VESA, weight and wall type: three checks before you buy a TV mount
Most mounting problems we see on site trace back to one of three numbers that nobody checked. Here is how to check them in ten minutes.
When a wall mount goes wrong, it is rarely because the bracket was badly made. It is usually because one of three things was not checked before ordering: the hole pattern on the back of the screen, how much the screen really weighs, and what the wall is made of.
1. The VESA pattern
VESA is the standard hole pattern on the back of almost every flat-panel display. It is written as two numbers in millimetres — horizontal × vertical — for example 400×300 or 600×400. Every mount lists the patterns it supports.
- Find the pattern in the display’s manual or measure centre-to-centre between the threaded holes.
- Check the mount’s maximum pattern, not just one example. A mount listed up to 600×400 will not take an 800×400 screen.
- Large commercial panels often use 600×400, 800×600 or 900×600.
2. The real weight
Use the weight of the screen without its stand, then add anything else that will hang on it: a video bar, a camera, a media player. Leave a margin — we prefer the total to sit comfortably below the mount’s rated capacity rather than right at it.
On full-motion arms, remember that leverage increases as the arm extends. That is why reach and weight capacity are listed together.
3. The wall
The most important — and most often skipped — check. A bracket is only as strong as what it is fixed into.
- Brick or concrete: the easiest, with the right anchors.
- Stud walls: fix into the studs, not the board between them. Check the stud spacing (16″, 18″ or 24″) against the mount’s wall plate.
- Plasterboard or glass: do not hang a screen on these alone. Consider a floor-standing cart instead.
When in doubt
Send us the display model and a photo of the wall. We will confirm the VESA pattern, check the weight and tell you which mount will work — and which won’t.
