Best way to test mount weight

[trey]

So, I'm installing my sanus mount right now, and I'm just wondering what would be the best way to test the mount. I was 155 pounds and the tv ways 125. I think maybe I should just hang on it and see if it holds me. I'm just afraid that I'll mess up the mount since I'm not a teevee, and I probably won't distribute my weight evenly.

Thoughts?

[MouseRider]

Tough one. Reminds me of trying to figure out how to test an airbag.

Trying to hang off it with your weight is probably not a good idea.

If you have the mount properly secured to studs on your wall, with the right type of screws it should work as advertised.

The story from my installer friends are of mounts ripping off walls than the actual mount failing and that's usually caused by people screwing the mounts just into drywall or using the wrong type of screws.

It's for that exact reason that I use a professional installer I know and trurst for all my wall mounts, they're insured and I'm covered.

[trey]

Originally Posted by MouseRider

Tough one. Reminds me of trying to figure out how to test an airbag.

Trying to hang off it with your weight is probably not a good idea.

If you have the mount properly secured to studs on your wall, with the right type of screws it should work as advertised.

The story from my installer friends are of mounts ripping off walls than the actual mount failing and that's usually caused by people screwing the mounts just into drywall or using the wrong type of screws.

It's for that exact reason that I use a professional installer I know and trurst for all my wall mounts, they're insured and I'm covered.

Well hanging off of it was a joke, i was hoping for suggestions to test before installing the teevee, but I have come across a problem.

I was just tightening the bolts on the mount and right befoerthe top left screw made the mount flush with the wall the screw head broke off. Now I have a screw in the wall, but nothing to hold it onto the wall if it wanted to pull off. I don't know what to do and desperately want suggestions

[iNCREDiPiNOY]

I think super glue will holds 200lbs.

[clyon]

If you have a good drill you can drill it out, fill the hole with bondo (let dry) & get a new screw. The proper way is to pre-drill a hole 1 or 2 sizes smaller then the screw, this will help provent the tops bracking off from too much torque & pervent the wood beam from splited/cracking.

[trey]

Originally Posted by clyon

If you have a good drill you can drill it out, fill the hole with bondo (let dry) & get a new screw. The proper way is to pre-drill a hole 1 or 2 sizes smaller then the screw, this will help provent the tops bracking off from too much torque & pervent the wood beam from splited/cracking.

I did drill out the whole. I'm not sure exactly why this last screw head broke off, as I treated it exactly the same way I treated all the others. I've removed the mount from the wall so I can get to the screw. I dug out some of the drywall, but still can't get a strong enough grip to unthread the screw from the wall.

Apparently I can get something to drill into the screw itsself and thread the inside of the screw, then I can screw another screw into it and then screw them both out?!?!? My dad seemed to know how to do this, and is gonna help me if I can't get it out by then.

It just sucks, I would have had the teevee on the wall this morning, but now I have to wait till this evening at the earliest

[David Craig]

I used the Sanus product. It was great.

I made sure that I found the center of the studs by first using a studfinder and then by tapping in lots of tiny nails. I am 100% sure I found the center of the studs.

You are supposed to have pre-drilled the holes for the mount.

Assuming you did that, then maybe you just overtightened the screw.

Anyways, my mount went up perfectly and is holding up great.

One time I needed a broken bolt to be removed from a car and I bought a kit to do it. That failed completely. The dealer ended up drilling out the bolt.

What I think you should do is to position the entire thing up by 4 inches or more or possibly down by 4 inches or more. In otherwords just forget about that bolt and that hole.

By the way my plasma is positioned 28 inches from the floor and it is perfect. I had toyed with the idea of having it above the fireplace (44 inches from the ground or thereabouts) but I am REALLY happy with the set much lower. Very comfortable to watch.

Regarding hanging off of the wall...the salesman that I bought the set from said that their installers do test their installations that way. I didn't in my case but I had given it some thought.

Again, my thoughts are to drill 4 new holes.

[gearyt]

screw extractors....

[David Craig]

One more thought.

Make sure you that drill the holes to the width recommended by Sanus.

ALSO, make sure you drill the DEPTH the proper distance.

Maybe your screw broke because the DEPTH was too short and it created a lot of torque. Another way to break off a screw head is to overtighten it against the metal wall bracket.

Good luck.

[Beta Man]

I'd suggest using square driven stainless steel screws......

but now that you've broke one already, it needs drilled out.

[trey]

So, I went and go a screw extractor, but it essentially just demolished the screw. I made sure I drilled to the correct depths, but apparently that didn't work since when I moved to new holes I had it all set and was tightening down the bolts and when there was still at least a quarter inch to go and once again the bolt broke off. ARGH!

When I was at the home depot I grabbed some replacement screws, and I went ahead and picked up four, and have been able to drive one fully to the wall. Apparently the screws supplied with the sanus mount were faulty in some way. I dunno.

So I guess I gotta try this one more time.

[David Craig]

If the screws keep breaking, maybe the wood they are going into is much stronger than normal. Oak or Mahogany? I made a tree house once using similar bolts and they kept breaking off just before they were fully screwed in. The tree was oak!

Could it be that your stud is not the normal 3.5 inch size? Maybe it is less and there is metal or brick behind it? Did you try hammering in a 4 inch nail to check?

Another thought is that maybe the stud has a nail in it at a depth of 2-3 inches.

The bolts that came with my mount seemed pretty heavy-duty and went in easily. I turned them by hand using a socket wrench and kept the speed of turning fairly slow.

[gearyt]

you can always rub soap on the threads to help...

[Joon]

Tug on it hard. With your weight and the force of your pulling that would match 125 pounds easily. Roughly around 175-200 pounds. Give it a really nice tug. If it doesn't move at all your good.

[trey]

Thanks for everyones suggestions. It is on the wall. All around it is shit, so once its cleaned I'll post in the home theater thread (although it will pale to most of the others there!)

[T-Town Oil]

i threw away the screws that came with mine and got some trusty lag bolts...better to go bigger and not have to worry about failure. and like someone else posted earlier, just go up or down a few inches if you cant get it out, the structural ingrity of th stud shouldnt be hurt too badly if at all since the screw/bolt is still in place. put some spackle and paint over it and be done

[talbers23]

Originally Posted by trey

So, I'm installing my sanus mount right now, and I'm just wondering what would be the best way to test the mount. I was 155 pounds and the tv ways 125. I think maybe I should just hang on it and see if it holds me. I'm just afraid that I'll mess up the mount since I'm not a teevee, and I probably won't distribute my weight evenly.

Thoughts?

i was an installer up until about nine months ago. when i put the plate on the wall i would hang on it to test it. not making this up at all. if it can hold 200lb me, it can hold 100lb tvs. never had one come out of the wall.