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Is It Level? What You Should Be Looking For.

Chip Tollefson • February 21, 2023

Having a crooked TV can be frustrating. It affects the aesthetics of the room, and can make it difficult to enjoy your favorite shows and movies.

Adjusting a crooked TV can be a hassle, often requiring multiple people to move the heavy device and find the right angle that both looks and feels good. All in all, having a crooked TV can be a terrible experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment of television watching.


But when you use a professional for AV installation, you never have to worry about a crooked TV.


I recently installed a Samsung "The Frame" TV on a wall in a client's Master Bed wall during a condo upgrade/home automation project, and sent the client a picture of the completed project. The client was elated, due to the precise image (which was the point). I decided to focus on the use of the level. 

I have spent more than my share of time on the business end of level, and have come to realize that many people could use some assistance in this area. First, I consider the quality of the level. I like a level with thinner fluid, so the bubble of air/gas moves quickly and easily, to me this feels more accurate.


Also, you can increase your accuracy of some projects by increasing the length of the level, especially to get an "average" of something such as a piece of lumber that may not be perfectly straight along its entirety (the longer level will bridge some of the gaps, providing a better "overall" level instead of focusing on a short level being in one of the high or low areas. Lastly, the bubble of air/gas in the vials needs to be perfectly centered between the stadia lines, not just "somewhere in between the lines" to actually be level. I feel there is nothing but LEVEL.


I have heard "pretty level", "kinda level" and "fairly level" all for terms to describe something that was anything but. If the level has the same amount of space between each end of the bubble and the stadia lines, it is level. If it's not the same, it is not level. "Kinda level" and "pretty level" are NOT level. The one time that it MAY be okay to install or hang something where it is acceptible to not be level is when the TV, art, etc. is near another structure that is NOT level.


If you install a TV near crooked crown molding, you may need to adjust the TV to match the molding angle, or all will look awkward, whether or not your TV is perfect. In these instances, I usually inform the client, show them the difference, and let them decide. This is the situation where it may be better to not be level to allow it to "appear" level.


If you're struggling with a crooked TV, don't suffer any longer! Contact Entertainment Pros at 727-804-2277 to have a professional take care of the problem for you.

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