Introduction: Drywall TV Niche

About: Hey! My name is Roey Leon, from Tel Aviv, Israel. On my free time, as a hobby of mine, I love building stuff from scratch. It always starts with a crazy idea, and then I realize that it`s too Dangerous / Unach…

Hello Everyone

I have searched the web for a DIY instructions " how to build a Drywall TV Niche "

But guess what , i could not find any! *** bummer ! :( ****

sooooo... one i decided to create one myself !

In this tutorial ,i will show you step by step , how to build from scratch you Drywall TV Niche .

Overall the work took a few days of working in the evenings ( a total of 40 hours or so )

* including driving to the store to buy the products , design on paper , and installing it.

Hold on tight , we are starting the build process ! :)

Step 1: Shopping Cart !

The materials you need are:

Drywall X2 -- HxWxD = 2.60m x1.20m x12.5mm

Drywall profiles ( Aluminum ) --> x6 Length 3 meter over 70mm ( curved)

Drywall profiles ( Aluminum ) --> x8 Length 3 meter over 50mm ( Regular )

Sawing for drywall

Drill + Drill kit

Electric Drill + Bits

Screwdriver + -

Hammer

Tape

Flexible Corner

Sanding paper ( 2 types - rough and number 0 for final touch )

Meter

Leveler

Working gloves ( very very important!!! )

Tin Snips

Moreover , before you start it all ,take a piece of A4 paper , draw with a pencil the design you want to achieve.

Take into consideration the size , compatibility and total size of the final design

Step 2: Drawing on the Wall + Drilling Holes in the Aluminium Profiles

First mount the TV on it`s wall mount

Once the TV is mounted , take a meter , and according to your desired sizes , mark with a pencil the places you will mount the profiles

***don`t forget to use a leveler ***

Before you start drilling the first profile , think about the situation in which you will need to remove the TV from it`s mount ( in case you need to fix it or replace it )

If you try to remove it, you need to lift the TV a bit , and then it will out of it`s mount - you need to take into consideration the needed space for that

Step 3: Drilling Holes and Mounting

Take the aluminum angles ( assuming that you cut it already to your desired size )

Drill holes in it middle using an HSS driller ( faster ) --> each hole approx` 30cm apart

Align the angle on the wall using a leveler , mark with a pencil the holes need to be drilled.

Drill !

I have used a concrete drills ( Size 6" and the 8" ) that way the final hole is perfectly round and screw will not be free.

Step 4: Continue Drilling and Mounting the Angles

After finishing placing all the rails against the wall , pull them with your hand to make sure they sit tight and secure

We don`t want to get into a situation that the wall will fall :)

Moreover , i have bent the rails in their mid-bottom in order for the wires from the TV can go threw and be able to connect to the receiver

Step 5: Adding Strength to the Wall

In order to make sure the wall sits tight , i wanted to connect the rails to each other - just to make sure it`s strong enough . so i have added more profiles to it , not a must but recommended

Step 6: Start Expanding the Structure

The wall needs to be over sized in order to be seen . and moreover in order for the TV to be Immersed in it .

Start by measuring the TV depth , mine is an old PLASMA with a size of 12cm + 2cm of hinges - so we come to a total of 14 cm.

The profile itself will be 12cm and the drywall is an extra of 2cm - that way the TV will be aligned perfectly with the wall.

Step 7: After the Expansion

That`s the way it should look after the expansion

Overall the work took a lot of time ( 3 hours of cutting and drilling it to the profile), you need to cut at least 50 pieces of 12cm angles

You must have a good pair of gloves , tin snips , meter and a marker

I took all the profiles that i cut and placed them in a bucket - just to maintain order

Step 8: Adding More Strngth to the Structure .

Strengthen the structure by adding more angles between the upper ( external ) structure.

Step 9: Time for Drywall Installation!

Time for drywall installation!

Now the exciting part begins , you know why ?! because you start with the pre-final stage of the drywall niche

Please, make sure the structure is very strong , and tighten against the wall , try to pull it , bend it . put pressure on it, to make sure it is really strong.

The Drywall itself weighs quite a lot , so it`s better safe than sorry.

if you don`t have help from someone then the best would be to cut the drywall board to small pieces, that way you can lift it alone and screw the bolts using the driller.

Step 10: Installing and Finishing First Stage

As the first step , i continued to measure the needed Drywall size , placed the big Drywall board on the floor , marked the needed size, and then cut it using a Stanley knife ( any utility knife would do the job ).

Take the part you cut , climb on a ladder ( slowly !! ) and install it

Step 11: Starting to Fix Holes and Cracks With a Joint Filler

Joint Filler


Mix some Joint Filler with water.

Make sure you mix it well and you get a smooth even mixture

Apply a good smooth layer of the joint compound on all cracks , holes , and every uneven terrain you see.

Let it dry overnight. !

Overall this job is fun , because you get to " play " with the material.

Take a Drywall Taping Putty Knife - two sizes 6" and 8" , grab some of that mixture and apply it to the wall

Step 12: Sanding Time! First Stage

Sanding time!

Get yourself two types of sanding paper , rough (RED 60 grit )and light (Black 200 grit for final finishing)

The sizes you can find are:

80-grit paper, followed by 100, 120, 150, and 180, and finishes up with 220

This job is very very messy , it will get your entire house with dust, so close your windows, turn off all air conditioners and fans , that way all the abrasive will fall on the ground and not fly around the room/house.

First sand with the Red sanding paper - remove any hard compound of joint filler that is harden.

sand all edges and prepare them for the Flexible Corner installation ( next stage )

Very Important!

Please use a mask and clear glasses for your safety

* the abrasive is bad for your lounges , so use a mask

* The reason for using glasses is to prevent the debris from entering your eyes

Step 13: Flexible Corner Installation

The best solution for Drywall corners is the Flexible Corner installation

You can use EasyFlex , it comes in 30m package.

First measure the length of the angles , and cut accordingly

Second , apply a good slim layer of Joint Compound on the drywall corners

Third attache the EasyFlex ( or any other product ) ,tighten it to the corner by sliding on it with something round , like a plastic roller - to attach it even

Apply an additional layer on it of Joint Compound

Let it dry over night.

Step 14: Sanding - Final Time !!!!

Remove any leftovers of Joint Compound .

Start smoothing all the drywall using the smoother ( Black 200 grit ) sanding paper.

It might take time , will get you messy , but don`t quit, make sure it`s smooth as much as you can. and most important all levels of drywall are even and not in different heights.

* please note , after i finished all the work , i noticed that on a day light you see the Drywall to be uneven with other levels of it, so i had to do another phase of Joint Compound mixture , apply it , and sand it..

Step 15: Drill Hole for Cables

Drill a 4cm hole for the cables to go threw the drywall and connect to the receiver or any other equipment

The best would be to carve into the wall it self, place a flexible pipe , and pass threw it all the cables.

But i did not want to start with all the carving .. too much for me.

Step 16: Finish!!! - Painting

Finish the job by painting the wall using the color your choice

I used 2 fans to dry it between one layer and the other.

Much quicker!

Step 17: Finished!!

Finished!!

That was a very fun project !- hard also

You get to create something on your own, without any help from other people.

And the best feeling is to succeed in something like this.

I hope you get to succeed as well

Enjoy !

Comments are welcomed

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