Mounting a TV in a manufactured home

You can absolutely wall-mount a TV in a mobile or manufactured home. The walls are built lighter than in a site-built house, so the plan has to respect that.

How the walls are different

• Thinner studs. Interior walls are often framed with 2×3 or even 2×2 lumber instead of 2×4s. Exterior walls are usually 2×4 or 2×6.
• Thin wall panels. Many homes use vinyl-covered gypsum or thin wood panels rather than half-inch drywall. They dent easily and hold almost nothing on their own.
• Battens. The strips covering panel seams usually sit over a stud — a handy way to find framing.
• Spacing varies. Studs may be at 16 or 24 inches, and not always consistently.

Pick the strongest wall

Exterior walls and "marriage walls" (where the two halves of a double-wide meet) tend to have the heaviest framing. A thin partition between a bedroom and a hallway is the weakest choice.

Bracket choices

• Fixed or tilt brackets are the safest. They keep the weight tight to the wall.
• Full-motion arms multiply the force on the top bolts when extended. On 2×3 studs we only recommend them for smaller, lighter TVs, and with the bracket spread over as many studs as possible.

Spread the load

A piece of ¾″ plywood screwed across three or four studs, painted to match the wall, turns several small studs into one solid mounting surface. The bracket then bolts to the plywood and the studs behind it. It's the single most useful trick for light walls.

Screws, not long lags

A lag bolt longer than the stud is deep will poke through the other side of a thin wall. Measure the wall thickness at a door opening and choose fasteners that stop short of it.

Wires

Wall cavities are shallow and sometimes filled with wiring and insulation. A surface cord cover is usually the sensible choice.

TV size

Most living-room walls in manufactured homes handle TVs up to 65 inches without trouble when anchored properly. For very large or heavy screens, the plywood backer goes from "nice to have" to "do it".

Tell us in the notes when you book that it's a manufactured home so we bring the right fasteners. Pricing is the same as any stud wall: labor from $94.