Mounting your TV can help you save space and create that certain je ne sais quoi vibe in your family room, den, bedroom or anywhere else in your home, condo or apartment. But, if you’re like me, you have a lot of questions and not a lot of experience. This guide will provide answers and give you an in-depth look at how the Geek Squad can help you do this in your own space. And, it doesn’t matter if you have a brand new Smart TV or an older model (like I do!), this guide works for everyone’s situation.
Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the series:
• TV Mounting Guide: Assessing Your Needs
• TV Mounting Guide: Getting a Professional Estimate
For part 3 of this series, the Geek Squad shows up at my home to install my TV on a wall mount.
As he did the first time he came for the free in-home survey, Geek Squad Agent Sheldon gave me a call in the morning to confirm exactly when they’ll arrive. Again, a very small detail, but this level of service makes a huge difference when I can estimate their arrival and plan my day accordingly.
He arrived with another agent, Maurizio, right on time. They entered with all the necessary tools and items in hand, removed their boots and went right to work.
Installing the Wall Mount and Apple TV
Sheldon showed me the mount they brought for the install—Rocketfish 32″ – 70″ Tilting Flat-Panel TV Wall Mount. As mentioned in part 1 of this TV Mounting Guide, we’re living in an older home that has plaster walls. As a result, Sheldon originally said an articulating wall mount wouldn’t work for our TV, but this tilting mount would definitely do the job.
They unwrapped the mount and began attaching it to the back of the TV. In a few short minutes Maurizio had it ready to go. Then he started on the Apple TV. He pulled out some quick ties and carefully nested it on the back of the TV. He did the same with the power cord for the Apple TV, neatly rolling up the excess so it would be hidden when the TV was mounted.
It appeared that he was finished when he suddenly cut the quick ties from the power cord and started that part all over again. “If it’s not done the way I would want it my house, then it’s not good enough,” he said after I had mentioned it looked fine and he didn’t need to bother redoing it.
“That’s the way he works,” Sheldon confirmed. “It has to be perfect, otherwise we haven’t done our job.” He said they do tons of install jobs throughout the city, for big corporations to full home installs, so it seems as if they’re always in the business of perfection. The deviation only took an extra couple minutes, but it definitely shows the level of professionalism they put into every job—even small residential installs like mine.
Placing the Mount on the Wall
Once that was set, Sheldon and Maurizio spent considerable time at the wall, measuring and making sure they were placing the TV exactly where I want it. I sat down on the couch and directed them based on my viewing height and where I think my wife would also want it placed.
A few feet up from the bottom of the wall made the most sense—it’s naturally where my eyes met the wall and would ensure we wouldn’t need to crane our necks up or down. Sheldon confirmed this was the ideal spot for the mount.
With that information he started looking for studs in the wall. He found three and then they began to debate about which two studs made the most sense to use. After some consideration they decided on the two closest to the window frame. They said it would allow the TV to fit snugly next to the frame and I would still have flexibility to slide the TV along the mount if I wanted a change.
They measured and then measured again. They were ready to drill. I noticed they placed a small plastic bag on the wall as they were about to make the first hole. “What’s that for?” I asked, foolishly thinking it had something to do with the mount.
“Oh, that’s just a little trick we use,” Maurizio said. “It catches all of the dust from the wall as we drill so there’s not as much to clean up afterwards.”
Ha! Low tech but perfect. And, in case you’re wondering, they came equipped with a small vacuum, which they used along the way. That means there’s no mess when they leave. Nothing. Nada. That’s pretty nice.
With the mount secured to the wall they lifted the TV and in a few seconds it was attached the wall. Voila!
Hiding the Cables
Again, because of the darn plaster walls they can’t hide the cables inside the wall. However, they brought a package of Wiremold as the next best option. It uses a simple peel and press installation and the cover snaps shut once the cables are placed inside. Plus, they’re paintable, so you can customize it to fit the look and feel of your room.
Our walls are white, though, so the package works as is! Sheldon placed one strip on the wall but noticed it wasn’t sticking as well as it should. “Because it’s plaster with little insulation there’s moisture in the walls,” Maurizio explains. “That’s probably the reason why they aren’t sticking.”
Great, I thought. The TV is mounted but we can’t hide the cables. It’s not the worse situation, but definitely doesn’t feel complete.
I notice Sheldon taking his drill out of the bag and looking for a screw. Confused—figuring that part of the install was complete—I ask him what he’s doing. “I’m going to screw the Wiremold to the wall so it sticks.”
Hot damn! Just when I think all is lost, they come through with a simple, but brilliant, solution.
The job is done and the TV is set. I could not be happier. Even more importantly, my wife couldn’t be happier. Read part 4 for my final thoughts on the whole process.
 TV Mounting Guide Part 1: Assessing your Needs |
 TV Mounting Guide Part 2: getting a professional estimate |
 TV Mounting Guide Part 4: The Conclusion |
