elevator going up and down the building. But im guessing that must be a good 10-20 feet further back.

Your right, seems the best solution is to just turn the power off and make a hole where the plate is going using a drywall file and take it from there.

 

[sparkwright]

Look at the metal back boxes carefully. Look where the unused fixing holes are. Does there appear to be masonry, wood or air there?

What makes you think there are studs where you have indicated? Have you found them by 'tapping' on the wall?

If that is a stud wall I would have expected one or two more studs between the areas you have marked.

If this actually is a brick wall that has been dot and dabbed with plasterboard, the less hollow sounding bits may be the blobs of adhesive.

 

[allanf]

Sparkwright,

Its hard to tell, the unused wire holes are have the faceplates still on them. One backbox is slightly off center to the right, and there looks to be air to the left of it.

Im assuming its a stud wall as ive found the studs both by tapping and with 2 different stud finders. Please dont pay too much attention to that paint mockup, in reality the suspected studs are a little closer to each side of the sockets (but not as close as to not make it possible to cut out the bottom yellow box as i intend). Starting from the left edge of the wall, both stud finders detect something at exactly every 600mm, with nothing in between.

Im hoping this is enough to prove its a stuf wall? Although you've got me worried now! I guess ill find out when i cut a hole where i intend at the bottom yellow square. I'd do it now but the TV and bracket arent arriving till wed and the girlfriend will flip if start making holes now.

 

[bernardgreen]

If it is a dot and dabbed plaster then you will need take special care fitting the bracket if the TV is not light weight

Screwing a bracket to the brick behind a dot and dabbed plaster board can end up with the plaster board being bent towards the brickwork. It is then likely to crack when the screws are tightened or later.

This can be avoided by cutting a hole in the plaster slightly smaller that the plate(s) of the bracket and fitting a shaped piece of wood in the hole. The thickness of the wood to make it level with or a millimeter or two behind the surface of the plaster. Drill holes in the wood where the bracket fixing screws will be. Then when the bracket is screwed tightly to the wall the wood is taking the pressure and not the plaster,

 

[JohnW2]

It's actually a flat, so im not sure how its been built. We are the last flat on the block. Behind that wall im mounting onto is an elevator going up and down the building. But im guessing that must be a good 10-20 feet further back.

What's in that 10-20 feet between your wall and the elevator? Can you get to the other side of the wall, and/or are you able to get any handle on how thick the wall is?

Edit: Just had another look at the piccie. Is that a chimney breast with a covered-up opening? If so, there might be a massive space behind where the sockets are.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[allanf]

Guys, thanks for all the replies. Probably in the wrong forum now as its moved to a wall question!

Just opened up the sockets again and now im beginning to dout whether it is a stud wall. I looked for the spare fixing and there seems to be cement behind them. Heres some pics-

I really cant work out whats happening, as above them sockets everything seems to indicate its a stud wall. Im hoping it is as if it is dot and dab then its not worth me hanging the tv. We are in a rented apartment and it would be too much to put right.


JohnW2, unfortunately i have no idea what is in the space, there is no access to it. If you look at that first picture where you see the chair, on the other side of that wall is a corridor, which leads to the elevator door. It is an old building converted to flats so it could well be an old fireplace, i have no idea - and unfortunately i now have less idea what is behind that wall! I can supply more pics of the layout if that will be any help

 

[JohnW2]

Guys, thanks for all the replies. Probably in the wrong forum now as its moved to a wall question!
Just opened up the sockets again and now im beginning to dout whether it is a stud wall. I looked for the spare fixing and there seems to be cement behind them.

I think my best bet would be that it's an old chimney breast with a bricked up fireplace, hence definitely not a stud wall.

If I were faced with this in my house, I think I'd probably be getting close to taking a drill to what seemed (I hoped!) to be a very 'safe' bit of the wall - to see what I hit!

Kind Regards, John.