How to take a TV off the wall

Getting a TV down is quicker than putting it up, and it's where screens get cracked — usually because nobody could see how it was attached and someone pulled. Find the release first.

Before you touch it

• Unplug the power at the outlet.
• Disconnect every cable you can reach. On a full-motion mount, pull the TV out and unplug everything. On a flat mount you may only reach them once the bottom is tilted forward.
• Clear the floor and lay a blanket on a bed, sofa or table for the TV.
• Get a second person for anything 50 inches or larger.

Find how it locks

Look under the bottom edge with a flashlight, and behind the TV from the side. Common systems:

• Pull cords: two strings hanging behind the bottom edge. Pull both down to release spring latches, then swing the bottom of the TV out.
• Locking screws: one or two long screws through the bottom of the vertical arms into the wall plate. Loosen them (a long screwdriver from below) to free the arms.
• A horizontal locking bar: a metal bar slid through the bottom of the brackets, sometimes with a padlock hole. Slide it out sideways.
• Click-in latches: press tabs or pull the bottom forward firmly to unclip.
• Nothing at all: some hook-on mounts just lift off.

Lift it off

Nearly all mounts hook at the top:

1. Release the bottom lock.
2. With a person on each side, tilt the bottom of the TV a few inches away from the wall.
3. Lift straight up an inch or two until the hooks clear the top rail.
4. Bring it away from the wall and carry it upright.

Hold the TV by its sides and bottom edge, never by the screen. Don't twist it.

Full-motion mounts

Extend the arm fully so you can see the connection. Usually the TV plate hooks onto the arm head and is secured by one or two safety screws at the bottom or top. Remove those, then lift the TV off the head. The arm will spring or swing once the weight is off — hold it.

Take the arms off the TV

Lay the TV face-down on the blanket and remove the four screws holding the vertical arms. Put the screws in a bag and tape it to the bracket. Refit the TV's stand if you have it.

Remove the wall plate

Unscrew the lag bolts with a socket. On masonry, remove the bolts; sleeve anchors can be tapped below the surface and filled over. Keep all the hardware with the bracket if you'll reuse it — see reusing an old mount.

In-wall cables and kits

Low-voltage cables can be pulled out or left with their plates for the next person. An in-wall power kit unplugs at the bottom; leave it or remove both boxes and patch.

Then the holes

Four lag-bolt holes and maybe two cable cut-outs. Our guide to patching after a TV mount covers both.

If it won't budge

Stop pulling. There's a lock you haven't found — look again from below and the sides, or search for the mount's model number. Forcing it bends the bracket or breaks the TV's back panel.

Replacing the TV rather than moving it? We take the old one down and haul it away for $29 when we install the new one.