BESPOKE TV FRAME
A Do-It-With-Help Guide
A TV frame is a great option if you want something that is not bulky to help hide loose cables and wires. It is visually lighter, quicker to make as it requires less materials and a comparatively affordable to an entertainment cabinet. Do-It-With-Help to give your television a bespoke treatment.
TAKE NOTE
Work was done over 2 days in consideration of the drying time Solignum and paint required. For clarity, this article will focus on material cost, which are contingent on size of TV.
SHOPPING LIST
All prices are approximates.
▢ WOOD BOARD: 8ft x 4in PHP320.00 from CW depot, Ortigas. Used 2 pieces PHP640.00.
▢ SOLIGNUM: 1L PHP600.00, used approx 100ml PHP60.00.
▢ PAINT TOOLS: Brush, Small roller and Sand paper PHP150.00.
▢ DOOR MOULDING: 8ft x 6in PVC plastic board PHP420.00. Used 2 pieces, PHP840.00.
▢ FASTENERS: 1/4kg Nails PHP35.00 depending on size; 1/2L Stikwel wood adhesive PHP95. Approximately PHP300.00.
▢ EPOXY PRIMER, BORAL & PAINT: 1L Boysen Epoxy Primer PHP115 (used 1/3 litre); 1kg Boral powder PHP40.00; 1kg Gypsum Putty PHP31.00; 1Gal Boysen Semi-Gloss around PHP535.00.
NB. We had some spare black, beige and grey semi-gloss paint we mixed with it on hand. Total spent on these items for this project is approximately PHP300.00.
WOOD 8ft x 4in
PHP320.00
SOLIGNUM 1 Litre
PHP600.00
PAINT TOOLS
Price Varies
DOOR MOULDING
8ft x 6in PHP420
EPOXY PRIMER 1L PHP115, BORAL PHP40.00 & PAINT PHP350.00
FASTENERS
Price Varies
DO-IT-WITH-HELP BESPOKE TV FRAME
STEPS
1
Hire Workers
Hire a carpenter and painter. To select workers, ask friends and family or websites such as gawin.ph. Within the parameters of the law, what you pay your workers is at your discretion. Some workers can do a multitude of tasks such as carpentry and paintwork. You can pay them on a daily or a per square meter basis ‘pakyaw’.
2
Purchase Materials
Purchase materials based on measurements. Add the measurements for each side of your TV along with a 1-2 inch allowance (to allow for air to circulate) to determine how much wood and moulding you will need. Choose a wood or MDF board deep enough to accommodate TV and its wall mount’s combined depth because it will serve as a border frame around the TV.
The door Moulding is the decorative element around the TV frame, that you will put on top of the frame boards you put along the borders of your TV. Choose a door moulding or cornice- the website www.addicted2decorating.com suggests one that is ‘naturally thinner on one edge and builds up so that the other edge is much thicker.’ While a bit more expensive than wood, we chose PVC plastic because there is less work as no need to treat against termites, easier to sand down and plaster.
3
Hang TV
Hang TV, ensuring the electrical outlet and where applicable cable box or apple tv (you can purchase a cable box mechanism to attach behind TV) are hidden by the TV.
4
We bore holes so air could circulate and flow better.
Wood Border Around TV
Create a wood board that’s like a border around your TV. There should be a 1-2 inch allowance, for air to circulate. Use Stickwel wood adhesive and nails to reinforce the wood. Fit the unfinished wood around the hung TV to see if it fits. Try to move the TV from the mount- if the mount you chose is like mine, which is like an arm that moves. You want to ensure that even if you pull the TV out and push it back in, that it fits in the frame before you finalise anything.
One of the workers decided to put a ½ inch allowance instead of 1 to 2 inches, but he bore holes around the frame so there is somewhere for the air to circulate. He wanted a more precise frame around the TV.
To treat against termites, use clear Solignum if frame will be finished in a light colour and brown tinted Solignum for darker finishes. Solignum usually takes 24 hours to dry.
5
Paint Wall Behind TV in Black
In the addicted2decorating.com website, they recommended painting the wall behind the TV black, which we did. That way, even if your frame isn’t perfectly fitted, it won’t be so obvious. Cut the moulding or cornice for the frame, and then fix around the wood base. This is the decorative aspect of your TV frame. Secure with nails and Stickwel.
6
Plastering and Sanding
Plaster or ‘Masilya’ imperfections with Boral, let dry and then sand down or ‘Liha’ the frame.
7
Prime and Paint
Prime PVC with epoxy paint and dry. Paint with colour you want using roller and brush. Some painters will insist on a ‘Duco finish’. We didn’t because the fumes of the paint compressor are intense. However, in defence of the Duco, it is really a beautiful more polished finish when done correctly. The higher the glossiness or sheen of a paint finish, the easier it is to clean cos dirt will slide off a shinier slipperier surface. Flat or matte finishes will tend to absorb any dirt it comes into contact with, so I try and avoid using a purely matte finish.
8
Hang TV
Hang the frame with a drill, Stickwel and nails around the TV.
Disclaimer: Ask a licensed engineer if your electrical and structural provisions are applicable to this article’s advice.
REFERENCES: www.addicted2decorating.com