Install Your Own Flat Screen Ceiling Mount

When a simple wall-mount won’t do the trick

August 2008 By Brian Ploskina

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There are any number of reasons you may decide to install a flat screen television using a ceiling mount. You may have wall stud limitations. You may want the TV positioned at the height of the ceiling. Or you may just have no walls. Whatever the reason, it ought to be a good one because it definitely adds time, expense and most-of-all risk to the operation.

For me, the reason was simple. There was one appropriate location for the 42-inch Philips 1080p set in my rented apartment – above the fireplace. The landlord would’ve evicted me had I wall-mounted it into the customized wood paneling above the mantel and an entertainment center would’ve prevented us from enjoying the fireplace.

Most of the work I undertook completing this project came in the planning. First, I had to find a mount that would work. This took me over a week. The vast majority of ceiling mounts suffered from two limitations. They maxed out around the 27- to 32-inch screen size and only lowered 12 inches from the ceiling. I needed to support a 42-inch unit that sat around 3 feet from the ceiling.

I finally found one that would not only serve my purposes, but do so in a sleek and customizable fashion. Chief Manufacturing’s ceiling mount comes in three separate pieces, any one of which can be swapped out with other parts they sell:

* a white ceiling plate (CMS-115W)

* a 2- to 3-foot adjustable column (CMS-0203), and

* a universal flat screen mount (MCSU).

Equipment list:

• Stud finder

• Pencil

• Tape measure

• Step ladder

• Cordless drill

• (2) 3/8-inch x 2-1/2-inch lag screws

• (2) 5/16-inch washers

• hack saw (optional)

The ceiling plate comes in other colors, while the adjustable column comes in additional lengths. Chief doesn’t sell directly to consumers, however a customer service rep recommended I purchase the supplies from MountsAndMore.com. Finding the parts was the most difficult part of the job. Once I had them, I was amazed at how easy it was to mount the TV. Here’s how I did it:

Step 1: Find your spot

Use a stud finder to line up a reliable ceiling joist into which you’ll drive the ceiling plate. Joists are typically 16 or 24 inches apart. I lucked out on this job because the joist happened to be just a half inch off the center of the fireplace mantel – virtually unnoticeable to visitors. If you find the spot you want to install the mount is several inches from the joist, check out Chief’s Web site for a two-joist ceiling plate option. It will work with the rest of the equipment. Once you have your spot, mark its location and drive in pilot holes using the ceiling plate as a guide.

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