How to Hang a Projector Screen?
You have your projector, you’ve installed it to the ceiling, and now you need a way to project onto something.
A projector screen is the best option because it will fill up an entire wall or room with images. But how do you hang one?
This blog post explains in detail how to hang a projector screen from the ceiling and wall so that viewing angles are perfect no matter where you are sitting.
What Type of Screen Do You Need?
First, make sure that you choose the right type of screen. There are two types of screens, manual and electric. An electric screen will have a remote to easily turn it on or off.
To hang a projector screen, you should buy a high-quality one with great reviews. The last thing you want to do is spend money on something that does not work as advertised.
What Material Do You Need?
The next step in installing a projector screen is to know what material you need. Here are the materials you will need for the installation:
- Snap links
- Toggle bolts or eyebolt screws
- Ceiling hooks
- A screwdriver
- An actual stud finder or extra-strong magnet
- Wall-hanging L brackets
- A measuring tape
- A marker
How to Hang a Projector Screen from the Ceiling?
1. Find the Ceiling Joists
The first thing you should do is find the ceiling joists. You can do this with a regular old stud finder. Still, a more straightforward method would be to get either snap links or toggle bolts and extra-strong magnets, depending on what type of surface your ceiling has.
2. Center Each Bracket on Each Joist
Once you find the ceiling joists, position your projector screen brackets in between them. Each bracket must sit at the exact center of every joist to not fall or break under the weight.
Pro Tip: Use a marker to mark where the screw holes are on the wall-hanging L brackets because once they are up there, you will not be able to see what you are doing.
Once your brackets are centered on the joists, go ahead and drill through them with your screwdriver. Be sure that they do not break, or they could cause damage to people walking underneath since these screws can fall at any time.
Toggle bolts are great for hanging ceiling projector screens. They have wings that will expand once installed to the joist, so you can be confident it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
How to Hang a Projector Screen from Wall?
1. Check Projector’s Manual and Identify the Ideal Height Position of the Projector
You will need to refer to your projector’s manual for this step. Most projectors suggest the ideal height position should be about ten feet above where people are sitting for images to appear correctly. This amount of space is also necessary depending on what type of screen you have chosen.
2. Use a Measuring Tape to Identify the Appropriate Height for the Wall Mount
Once the projector is in its ideal position, use a measuring tape to determine how high it is on your wall.
This will be the height at which you need to install your wall-mount brackets and cables so they can reach firmly into a place where people are watching from.
3. Locate Where You Will Place the Mounting Brackets
Once you have marked your projector’s ideal height and measured how high up on the wall that will be, measure out from there to find a nice spot for your mounting brackets.
Make sure that this wall area has studs in it because these are what they will need to go into securely. If not, add a wall-hanging L bracket to the wall and then use an actual stud finder to locate a stud.
After you have marked your spots for brackets, go ahead and drill through the drywall with a regular power drill. Make sure you make holes big enough for the brackets and that you make them deep enough so they will not come loose.
Pro Tip: If your projector’s manual suggests a more ideal height position than what you have done in this step, go ahead and relocate these holes to match how high up on the wall your actual bracket needs to be fastened.
Once you drill the holes, go ahead and put the brackets into them. You can do this with a screwdriver or drill, depending on what type of bracket you have.
If you have a wall-hanging L bracket, use screws. If not, they are just regular brackets with holes in them to screw into your projector. You can either drill or screw those right on, depending on what the manual suggests and how sturdy it feels once installed.
Once everything is secure, go ahead and run all of the cords to the brackets. You can do this by drilling holes in your wall if you wish not to see them.
Otherwise, be sure there is enough space for them to fit through and attach correctly at each bracket or where it will then connect to your projector.
Conclusion
Once you set everything in place, go ahead and plug your projector into the nearest power outlet. You can then watch a movie or show to test if it is projecting correctly and for the right height.
Now, you are ready to hang your screen itself from these brackets. Just make sure that whatever one of those types of screens you have purchased has compatible hanging brackets which will attach to your projector’s wall-mounting bracket.