Wall Mount Installation

[Skypilot007]

Anyone have experience with wall mounts? My questions are how exactly to mount the wall mounts to the side of my house. I didn't want to lag bolt them right too the siding and the mounts aren't wide enough to reach the studs. I was planning on attaching two 18" peices of 2x4 horizontally between two wall studs then attach each wall mount to the them. I'm using 3" wall mounts since there is no eve or overhang and keep them close to the wall. I have two masts I'd like to mount, they would be about 15ft apart. One is 10ft and the other is 17ft. I have ample room for seperation of the mounts too acommidate the length of the masts. I need some ideas for securely mounting the wall mounts. My carpentry skills are limited so take it easy on me.

Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[ramal121]

Backing the wall mount with a 2x4 is and catching a couple of studs is way better than relying on the siding. However sometimes wall mounts just scare the Dickens out of me. Depends on how tall and what is going on the mast.

If there is little or no overhang to get around, I like to use Unistrut with the appropriate clamp for the size mast I'm using. Two sets spaced 2 or 3 three apart and wide enough to catch the studs with lags will make a very sturdy mount. Kinda ugly so I hide them the best I can.

 

[kb0nly]

If you have access to the inside of the wall, attic space etc, what i have done is to take a couple pieces of 2x4 and put them across the studs, laying them flat up against the studs and screwing to the face of the studs. Then i take long carriage bolts, if you have 2x4 studs then a 8-9 inch carriage bolt is long enough depending on siding, with vinyl or aluminum siding you generally have 3/4 to 1 inch foam insulation on the outside of the house under the siding as well. Then i drill through the siding, sheathing and put the carriage bolts through the mount and the wall, then go inside and mark and drill the 2x4 brace that will go across the studs and put it over the bolts and install washers and nuts and hand tighten, then screw the cross brace to the studs on each end and finally tighten the bolts down.

Makes for a solid mount.

 

[Skypilot007]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunetly my wall does not back up to the attic. I'm not to thrilled about wall mounting myself but my vent pipes are now bent from a wind storm. I really need to move them.

 

[kb0nly]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunetly my wall does not back up to the attic. I'm not to thrilled about wall mounting myself but my vent pipes are now bent from a wind storm. I really need to move them.

Ok if you don't have access to the other side then the best way to do that is make a board wide enough to span the studs and then attach the mounts to that, otherwise you will just be screwing into the sheathing.

For the one i put on my house which supports a 5 foot mast and two tv antennas i bought some PVC lumber, looks like wood but its solid PVC, no painting to weathering, matches the vinyl siding. I made two pieces 20 inches long, then took some construction screws and fastened that to the studs, then a couple construction screws long enough to go through the PVC piece and into the sheathing. Its unbelievably strong. Just have to get creative!

Mounting to vent pipes is a bad idea, last thing you need is broken plumbing or leaking roof from breaking the seal around the pipe.

If you don't want to do a wall mount get a tripod and put that on the roof.

 

[Skypilot007]

The PVC lumber is a great idea, I was concerned about the wood rotting. I'll give it shot with the small mast first and see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it.