Skip to content
Put it up, home
Menu
No-drill guideTV

Put up a TV without drilling

Updated

No maker rating

Adhesive is not an option for a TV. A floor stand needs no drilling; a wall mount needs the right fixing for your wall and, if you rent, your landlord's permission.

No recommendation No maker we checked gives a figure, so we don't guess.

Fig. 1. A TV on a floor stand, face on: nothing is fixed to the wall.

What the makers rate

Check your own weight and wall

No maker we checked rates a no-drill fix for a TV. Vogel's gives this route instead: Would you prefer not to drill into the wall to mount your TV? Do you want to be able to move your TV flexibly? Then a TV floor stand is the perfect solution for you.

Source: Vogel's, TV floor stands. Checked .

Products without an adhesive fix

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links marked Ad go to Amazon. We earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them.

It never changes the answer above.

No checked models for this yet. The answer above still stands.

Can you stick a TV to the wall?

No. No adhesive maker we checked rates its product for a TV, so our checker gives no adhesive answer for one. The way to stand a TV without drilling is a floor stand, below.

Can you put a TV on a stand instead of the wall?

Yes, and a floor stand is the answer that needs no drilling. Vogel's, which makes both wall mounts and floor stands, says: A TV floor stand allows you to place your TV anywhere in your room or even move it to a different room.

A stand has its own limits, set by its maker. For its TVS 3690 floor stand, Vogel's says the TVS 3690 is ideal for almost all TVs from 40”-77”, and up to 50kg. Check your TV's weight and screen size against the stand maker's figures, and check the stand's VESA hole pattern against your TV in the specifications on Vogel's page. The top figures are the most the stand is rated for, not a target.

Sources: Vogel's, TV floor stands. Checked ; Vogel's, TVS 3690 TV Floor Stand. Checked .

What does VESA mean on a TV wall mount?

VESA's Flat Display Mounting Interface standard sets how a screen and a mount fit together. In VESA's words, The purpose of this standard is to define mounting interface standards for Flat Displays (FDs) such as flat panel monitors, flat displays and flat TVs.

It is split into parts by screen size and weight. The parts for larger screens, by the diagonal of the viewing area:

  • Part D: from 305 mm to 583 mm, weighing up to 14 kg.
  • Part E: from 584 mm to 786 mm, weighing up to 22.7 kg.
  • Part F: from 787 mm to 2286 mm, weighing up to 113.6 kg.

These figures say which part of the standard a screen falls under. They are not a mount's rating: every mount has its own maximum, set by its maker. If you add a soundbar, Vogel's says the total weight of the TV + soundbar + soundbar bracket must not exceed the maximum weight capacity of the TV bracket.

Sources: VESA, VESA Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI) Overview. Checked to ; Vogel's, Frequently asked questions: TV brackets. Checked .

Can you mount a TV on a plasterboard wall?

Fig. 2. A TV on a plasterboard wall, face on, with the studs behind it as dashed lines. The crosses mark the studs.

Yes, on the studs behind it, with the mount its maker allows. Vogel's, which makes TV mounts, starts with the wall: The first step is checking the framework of your plasterboard wall. Its pages differ on when you need its stud adapter, so we give both. Its questions page says Yes, but only with the help of a stud adapter. This can be attached to wooden studs. Its plasterboard guide is more specific:

  • A flat mount on wooden studs: You can use a flat TV wall mount (for example, the COMFORT Fixed, suitable for a 450 or 600 mm frame) that bridges the space between the two wooden uprights.
  • A full-motion mount: When you pull forward or turn a full-motion TV wall mount, extra force is applied to the wall. A plasterboard wall with wooden profiles cannot withstand this. Vogel's makes a stud adapter for this, and says The adapter fits stud distances of 16, 20 and 24 inches and 450 and 600 mm. The maximum weight capacity of the stud adapter is 75 kg.
  • Heavier TVs: For heavier TVs, it is recommended to reinforce the plasterboard to mount your TV safely.
  • Metal studs: If you want to mount your TV on a metal stud wall, the wall must be reinforced with an extra back plate of sufficient thickness (underlayment). This is necessary because metal studs are relatively pliable. Vogel's adds: It is important for the rear wall to be sufficiently thick (approximately 18 mm, together with the plasterboard approximately 30.5 mm or thicker) and to be securely fixed

Sources: Vogel's, How to mount a TV on a plasterboard or hollow wall. Checked to ; Vogel's, Frequently asked questions: TV brackets. Checked .

How do you find the studs behind plasterboard?

By knocking, or with a detector. Wickes and Vogel's give the steps with the drawing.

Sounds hollow Feels a little more solid 450 mm or 600 mm Before you drill, check for cables
Fig. 3. Knock along a plasterboard wall to find the frame behind it, then mark the stud and the next one along. The strip below the wall shows the studs from above.

In Wickes' and Vogel's words:

  1. Wickes: You can tell if you've got a plasterboard wall if it sounds hollow when you knock on it, but these walls are generally supported by a frame so there will be vertical and horizontal sections that feel a little more solid.
  2. Vogel's: For wooden profiles, you check this by knocking on the wall until you find a place that sounds less hollow.
  3. Vogel's: Mark this point and then check whether the next upright is placed at 450 mm or 600 mm.
  4. Wickes: To know exactly where the solid sections are, you can use a stud detector.
  5. Vogel's: For metal stud profiles, you use a pipe finder, which allows you to detect the metal profiles.

Sources: Wickes, Where do I start putting up a shelf?. Checked to ; Vogel's, How to mount a TV on a plasterboard or hollow wall. Checked to .

Before you drill, check for cables Cables, pipes and studs: check first

Vogel's gives the usual spacing as In most cases, it is recommended that both wooden and metal stud profiles are placed at a centre-to-centre (c.t.c.) distance of 600 mm, although in some cases it may be 450 mm. It also warns: Please note: you can not be sure whether the upright profiles are correctly fixed to the floor or ceiling. If in doubt, we always recommend consulting an expert.

Source: Vogel's, How to mount a TV on a plasterboard or hollow wall. Checked .

Which wall fixing do you need for a TV mount?

The one your mount's instructions call for. A TV mount sticks out from the wall, so we do not work out a load per fixing for it.

For a solid wall, What's my wall? gives the fixing, drill bit and screw with fischer's recommended load for one fixing, but no comparison with your TV. The mount maker's own rating stays the limit, and the lower of the two figures applies.

On plasterboard, the mount goes on the studs, as Vogel's describes under Can you mount a TV on a plasterboard wall? above. Vogel's, which makes TV mounts, also says: If you wish to install your TV wall bracket on a hollow wall, such as hollow bricks, wooden panels or plasterboard, we recommend that you contact a qualified installer and/or specialist for the safest results.

Source: Vogel's, How to mount a TV on a plasterboard or hollow wall. Checked .

Can you wall mount a TV in a rented home?

Ask your landlord first, or use a floor stand, which needs no drilling. What applies depends on where you live.

Questions

Will my old wall mount fit a new TV?

Only if it matches. Vogel's says TV size or inch size, weight and VESA hole pattern must all match.

Source: Vogel's, Frequently asked questions: TV brackets. Checked .