The Deal

• $125 for TV mount and installation ($299 value)

Mounting a Flat-Screen TV: Getting the Best of Gravity

Getting a TV that weighs as much as a 7-year-old to stay up on a wall isn’t necessarily easy. Take a look at some factors a professional installer considers.

The right stuff: There are plenty of wall mounts on the market, and the right one for you depends on several factors. How much does your TV weigh? Do you want the TV to remain stationary or to swivel? What’s your wall made of? An installer will use these questions to help you decide, then place the mount at or just above eye level when viewers are seated or hanging from the chandelier, depending on where you like to watch. If your room’s aesthetics demand it, a swivel mount gives you some wiggle room to place the TV higher on the wall, then tilt it down toward the viewer.

Getting the power: If you don’t have a power outlet near the space where your TV will be mounted, your installer may be able to help by running electricity to a new outlet created directly behind the TV, where a cord won’t be visible.

Nothing crooked here: TV mounts are drilled into the wall, so it’s important they’re as level as possible the first time around. An experienced installer knows how to use a level and a stud finder to make the set both straight and secure.

Hiding the seams: If you plan to connect components such as a cable box or a gaming system, hiding the wires can be tricky. Installers can suggest many solutions, which might include running wires inside the wall, setting up a remote-control relay to components located away from the TV, using a specially designed cable concealer, or planting a row of tall grass along the baseboards.