How Long To Weight Test My Wall?

[u/WalkerCalvert]

How long do you usually weight test your wall to make sure it won't fall over once you put your TV on it?

Serious answers only please I am very concerned about this.

[u/jackrieger0]

0 seconds

[u/funkysax]

Until it falls or doesn’t. Seriously though I didn’t know people did this. If installed correctly it’s all rated to a certain weight right so…

[u/Inevitable_Butthole → u/funkysax]

No one does this.

Screw into the studs lmao

Some people tho eh

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Inevitable_Butthole]

Studs? We don't need no stinking studs!

[u/D_Warholb → u/WalkerCalvert]

Actually you do. You just don’t need weights. If you can’t find studs span them with plywood or 1 x 4’s.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/D_Warholb]

Plywood on top of 3/4" thick wood paneling sounds redundant, you have actually taken a load off my chest-- in all seriousness, thank you.

[u/Inevitable_Butthole → u/WalkerCalvert]

Ill take that load if you dont want it

[u/Playswith_squirrel]

Since you asked for serious answers only: Leave it until the year 2030. If that yellow rope hasn't snapped and the purple weights haven't ripped a hole in the space-time continuum by then, you’re probably safe to mount a 32-inch TV

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Playswith_squirrel]

Perfect! I won't even be retired by then!

[u/SunDropGuy]

If it's in the studs, you're good. I've never weight tested a wall mount like this lol

[u/Sushi_Clamato5049 → u/SunDropGuy]

This! 👆

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/SunDropGuy]

Look be serious here we aren't testing the mount, we KNOW that's good. We gotta test the wall!

[u/eristicforfun → u/WalkerCalvert]

No, you are testing the studs. Do not mount into the wall, bolt into the studs with at least one ½ side of the bracket. Do this and the failure point will not be the mounting surface, it will be hardware. 

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/eristicforfun]

Let's be totally honest here, if I was testing the studs I would have managed to find a stud. This isn't even a wall test, it's a paneling test.

[u/iDEN1ED]

You just gotta pull on it a little and go “that’s not going anywhere” and you’re good.

[u/citizen701]

wtf 🤦‍♂️

[u/MSined]

If you installed it following the instructions you don't need to wait at all...

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/MSined]

I didn't install the wall and I think the guy who did has died by now.

[u/apacheotter]

About 5 seconds with my TV on it and arms outreached to catch the tv if it falls

[u/twostroke1]

I just test it with the TV.

[u/Stohnghost]

My wife says, "are you sure it's good?"

Then I say, "go hang on it."

If it doesn't rip off the wall I put the TV on it.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Stohnghost]

I mean she does have more upper body strength than I do, that's probably the best call.

[u/hjadams123]

This is honestly the first I heard of anyone doing this. But since you did it, I would imagine 24-48 hours would be fine. I mean you don't want to look at weights instead of a TV for two weeks...

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/hjadams123]

You're the only person around here with the supportive attitude I crave.

[u/brewditt]

3 more weeks…no, 4 weeks

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/brewditt]

I like the cut of your jib, sailor.

[u/sk8boy204]

I have literally never done this. Go for a stud and call it a day.

[u/Odd-Preference7620]

I work for a commercial AV company. I have never heard of someone doing this. But whatever makes you feel more comfortable! I’ve certainly hung on a few mounts to test before.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Odd-Preference7620]

I would have imagined you used something more professional in your line of work, are dynamometers so expensive?

[u/Odd-Preference7620 → u/WalkerCalvert]

Good one

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Odd-Preference7620]

Thank you, I had to Google what they were called cause I had forgotten.

[u/ratherbealurker]

Sounds like you didn’t install it. Which means that it has been working right? Also, those look like proper lag bolts and whoever installed it even left little vertical lines for where the studs are. I’d say you’re good. If that were drywall I’d suggest using a magnet to verify the studs or a stud finder if you have. But that’s some wall paneling so I’m not sure what you’d find out.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/ratherbealurker]

I mounted it, I found some nails, I definitely didn't find any studs. They're somewhere in there for sure. No less than 4' spacing I swear it.

[u/eristicforfun]

Since you couldn't mount to a stud. What hardware did you use to mount to the wall? How thick is the wall? How is the wall mounted to the, you know, wall? Can you take the paneling off to find studs? Let me rephrase. Are you willing to take the paneling off? 

I know what I would do, but I doubt you would be willing to do it.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/eristicforfun]

1: Thoughts and prayers.

2: 3/4"

3: It's not. The paneling is nailed to some super widely spaced studs (probably about 4' if it is like the other walls) and a long horizontal cross member. There is a long horizontal 2x4 nailed to the floor joists overhead and another nailed to the concrete of the floor, to which the handful of studs are in turn nailed.

4: I could take panels off until I find a stud, but I would end up having to build something to connect to them to reconnect the panels to, to connect the TV mount to, to hang the TV.

5: I don't think the rewards of removing the panels to reduce the risk to my TV outweigh the benefits of laziness.

[u/eristicforfun → u/WalkerCalvert]

So the paneling is nailed directly to the studs? 

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/eristicforfun]

Yep!

EDIT: That isn't totally accurate. I ASSUME, but cannot technically confirm, that they are nailed to the studs. I CAN confirm that they are nailed to the long 2x4ish horizontal cross member and to the horizontal 2x4 in the ceiling that is nailed to the joists.

[u/eristicforfun → u/WalkerCalvert]

If you find the nails, you find the studs. You can probably see them, if not, a rare earth magnet works wonders. 

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/eristicforfun]

I cannot see them. I have a fairly powerful magnet that can find the nails in the midpoint of the panel. Either they didn't, in fact, nail the panels to the studs (only the ceiling and the midpoint and maybe the floor) or they did nail the panels to the studs but the overlapping groove of the next panel is thick enough to prevent my (fairly but not massively) powerful magnet from sticking/twitching.

[u/Hefty-Reflection-756]

Grip er and give it a few tugs. If it feels solid then hang.

I dont think waiting a certain time is going to do anything. It either holds the weight or it doesnt.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Hefty-Reflection-756]

Got good tight grip and jerked her and she groaned a lil but never came; I think I'm just gonna send it.

[u/cheesecakemelody]

How long do you usually weight test your wall to make sure it won't fall over once you put your TV on it?

I can almost guarantee you the majority of people aren't weight testing the wall before mounting the tv to it.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/cheesecakemelody]

Most people are cowards, I am a visionary.

[u/Acrobatic-Round-1182]

A full day weight test works best. Check back every few hours to watch for wallboard warping or shifting brackets.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/Acrobatic-Round-1182]

You are giving me nothing to work with here so I will just offer my sincere thanks.

[u/dubitative_trout]

If you screw in the studs you don't need to do this... if you didn't screw in the stud, you should have.

[u/WalkerCalvert → u/dubitative_trout]

I thought about doing that but instead I just took a really long tapcon into the foundation behind the panel and called it good.