Reading a VESA pattern
VESA — the Video Electronics Standards Association mounting interface — describes the grid of threaded holes on the back of a television. It is written as horizontal × vertical spacing in millimetres, so a panel marked 200 × 200 has holes 200 mm apart in both directions. Larger screens commonly use larger patterns such as 400 × 400 or 600 × 400.
The figure you need is in the TV's manual or printed near the rear fixing points. A mount will state the patterns it supports; the panel's pattern must fall within that range for the brackets to line up.
If the manual is unavailable, measure centre-to-centre between adjacent holes, horizontally and vertically. Those two numbers are the pattern.
Wall types and what they demand
The wall behind the plate is the real support. Each common substrate carries load differently.
Timber stud & plasterboard
A framework of timber studs faced with plasterboard. The board itself will not hold a TV — fixings must reach the studs behind it. Locate the studs, mark their centres, and fix into the timber with screws rated for the load.
- Find studs with a detector; confirm by spacing.
- Fix into timber, not board alone.
- Where studs don't align with the plate, specialist cavity fixings may be needed — check the mount's guidance.
Solid masonry — brick or block
Brick or concrete block offers strong, consistent fixing across its face. It usually needs a masonry drill bit and expansion anchors sized to the mount. Avoid fixing into soft mortar joints where a stronger fixing into the masonry body is available.
- Use a masonry bit and rated anchors.
- Prefer the masonry body over mortar lines.
- Clear drilled dust so anchors seat fully.
Hollow & dot-and-dab walls
Some walls are plasterboard held off masonry on adhesive dabs, leaving a void behind the board. This gap changes how fixings behave and can leave a fixing spanning empty space. These build-ups need particular care and, where uncertain, professional assessment.
- Identify voids before selecting fixings.
- Use fixings rated for the actual construction.
- Seek advice where the build-up is unclear.
Always scan for concealed electrical cables and pipework before drilling, and match every fixing to the wall it enters. If the wall's construction cannot be established with confidence, consult a qualified professional.
Weight ratings and margin
A mount's weight rating is the maximum load it is designed to hold. The rule is simple: the rating must exceed the panel's actual weight, and a sensible margin above it is prudent rather than working at the very limit of the figure.
Weight also shifts with mount type. A full-motion arm places the panel further from the wall, which increases the leverage on the fixings compared with a flat mount holding the same TV close to the surface. The published rating accounts for the mount's own geometry — which is another reason to work from the manufacturer's figures rather than estimates.
Confirm the TV's weight from its manual, then choose a mount rated comfortably above it. Do not rely on screen-size ranges alone.
Flat / fixed
Holds the panel close and parallel to the wall. The lowest profile and the simplest load path, with no adjustment once fitted.
Tilting
Allows the screen to angle downward — useful for higher positions such as above a fireplace, to bring the picture toward the viewer.
Full-motion
Extends, swivels and tilts on an arm. The most flexible, and the most demanding on fixings because of the leverage it introduces.
Matching the fixing to the wall
A fixing is only as good as its fit to the material it enters. Coach screws bite into timber studs; expansion anchors grip drilled masonry; purpose-made cavity fixings are used in hollow board only where the mount manufacturer permits. Using the wrong fixing for the substrate is one of the most common causes of a mount that fails to hold.
Mount manufacturers specify both the fixing and the drill size for each wall type. Those specifications exist because they were tested against the mount's rating — treat them as the reference, not a suggestion.
01 Back to the mounting stepsMountEdge explains concepts to help you plan. It does not endorse specific products, and it never replaces the instructions supplied with your television and mount, or the judgement of a qualified professional.