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How to Mount a TV in a Apartment Without Making Holes

Apartment Essentials November 25, 2020
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Remember that sense of independence when you first enter your apartment? Did you squint at the wallpaper? Or the size of the bed? Some working professionals may be thrilled by the sight of their new room while some may be annoyed by the size of the space. Although you may like to decorate your personal space with your personal touch, apartment rules may tell you otherwise. You may not be able to mount any object on the wall due to damage / holes. Even if you wanted to make a hole and fill it with putty later, most traditional apartment walls are painted cinder blocks, adding to the dilemma of mounting wall art or a TV on the apartment wall. So, what can you do in this situation?

We have a bunch of tips on how to mount a TV in a apartment without making holes.

Keep scrolling to get the best ideas and some general advice! While you do that, you can compare your favorite option to our list of the best apartment TV stands here.

How to Mount a TV in a Apartment without Drilling

We have a few incredible suggestions and some DIY tips somewhere along the way. Hope you enjoy it!

Place It on a Cabinet or Drawer

Yes, we know that you own a lot of things and you need to use the cabinet and drawers to keep them. No Drill TV stands are usually made of functional cabinets and drawers that can double as organizers as well as a place to stand your TV. Depending on the size of your TV, clear up some space on your cabinet, then use whatever space left to keep all your precious belongings!

We also want you to use anti-tip straps under the TV to prevent this heavy electronic device from tipping over and causing accidents! This part is really important. Since it is a apartment, we encourage you to get a mid-size TV rather than a large one. Make sure to place the cabinet against a wall, so that both you and your roommate can enjoy watching TV during spare times!

Borrow or Buy a TV Stand

What can be better than a TV stand? A movable one! A movable TV stand is as useful as the motorized counterpart provided that you have enough space in your apartment to have one.

Although we don’t recommend you to always move the stand around since you may end up breaking the TV (or other things). You can reduce fear and chance of possible accidents by sticking anti-tip straps under the TV. A movable stand for TV with storage space below can be a cost-effective option. Depending on the size of the movable stand, you can utilize the space on the sides as well.

When it comes to a motorized TV stand, make sure it is strong enough to support your TV. TV stands are the best alternatives to wall-mounting it, as long as they come with plenty of storage capacity.

Order a No Drill Mount

If you don’t want to lean your TV on a drawer, dresser, or cabinet, than a more formal option is getting a standing table mount. There’s a great mount available here. This will offer sturdy holding while still requiring no holes. in your wall.

Things to Know Before Mounting a TV in a Apartment

The ideas above seem incredible, but don’t go rushing into a decision before knowing all the details. There are certain factors that you should keep in mind when you are experimenting how to mount a TV in a apartment without making holes.

Cord Concealing

You have to hide all the cords that protrude from your TV after you are done mounting it. There are several techniques that you can adopt when trying to conceal those pesky cords.

Cord Clips

One way is to anchor them behind the silhouette of another piece of furniture, the cabinet the TV sits on, the TV stand, the fake wall, etc. You can use cord clips to hook the wires behind the furniture so that they stay put.

Cord Channels

The cord channels are impact-resistant and self-adhesive, so you don’t have to get glue separately. Once you peel off the adhesive backing of the cord channel, run the cable through the cord channel against the dashboard. Cut off extra length while you are at it. The channels come in neutral tones, so you don’t have to worry about painting it to match the wall. Besides, since you are living in a apartment temporarily, you don’t have to color coordinate everything in your room! But just so you know, you can paint the cord channel if you want to. Paint before sticking to the wall though. For your information, the channels protect the cables from damage, and you from electrocution!

Cord Covers

Another tip is to use cord covers to hide the tangle of wires distracting you from enjoying a show on screen. The cord covers can be cut to fit the length you need to cover for the wires. Just letting you know that you may need to use screws to install this cover, according to the instruction manual. These covers come in neutral colors. So, it should match your wall. But if it doesn’t, you can camouflage its presence with latex paint over it!

Cable Wrap

When you have too many wires running around the TV, you need a better solution to conceal that awful site! We recommend using a cable wrap to merge the tangle into a manageable strand. Later, you can put on a cover or clip to add some finishing touch!

Spot for the Components

You may be wondering where to put all the components that come with having a TV in the apartment. We have a few recommendations here.

Cabinet & Drawer

If you have decided to mount your TV on top of the cabinet or drawer, congratulations! You have plenty of space to keep all the components that come with the TV. It is best that you keep all the TV components at the top shelf and utilize the bottom shelves for clothes, shoes, and bags. Unless your TV has taken over all the space on the surface, you will be able to keep small things around it on the cabinet. But keep in mind that your TV needs space to release heat to function properly for the long haul. Give your precious that space and use the rest.

Movable TV Stand

Just like the motorized cabinet, the movable TV stand has enough space to offer you for storage. The shelves may be open or closed. For the sake of tidiness and minimal cleaning work, opt to get a movable TV stand with closed compartments.

No Drill Table Top Wall Mount

We hate to say this, but as handy the no drill wall mount is, when it comes to storing objects, it is not. It will let you mount the TV without damaging the wall, but in order to store TV accessories, you need to get a separate storage container. Don’t worry though. Storage boxes are quite cheap. You can store TV components as well as other objects in the boxes. The other option is that you can keep your consoles, CDs, DVDs, router, and other components elsewhere. Honestly, it is not a big deal.

Budget

As a worker, your budget is quite limited. We know that, so we want to share some data with you for clarity and decision making.

Price of TV Stand

The movable TV stand can be purchased for $25 to $250. If you want to have it at a lower price, try looking for second hand stands from a local craigslist.

Price of TVs

The average price of TVs suitable for apartments range from $70 to $240.

You can read our recommendation on the best size for apartment TV’s, and you can then pick your favorite apartment TV from our list of the best apartment TVs.

Angle of Viewing

You need to find out the best viewing angle for yourself. Place the couch or bed at different angles, and observe. You don’t want to set it at an angle that hurts your neck.

The best angle is always when you are looking directly at the screen (which ideally should be double the screen size). For instance, a 55-inch screen TV has to be watched from 110 inches away.

The colors fade the more you move to the side. If you want to have the best view from all corners of the room, get a TV with a wide-viewing angle.

A lone TV watcher honestly doesn’t need a wide-viewing angle TV. If the TV is in the common room, you have to place it at the center so that everybody can get a piece of it.

Additionally, you may want to check the color washout, color shift, brightness loss, black level raise, and gamma shift of the TV at the shop before purchase. These factors come into play when you are watching TV from other angles.

LCD Screens

LCD IPS TVs have a decent color accuracy when viewed from angles. Its black levels are also known to remain constant from all angles. Color hues change gradually at angles.

LCD VA

LCD VA TVs look dull and whitish when watched from the sides, but the black levels appear attractive from direct viewing, and the contrast ratios are better than IPS. Loner TV watchers will benefit from this type of LCD TVs. LCD TVs can’t produce their own light, but filters the light from the back of the TV. It is known to block some of this light when it is viewed from the sides.

OLED and Plasma

On the other hand, plasma and OLED TVs can emit their own light, so they don’t suffer from the same issues as LCDs. OLED goes through color shift when viewed from angles. Hence, we can agree that plasma TVs are the best when it comes to side angle viewing!

Size of the TV and the Stand

Find out the length, width, height, and weight of the TV with a measuring tape, and note the numbers down. This information should be on the product package.

If you have lost the package, search the TV brand and model on the internet. You will surely get some ideas!

  • A 34 to 38-inch TV should have a stand that measures 30 inches in length.
  • A 39 to 43-inch TV must have a stand that is 35 inches long.
  • 44 to 48-inch TVs are safer with 40-inch stands.
  • 49 to 53-inches TV needs a 45-inch stand.
  • 54 to 58 inches TV -> 50-inch stand
  • 59 to 63 inches TV -> 55-inch stand size
  • 70 to 73-inch TV -> 65-inch stand
  • Any TV bigger than 70 inches -> stand that is longer than 70 inches

Remember to check this article out on picking that right TV size.

Different Purposes of the TV Stand

The TV stand that you choose must meet your needs. Your personality determines the type of stand design, structure, and the color of the stand. Also, the diagonal length, width, and weight of the TV plays a significant role when you are looking for the right TV stand.

Some TVs have built-in WIFI, and are capable of running different apps without needing connection. You may need an Infrared Remote (IR) if the cable box is inside closed doors of the stand.

Considering all these, you have to make the right decision in getting the right TV stand for yourself. Here are a few more things for consideration.

Gamer

If you are a gamer, we are not encouraging you to leave your studies and play games all day. What we are saying is that you need a TV stand that has tall compartments to contain all your consoles, controllers, and game disks.

We don’t recommend a stand that has closed doors or back, because the components need air to cool down. The front should be open or made with tempered glass for IR access.

Streamer

All you fanatics crazy about movies or tv shows from your favorite shows on netflix, hulu, or amazon prime. You won’t need much storage since there are no disks, etc. Just cables! A standing mount is fine.

Karaoke

Yes, karaoke lovers! You also need tall, large shelves to support the microphones, speakers, and mixers. On top of that, the various connection cables will demand attention, so you need to hide them somehow using a cable cover, cord clips, cable wraps, and cord channels.

Truth be told, some karaoke machines may not fit into an average TV stand, so you may have to leave it next to it.

Interior Designer

Designers and interior professionals- the appearance of your apartment is your portfolio. Hence, we know that you will put a lot of effort into matching all the furniture in the room.

We suggest that you get an aesthetically pleasing TV and a stand to complement your taste. It is better not to go overboard with unpleasant colors and construction.

Accessible Ports

The various ports of the TV must be in close proximity to power sockets. If the power socket is further from where the TV is placed, you have to incorporate multiplugs and other wiring which may cause tripping and accidents.

Video Ports

A High Definition Media Input (HDMI) port is used for the sound system, DVRs, media players, computers, and gaming consoles. This one cable will meet most of your audio and video requirements.

Some TVs may use component, s-video, and composite ports.

Audio Ports

Other than the HDMI port, other ports, such as optical digital, coaxial digital, and RCA stereo can be included in your TV. Know what is what so you don’t get confused during setting up.

TV Ports

Yes, HDMI is inclusive in this category as well. Other than that, your TV may have DVI, VGA, USB, and ethernet port connections.

Final Thoughts

At first, it can be frustrating to find a solution to the problem of mounting a TV without digging holes into the wall. But rules are rules! In the apartment, you must abide by them. We enjoy helping working professionals, and we loved preparing this detailed guide on how to mount a TV in a apartment without making holes. You have many choices when it comes to doing so. Choose a good TV with great side viewing angles, within your budget, add a nice-looking stand for the TV and its accessories, then enjoy every day!


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