Mounting an LCD TV

[RevolutionaryRob]

I live in a refurbished apartment building in NYC, and we have metal beams with 1" plasterboard. I think I want to mount my 32" Samsung LCD TV on an arm on the wall.

What I want to know is that the metal beams are very hard to drill into and actually drill into so that you are drilling into the center of the beam. I'm only slightly handy. What I would like to do is just put a lot of screws in the wall with big-ass anchors, but I am concerned that the entire wall won't just rip open and the TV falls on the floor. Am I absolutely required to hit these studs perfectly to adequately mount the computer on the wall?

If someone has an idea that's fine but I am wondering where I might actually go for detailed advice. It's small studio apartment and the ability to swivel the TV around in a big way will make a huge difference in working in the apartment.

[Reloadron]

I may be missing something but do you mean actual steel "I" beams as studs or a building redone using those galvanized steel light weight studs?

Personally with 1" thick plaster board I would consider using toggle bolts. Same for screen backed plaster.

I mean if you drill through the plaster on stud centers and assuming actual solid steel then what? Drill and Tap? I would just get close to the stud and run with toggle bolts depending on the weight.

Just My Take
Ron

[Beetle Bailey]

There has to be some form of studs for the walls. Surely they did not put "I" beams every 16in to 2ft. Stud finders are cheap. If your not sure, you could always get a magnet to see where the metal beams are. Bailey.

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by Beetle Bailey

There has to be some form of studs for the walls. Surely they did not put "I" beams every 16in to 2ft. Stud finders are cheap. If your not sure, you could always get a magnet to see where the metal beams are. Bailey.

Yeah, I can't immagine solid steel I beams spaced 16" to 24"?

Ron

[RevolutionaryRob]

I think the old wall is behind my real wall.

The beams/studs I speak of are metal, and placed every so often. Even with a stud finder, I find it hard to map out the exact begin and end of the beam.

Separately, I want to put it on a wall between two windows where I have no real idea how many beams are on the wall. The entire section of all that I would be working with would be 24"...

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by RevolutionaryRob

I think the old wall is behind my real wall.

The beams/studs I speak of are metal, and placed every so often. Even with a stud finder, I find it hard to map out the exact begin and end of the beam.

Separately, I want to put it on a wall between two windows where I have no real idea how many beams are on the wall. The entire section of all that I would be working with would be 24"...

Gah if you have the old wall behind it's likely going to give you problems finding something since there's chances there's a nail every so often...
But since you're working between 2 windows, there's solid on the outside of the windows obviously and there's either solid at 12, 16 or 18inch from the border of the first window. Most supports for TVs that have an arm will only require one beam.