Mounting a projector to ceiling

monkeyactive

Hi there, 

Looking at ceiling mounting a projector. Have a mount in mind that comes with all the hardware.

So I'm not naturally great at diy but have figured out that although I have calculated the perfect spot to place the projector I can't just screw it in there , it has to be where a joist is located . 

I can find joists by puncturing ceiling with a screwdriver to find solid wood , correct?

But if the joists happen to not be above the correct spot then what is the solution?

Also what are my chances of accidently hitting a pipe or electric cable from ceiling light?

Thanks for your advice

robbie000

Hi,

Best to use a stud finder like this which will get your joists and check for current aswell. You will need power to the projector so power will need to be ran to the location. https://amzn.eu/d/0i9jMpy0

10-10-20

Or if you have the patience of a saint you can locate joists nails using a good magnet, the marking out their position will reveal the joists. They tend to be ~30cm's apart anyway, so you'll typically just have to move the position of the projector by around that much.

The Continental Op

First off see if you have access to the floor above. Worst case is you can find the nails or screws holding down the floorboards to the joists so know where they are. Best case you can lift a floorboard or two and put a noggin between two joist just where you need to put your ceiling mount.

Dont be at yourself

Some mounting brackets also allow lateral adjustment so you can align the projector to where you need it

bfclancy2

good plasterboard fixings available will hold a projector no problem

monkeyactive

OK , so wouldn't need to worry about joists , just get those fixings and should hold in ceiling. Sounds easier than ripping up the upstairs carpet.

bfclancy2

i know mine is fine and i just put in those screw in metal fixings and there is far better options than those out there i believe, my projector prob weighs 2-3 kg

monkeyactive

Thanks , have a very strong magnet but could not get it to pick up anything. Il try one of thise electronic joist finders

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122371747#Comment_122371747

But that be lazy

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122371747#Comment_122371747

Personally I would like at least one screw into a joist. Projectors are heavy

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122374490#Comment_122374490

There's no good reason not to

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122374490#Comment_122374490

Don't really disagree but for the sake of argument I looked up projectors on Amazon and looked at six that looked like they might have some weight to them. Heaviest was 4.17kg most were around 2kg. Suspect the mount could be heavier than the projector?

OP can weigh it all if they can be bothered but say the projector is 4kg and the mount is 2kg then thats 6kg total. Four wall plugs should be OK with a pull out weight of 1.5kg each and I don't think 6kg will bring the ceiling down?

OP if you can't find the joists then last option is to drill small 1mm diameter holes to see whats above.

monkeyactive

Thanks , I may have to do that as having no luck with magnets and dont trust my ear to knock for hollow sounds.

Projector is very light.

The Continental Op

If its very light then just mount it off the plasterboard. If you are worried about plugs pulling out use some of the toggle fixings that are available.

Take a look at 14.35 into this

https://youtu.be/Jdu9RId7m90?t=875

monkeyactive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122376692#Comment_122376692

4.77 kg , total combined weight of projector and mount.

The Continental Op

Hold the mount up on the ceiling exactly where you want it. Mark around it with something like masking tape. That area will be covered up by the mount so you can probe it with a 1mm drill for a joist above. If you are lucky you'll find a joist and can move the mount a bit so it can be fixed on one edge to a joist and still cover up any of the drill holes. If you can't find a joist then use the toggles or whatever fixing you think is OK into the plasterboard.

The only thing I'd be careful about is the power cable. Just make sure you can't fall over it or accidentally put your weight on it and pull the ceiling down.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122375437#Comment_122375437

Typical magnets are no good, you need a rare earth magnet - cheap enough - had the same issue when mounting a projector and those magnets did the job especially for the screen

monkeyactive

Thanks, hopefully il hit lucky with a joist although I had a look under floorboards above in a different room and seems joists are 1.5 inch thick and 1 foot apart so there's way more plasterboard than joist up there.

OOne think I'm considering is a piece of timber , painted ceiling color attached between two joists covering ideal mounting position , projector attached to timber. I think even though plasterboard toggles woukd be fine I'd akways have it in back of my mind that it could come down , being an old house from 1950s and all.

The Continental Op

The timber across the joists is a good solid solution. I'd have mentioned it if it was on a wall for a TV because its covered up. On a ceiling its exposed and not to everyone's taste.

How are you handling the power cable? That has to go across the ceiling at least a short way and then down a wall.

monkeyactive

Yes , the power cable I plan to put in plastic trunking tacked to ceiling , out and down. Or maybe conduit clamps screwed into plasterboard.

Maybe in future if the projector seems set In its Position an electrician could make it tidier.

One detail I'm not sure on is if the hdmi cable should share the same trunking as the power cable. It'd be tidier but I'm reading that power and hdmi close together can interfere with hdmi signal. Not sure If thats an old wives tale.

Has anyone had issues with bad signal from long hdmi cables? I may need a 6 meter hdmi cable .

fritzelly

Don't cheap out on the hdmi cable, I got this one after a cheap one had crap quality and losing signal, runs in same trunking as the power cable

https://ie.farnell.com/pro-signal/psg03768/cable-assy-hdmi-plug-plug-15m/dp/3532383

The Continental Op

The other advantage of taking up the carpet upstairs is that you can then route your cables straight into the space above the ceiling and even possibly get power from above doing away with one cable coming down the wall.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378833#Comment_122378833

I was clicking that link thinking"please don't be €500"

rob316

I wouldn't use plasterboard fixings for a projector, the load is downward and will be pulling down on the fixing. I couldn't get the mount on a joist for mine, floor above was tiled, so ripped out a bit of the plasterboard, put in a noggin between the joist, fitting new bit of board and patched up.

Another thing you could do is get a bit of plywood or mdf the length of joist to joist, screw that onto the joists and then attach mount to that, paint it then to blend into the ceiling.

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122383723#Comment_122383723

There's no good reason to use plasterboard fixings when hanging weight off a ceiling

The timber is there find it and use it

monkeyactive

Yes I don't think I'd sleep well if It were hanging off the plasterboard even if technically its within the weight range.

PLank between joists painted is the plan.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122384548#Comment_122384548

Ya glue the plank with grip fill or something as it'll probably sag a bit in the middle without a fixing. Go plywood or pine, mdf doesnt have great pull strength.

monkeyactive

So I managed to locate the joists by drilling a line of tiny holes until I located them.

Have a piece of 2 x 4 painted white and cut to size to attach to the joists.

Am going to use four long 4 inch woodscrews to secure through the timber into joists. Sound good or do I need something more severe?

Above is the hardware that came with the mount.

Instructions say to put the plastic grey plugs in pre drilled holes then screw in the bolts to fix the mount in place. I always thought the plugs were only used for fixing things to masonry , what do you think ? Are they good to mount with the plugs?

The Continental Op

Your right you don't need the plugs. Personally I'd throw those screws out and use 5 x 100mm wood screws (which I think is what you are going to do) and you'd probably be fine with 4 x 75mm.

Just make sure you are fixing to the middle of the joists. Drill a couple more tiny holes to find the edges of the joists.

monkeyactive

Yes once I hit joist I drilled a bunch of holes on either size to determine theactual width of joist.

Ok I can ditch this hardware and just use the same woodscrews that I'm using to mount the piece of timber to the joists , I believe they are 4 x 75 mm screws

Hooked

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396382#Comment_122396382

How thick is your "board?" Say its 18mm and your plasterboard another 12… then using 75mm screws they'd be 45mm deep in the timber. If it was me - as the projector is light - I'd use four or six 60mm screws (IF the plaster and wood base totals 30).

I'd be afraid that a service (water/leccy) would be running through a joist. I deffo wouldn't use 100mm.

Depending on the weight of the projector - you could've simply bonded your painted piece to the ceiling with something like Soudal FIX ALL.

The fixings & plugs that came with the projector are for concrete. Chuck em and use maybe 40mm screws to fix projector to board.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396242#Comment_122396242

Those look to be 10mm diameter plugs and bolts, rather than the standard 6.5mm plugs and screws. Just goes to show how plasterboard alone was never intended on supporting the projector.

monkeyactive

Thanks, I have 2 inches of wood before the plasterboard.

Wonder why they specifically said wood in the manual when referring to the bolts when they seem obviously for concrete.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396414#Comment_122396414

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396485#Comment_122396485

But I suspect those are the bolts for mounting the ceiling mount which could have a lot heavier projector than the OP's (quote - 4.77 kg , total combined weight of projector and mount.)

monkeyactive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396414#Comment_122396414

Board Is 45mm thick, Maybe at that 100s would be a good idea here

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397322#Comment_122397322

45+ thickness of plasterboard means 100mm would be right giving you 40-45mm screw penetration.

45mm thickness board is thicker than I'd have used but it'll work fine.

monkeyactive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397366#Comment_122397366

Out of curiosity , what thickness board would you have gone with? I have a 1 inch thick board , half as thick as one I'm planning on using but I was concerned it wouldn't be deep enough for the projector mount hardware.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122400684#Comment_122400684

25mm board. They are hard to come by you could have use some meaty 25mm M6 coach bolts to hold the projector mount. Although with the weights involved any 5x25mm screws would have been OK.

chooseusername

Will all 4 screws be going into the one 2 X 4?

I would use the coach screws that came with the projector to fix it to your 2 X 4, the no 4 screw heads might be too small for the holes. The ones supplied appear to be M8, if so drill 5 or 6mm pilot holes. Do a few tests on on off-cut first.

monkeyactive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122403447#Comment_122403447

Yes , I'll screw in at least 4 screws into the 2 x4.

Ideal if I could use the bolts on hand as long as they are suitable without the plastic plugs.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122404740#Comment_122404740

You could use those bolts, however you will need to predrill some holes first. They are overkill.

If the woods not been screwed on the ceiling yet then mark out the holes and predrill on the flat without having to work over your head. Use a drill about 3mm less than the diameter of the bolt thread. If the bolts are too long put then in halfway to cut a thread for them then remove them and cut them shorter.

monkeyactive

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