If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that there are a few activities that are best done along with a friend – like riding a tandem bike, playing tennis, and taking down a wall-mounted television.
That’s why if you decide that it’s time for TV dismounting, you might think about calling in a favor. While it’s possible to take down a wall-mounted TV on your own, you’ll be thankful for the extra pair of hands.
In addition to a friend, there are a couple other things you want to make sure you have handy before beginning to dismount your TV: A flat and secure surface to lay your television on, preferably covered with a soft blanket, along with the proper tools for your particular TV mount. (For example, the proper size and type of screwdriver or the included key to undo safety locks, if there are any.)
Once you’re all geared up, you’re ready to embark on the following steps:
1) Unplug everything
Make sure no sneaky cables remain plugged in. They can get tangled, making it difficult to maneuver the television, or impossible to remove from the wall. It’s important to unplug the cables carefully so that you don’t inadvertently damage the TV or accessories.
2) Give it a tilt
Gently reach under and behind the bottom of the television and try to lift it out towards you, leaving the top against the wall. If your TV is too big to lift on your own, book a service with our Puls technicians, who can do all the heavy lifting for you. Nevertheless, if the TV doesn’t angle out and lift up easily, it probably has safety locks. In that case, proceed to step 2a.
2a) Pop and unlock
There are a few different kinds of safety mechanisms that are meant to keep your television securely in place. Three of the most popular ones are: screw lock, probably towards the bottom of your TV with the screws pointed upward; bar lock, which slides horizontally in back of your TV; and the pull-string lock, often placed on either side of your television and opening by pulling down on each string.
If you’ve got your wall mount manual nearby, it will help you figure out which kind of lock your TV wall mount uses – but if not, you’ll just have to do a little snooping.
Opening up the safety lock is definitely one of the times you’ll appreciate having someone to lend a hand. If you have pull-string locks, you and your helper can each take one side of the TV, keeping it securely in place as you unlock from either side. If you have screw locks or bar locks, one person can make sure the television is safely secured while the other unlocks the mount.
3) The big dismount
Once you’re sure that the TV is free and clear, it’s time for the big dismount. Hopefully your dismount buddy hasn’t headed for the hills by now. Have each person grab an end of the TV and slowly lift the television set upwards – the goal is to lift the TV over the mount to get it free.
If you are doing this step by yourself, make sure that you’re in a good position to keep hold of your television set securely once it’s off of the mount and you’re supporting it yourself. Once you’re holding the television independently, carefully lay it face down on the prepared blanket so that the screen doesn’t scratch.
4) Unscrew the mount from the television
With the television face down on the soft cloth, you’ll see that the bracket is attached to the back of the TV with four screws – almost every wall mount uses the four-screw configuration. Now, getting the mount off if as easy as lefty-loosey.
5) Remove the wall mount from the wall
If you’re going to be spackling and painting your wall, or installing a new wall mount – a better TV wall mount – then you can do this step in a jiffy. Just use your prepared tools to unscrew the mount from the wall, much the same way you got it off the back of the TV set.
If you’re not planning on refinishing the wall in any way, it’s probably best to do this part somewhat carefully, doing your best not to further scuff or damage your wall.
Call in the experts
Whether nobody is available to lend you a hand, you don’t want to do the heavy lifting yourself, or if you’re concerned over the well-being of your wall, it’s best to leave things to the professionals. That’s where Puls comes in.
We specialize in TV wall mount removal, and our expert technicians will be there within the same day to dismount yours, whenever it suits your schedule. Simply hop online and pick a time slot, and a certified Puls technician will be on their way to perform your TV dismount in no time!
