Moving with a wall-mounted TV

Flat-screen TVs are among the most commonly damaged items in a move. They're light, large and fragile in exactly the wrong combination. A little preparation on each end makes it routine.

A week before

• Find the original box and foam if you kept them. Nothing protects a TV better.
• No box? Buy a TV moving box sized for your screen, or ask the movers for one. Blankets alone are not enough for a large screen.
• Check your lease or sale contract. Sellers are sometimes expected to leave mounts in place — wall mounts can count as fixtures. Renters usually need to remove and patch.
• Photograph the cable connections on the back of the TV before unplugging anything.

Taking it down

Follow the steps in how to take a TV off the wall. In short: unplug, find the lock, tilt the bottom out, lift straight up, two people.

Packing the TV

• Keep it upright — the way it hangs — for the whole move. Laying a large TV flat lets the panel flex over every bump.
• Protect the screen with the foam sheet from the original packing or a soft blanket, then rigid corner protectors.
• Fill empty space in the box so the TV can't slide.
• In the truck, stand it between soft, flat items like mattresses, never under or against anything with corners.
• Mark the box "TV — keep upright".

Packing the mount

• Leave the vertical arms off the TV for the move.
• Put every screw, spacer and washer in a zip bag and tape it to the wall plate. The TV-side screws are specific sizes and the first thing to go missing.
• Tape the remote and power cord into the TV box.

The wall you're leaving

Patch the bolt holes and any cable cut-outs — steps in patching after a TV mount. Allow a day for filler and paint to dry before a final walk-through.

Heat and cold

TVs tolerate a day in a truck, but not a week in a hot storage unit in an Alabama summer. If the TV has been very cold or hot, let it sit at room temperature for a few hours before switching it on, so any condensation evaporates.

Planning the new wall

Different house, different wall. Before reusing the mount, check:

• Wall type — the lag bolts that suited wood studs won't work on brick or metal studs.
• Stud spacing against your wall plate's width.
• Height and glare in the new room; don't copy the old height by habit.
• Outlet and cable locations.

Our guides on choosing the height and reusing a mount help.

First night

If the mount can't go up straight away, put the TV on its stand on a low, stable surface — not leaning against a wall where it can slide.

Moving into our area?

If you're arriving in Auburn, Opelika or elsewhere in Lee County with your own bracket, choose "I have one" and pay labor only, from $94. We bring the fasteners for whatever the new wall turns out to be.