How to Tell If Your TV Is Mounted Too High—and Other Common Installation Mistakes

If you recently moved into a new house and bought a TV, you’re probably thinking about where to mount it. But placement isn’t just about aesthetics—height matters, too. After all, no one wants a sore neck halfway through a movie.

Ahead, we spoke with electricians and audiovisual experts who routinely install TVs. They revealed how to tell if a TV is mounted too high, as well as a few other mistakes to avoid. 

Is Your TV Too High?

Do you find yourself constantly leaning your head back to watch TV? This is a telltale sign that yours is mounted a bit too high on the wall. “The center of your screen should be in line with your eye level when you're sitting down, not standing,” says Daniel Vasilevski, founder and director of Pro Electrical.

The mounting height for a TV is much lower than people expect—generally, there should be about 42 inches between the floor and the center of the TV screen for standard couch height.

“Remounting lower is a solution to the problem, but involves patching old holes and sometimes the relocation of outlets,” he says. Ideally, you want to measure from your seating position before drilling into the wall and mounting.

Pick the Right Wall

TVs have gotten larger, fancier—and heavier. Plaster walls, on their own, generally aren't strong enough to support a modern flat-screen TV without additional support, such as mounting to a wall stud.

“I have seen wall-mounted televisions with a price tag of over thousands of dollars, which have ripped off the wall because they weren't installed into a timber stud,” says Adam Bushell, director of AB Electrical & Communications. “It's important to mount to the timber stud in order to prototype or provide a stable installation."

Consider Natural Light

Natural light is a desired element in any room—except the TV room. Mounting yours across from a window will result in a glare so harsh that you won’t be able to see what’s on the TV.

“The best location is decided during the prewire phase, before furniture and wiring lock you into a less-than-ideal option,” says Steve Harman, co-owner of MediaHead.

Sometimes, a sunlit room or a TV facing the windows is unavoidable. If that's the case, then there are a few solutions. “Anti-glare TVs can dramatically reduce reflections; sometimes a tilt mount is just enough, or motorized shades or smart film can give homeowners control over light levels,” he says. 

Don't Ignore Outlet Placement

You might have found the absolute perfect spot to hang your TV—but is there an accessible outlet nearby? When you put your TV up first and worry about the power source later, you can end up with cords snaking down the wall or using an extension cord.

“Here's the thing, though; extension cords are only supposed to be temporary and not used with equipment that's plugged in all the time,” says Vasilevski. “Running them 24/7 generates fire hazards, because they overheat under loads that are on all the time.”

He recommends planning in advance where the outlet will be. “Your outlet should be located right behind the TV mount so all the wiring isn't visible,” he says. “We mount recessed outlets at the mounting height when we set up. This keeps things clean and safe from day one.”