TV wall mount - help!

[MrTiddlesTheCat]

I've bought a new tv and am having a mare trying to put it up. I need the help of someone who actually knows how to do it, as chatgpt keeps changing it's mind.

The tv mount doesn't reach between the plasterboard studs. So I've bought 7x3.5 cm structural timber battons to span the space, so I can attach the mount to them.

I've found the 2 studs at either end, in the corner and by the window frame. But the middle one appears to have gone into witness protection. I can't bloody find it. The stud finder seems to be possessed. I tried the magnate trick. But still no stud. My wall is becoming swiss cheese.

Do I really need to find the middle (ish) one? The span is 120 cm. The mount is a pull out cantilver one. But tv only weighs 6 kg.

Do I really need to find the central one? I'm losing the will to live.

Here's the battons in position and a pic of my fridge magnate stuck to a plasterboard screw, but the pilot holes below all hit the void.

Are you sure this is a stud wall? This is common in the US but not in the UK . I assume you are in the UK/ Ireland as you used metric measurements.

If the walk is hollow and plasterboard and hollow there might ge study's but they may be metal for example.

You mention a window? Is this an external walk then. Depending on the age of the property it could be dot and dab walls which is plasterboard with dabs of adhesive sticking it to the wall.

Did you tell chatgpt the house and construction methods were UK?

For dot and dab there are specific bolts you can buy from Fischer, that’s what we’ve used to ensure the TV mount was securely mounted. Fischer have bolts for all types of walls though.

I'm in Sweden. It's a relatively new built extension. I might not be using the right terms as I'm a complete amateur. Before the plasterboard went up there was a wooden frame. The plasterboard was screwed to the frame.

Here's a bit of a photo taken during construction. You can see the plasterboard screws. Unfortunately it's the other side of the window/door.

You say it's got a wooden frame. Magnets don't work on wood.

Google what the normal stud spacing is in Sweden and then measure out. Also try tapping on the wall until the tap sounds different then you are probably on top of a stud, you can test with a tiny drill bit.

I have put a TV up on a stud wall, but didn't attach to the studs. You need a few things. Firstly a relatively light TV, mine is only about 6kgs 40". Second a mount that is not full motion, has a cantilever that brings the TV out from the wall, because this puts massive strain on the mount. If you are just putting the TV direct on the wall without the ability to swing out on an arm the force is much less.

Third you need plasterboard mounts. These are special mounts that spread the load on the inside of the board through wings that deploy once you push the mount through the board.

Mine is still there 1 year later. That said, I put in 6x plasterboad mounts at 15kgs per mount, and the TV only weighs 6 kgs.

Oh but you might get the magnet to find the screws where they go into the wood to mount the plasterboard. But you will probably need a strong magnet to sense them and have a sensitive detection hand.

It's a light tv, 5 6 kg. Unfortunately it has to be on a pull out mount as it's right in the corner.

So I'm wondering if the support battons will suffice, screwed in at the ends, but no the middle. Will a span of 120 cm of structural timber be strong enough to hold a 6 kg tv pulled out on a cantilever arm.

Most likely it will be providing the fixings of the structural timber and the fixings attaching the TV mount to that timber are strong enough.

Have you used structural screws. Normal wood screws etc can shear under load for example.

I suppose You could try mounting the bracket attaching a bag with similar weight and move it gradually away from the wall checking for movement etc