Projectors have started to become a necessity of the home and office. Before, the only projectors you could get your hands on are the ones used for business presentations or schools. Even before that, they’re mainly used in commercial theaters. They’ve become less of a luxury in the 2000s to the present.
However, in many places like rented apartments and dorm rooms, drilling holes is forbidden. Do you know how to mount a projector without drilling? Thankfully, you don’t need expensive equipment to install projectors.
How to Mount a Projector without Drilling?
There are several ways to go about mounting a projector without drilling, the easiest of which is to get a tabletop type of projector you can safely put on your nearest table or acquiring a rear-projection or ultra-short-throw projector you put near the screen.
The main issue is that many homes don’t allow hole-drilling on the walls or ceiling. There are times when the walls have steel from behind instead of wood, which further restrains you from drilling holes. With that said, there is a way to mount a ceiling-mounted projector without drilling as well.
It’s about finding mounts on your projector that can stick it on your wall or ceiling solidly without drilling holes. They range from temporary ways to stick them on your wall or ceiling mounts without risking accidental bumps and falls. Here are the ways to go about this specifically.
It also depends on the size and throw distance of your projector, among various other considerations when push comes to shove.
Use a Shelf Mount or Table Stand
If you have drilling limitation and fixing issues, one way around it is to invest in a shelf-mounted or tabletop projector. In this regard, any shelf or table will do. However, you should have a shelf that allows for adjustable partitions for the best possible projection results.
Additionally, you can use an old bookshelf instead if you already have one in your home or apartment. You should focus on ease and portability here. Most importantly, there’s no need to drill holes on your shelves and whatnot to keep your projector aimed at your projector screen.
The shelves help in adjusting the height of your projector. You can move it from level to level or add books in order to keep it perfectly square with the screen it’s supposed to project upon. The shelf’s open design also keeps you from having to deal with dangling cables and wires.
The shelf should be able to have loads of cable management options for you and your projector. What’s more, you can place the shelf behind your couch, beside the screen, near your bed if you’re in the bedroom, or at the middle of the aisle in case, you’re using an AV room.
Further reading: The 9 Best Projector Tripod Stand
Use an L-Shaped Stand with Hooks
Another great hole-less option for projection purposes is to get a tripod or stand available for the projector. There are certain projector sizes that allow for use with a standard camera tripod, particularly those with the size of a pocket or mini projector.
Among the stands available for projectors, the best ones include the L-shaped stand with hook attachments. This way, you can mount your projection appliance without worrying about not having a solid fit when push comes to shove.
You can make your own L-shaped stand using PVC, wood, or any similarly robust material. You can also search the web in order to get such a mount for your specific make and model of projector. Due to its shape, the stand will remain straight and balanced even as you hang your projector on it via hook.
Unlike shelves that usually sit around your home for books or other items, the L-shaped hook stand requires you to make one custom-fit for your projector or buy one with your specific type of device in mind.
L-Shaped Hook Stand vs. Shelf or Table Stand
The L-shaped stand is a more stylish type of hole-less stand or mounts for your average projector. It’s also quite easy to maintain. Then again, a shelf can be all those things and more depending on its design and material. It’s also easier to place your projector on a flat surface than with hooks.
Nevertheless, it’s also quite easy to change the bulbs of your projector while it’s on the L-shaped hook stand as well. The main advantage of the hook stand versus the shelf stand is the fact that the latter provides more ventilated setting for the hot device.
This should set your heart at ease when it comes to the projector’s tendency to overheat during prolonged use. There’s also quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to projector placement with the L-stand.
Compared to the more cumbersome bookshelf, which probably wasn’t made for projector mounting, you can place the projector as far or as close to the screen as you want.
Drywall Anchors and DIY Plywood Wall Mounting
A drywall anchor can only be as good as the drywall you’re using it on. Drywall tends to become mush when combined with water. It’s a poor mounting choice even though you can technically not need to drill into it to put up your projector mounting accessories.
You can instead install in a do-it-yourself fashion a section of plywood below the drywall. Yes, you’re not drilling into walls but you will be hammering plywood together to form a shelf or mount where you’ll be placing your projector on.
Make the structure big enough to span two joists then finish the edges in accordance to your taste. Also, make it into an inverted pedestal where you’ll be hanging your projector upon. You can also install topside blocking if you have space above your home theater, like an attic.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Projectors of the 21st Century have specifically turned into a viable alternative to TVs, particularly HDTVs. The home theater projector has become affordable enough to buy and use as bigger-screen TVs of their own thanks to advancing tech.
If one of your main worries regarding getting a projector involves drilling then read this guide carefully. This article offers all the possible answers. It depends on getting the right fasteners and equipment, naturally.
It’s all about getting regular hardware at your home—such as standard power tools—in order to install your projector without putting holes in your walls or ceilings.
References:
- “Mounting projector without studs!“, AVSForum.com, June 12, 2018
- “How To Mount A Projector Without Drilling?“, ProjectorsGeek.com, Retrieved April 1, 2021
- “Mount Projector Without Drilling With IKEA LACK Shelf“, Instructables.com, Retrieved April 1, 2021