Your wall has to hold five times the weight of the TV and mount together. That is their number, not a rule of thumb.

The five times rule is the specification you are actually working to

Sanus states that the wall must be capable of supporting five times the weight of the TV and mount combined. Work it out before you buy anything: add the television weight to the mount weight and multiply by five. That number tells you whether you are looking for two studs, three studs, or a masonry anchor, and it is the reason a mount cannot simply be hung on whatever the wall happens to be. If the wall cannot meet it, the answer is a different wall or a different fastening method, not more screws.

Screw length into the TV is the mistake you cannot undo

This is the expensive one. Sanus supply a range of screws, washers and spacers because VESA hole depth differs between televisions. Too short and the bracket does not properly grip. Too long and the screw bottoms out and drives into the internals of the panel, which ends the television. Test-fit before committing, use the combination that seats correctly for your set, and hand-tighten the TV brackets rather than driving them with a power tool. Their manuals also tell you to check the television’s own manual for any special mounting requirements, which is worth two minutes.

Stud rating and drywall rating are not the same number on the same mount

People read one weight figure off the box and assume it applies. On the Sanus LML1, wood stud installation is rated for televisions up to eighty pounds, while drywall-only installation on the same mount is rated up to fifty. Other mounts do not permit drywall alone at all, and say so directly, being designed for wood stud, solid concrete or concrete block. Know which rating you are working under before the drill comes out, because it changes what television you can safely hang.

Pilot holes are specified, including depth

These are not freehand. One Sanus mount calls for a seven thirty-seconds of an inch bit with pilot holes drilled to a depth of three inches; another calls for one eighth of an inch. Drill into the center of the stud, not the edge, because a lag bolt catching only the side of a stud has a fraction of the holding power and will feel tight while being wrong. When you fit the lag bolts, hold the plate in position as you tighten the first one so it cannot shift, and tighten until the bolts pull flush against the plate.

On the drywall nail systems, resistance means stop

Some Sanus mounts fix to drywall with a set of twenty hardened nails. Their instruction is specific: if any of those nails meets excessive resistance, meaning it has hit metal, stop and call customer service rather than forcing it. They also say not to reuse the nails once removed and not to substitute store-bought ones. The plate has to be level when the second nail goes in, because after that the position is fixed. Metal in a wall can be a stud, a pipe or a conduit, and none of those improve with persuasion.

Two people, and check the safety latch

Sanus marks the lifting step as heavy and notes you may need assistance, which is a polite way of saying do not do it alone. A modern large panel is awkward rather than heavy, and the moment of hooking it onto the plate is where a solo attempt goes wrong. On mounts with a locking mechanism, listen for the click and confirm the safety latch has engaged, then test the mount with a firm pull before you let go of the television.

Missing or damaged parts go to Sanus, not back to the store

Their manuals are explicit that if parts are missing or damaged you should not return the item to the dealer or to Amazon, but contact Sanus customer service directly. They also say never to use damaged parts. Verify the contents against the parts list before starting, because discovering a missing bracket with a television propped against the sofa is a poor time to find out.