Before the Delivery Truck: Getting Ready for Furniture Assembly and TV Mounting

Furniture arrives flat, in heavy boxes, with a bag of hardware and a diagram that seems to be written for someone else. TVs arrive in a size you picked online and a wall you haven't really measured. The assembly itself is usually the easy part. The problems come from what wasn't checked before the truck pulled up.

These are the things worth doing first.

Measure the path, then the spot

Start with the route from the front door to the room. Measure doorways, hallway turns and the stair width, and compare them with the dimensions printed on the box. A bookcase that fits the alcove can still get stuck on a tight turn in an older house, where doorways are narrower and hallways have been framed around a radiator or a chimney chase.

Then measure the spot where the piece will live. Account for baseboards, which push furniture off the wall, and for outlets and vents that the back panel could cover. If the piece has doors or drawers that open, leave room for them. Mark the floor with painter's tape and see how it looks before you commit.

Clear the room and sort the hardware

Boxes take up more room than the finished piece, so empty the area before assembly starts. Lay down a blanket or cardboard to protect the floor, especially hardwood. When the boxes are open, check that the parts match the parts list. Missing hardware is far easier to sort out on day one than after the pieces are half together. Keep the screws in labeled cups or a muffin tin so they don't wander.

Pieces with electrical parts need their own attention. A TV console with a built-in electric fireplace, like the white one we've assembled, needs a plan for where it plugs in and how the cord runs, because the unit sits flush to the wall. Check the outlet location before you decide which wall it goes on.

Mounting a TV: studs, rating and height

A TV on the wall needs two things to hold it: a wall that can take the weight, and a mount rated for the TV. Start with the wall. In a frame house, the wall is drywall over wood studs, and a mount should be fastened into studs, not into the drywall alone. A stud finder helps, and so does knocking and listening. Older plaster and lath walls, which are common in many Columbus neighborhoods, behave differently, and brick and masonry call for different fasteners entirely.

Then look at the mount. Its packaging lists the largest TV weight and screen size it supports, and the hole pattern it fits, often written as a VESA number that also appears in your TV's manual. Pick a mount that covers your TV's weight with room to spare. A fixed mount keeps the TV close to the wall, a tilting one helps with glare, and a full-motion arm lets you angle it from the couch.

Height is personal, but a good starting point is to sit where you normally watch and note where your eyes land at the middle of the screen. A TV hung over a fireplace or mantel is often higher than comfortable. Mark the spot with tape before drilling anything.

Tall furniture: plan for tip-over

Dressers, bookcases and tall shelving can tip, especially with drawers open or kids climbing. Most come with anti-tip straps or brackets, and they're worth using. They should be anchored to a stud or fastened with a wall anchor that suits the wall type. If you rent or don't want holes, ask about your options before assembly starts, since some pieces need to be anchored while they're being stood up.

Cables, power and where they go

Decide where the cables run before the TV goes up. A surface cord cover painted to match the wall is the simplest tidy option. Running cable inside a wall is cleaner, but anything going inside a wall has to be rated for it, and new power outlets behind the TV are electrician territory. A small outlet already behind the mount location makes things a lot easier. Think about the soundbar, game console and streaming box too, and leave space for ventilation around them.

Hand it off with a plan

If you'd like help, Columbus Ohio TOP Handyman Services assembles furniture and mounts TVs, installs shelving and sets up appliances, in Columbus and the suburbs within about 30 miles. Estimates are free, and the work is covered by a one-year workmanship warranty. Send the wall photo, the TV size and the piece you're expecting to 380-283-9950 by call or text.