Picture this: You’re outside enjoying lovely weather after a long day of work, sitting underneath a covered patio on a comfortable sofa with a refreshing drink in hand — away from bugs and mosquitoes, of course, watching your favorite show or sporting event on the television.

The idea of creating an outdoor entertainment area may have crossed your mind. Especially over the past year when so many aspects of our lives became home-based.  If that is the case, you may have asked yourself if you need a special TV for the outdoors, or can you simply put an outdoor TV under a covered patio for added protection?

The TV mounting experts at MantelMount answer all of these questions and more so you can build the perfect outdoor set up for your entertainment needs.

Do You Need a Special TV for Outdoors or Can You Use an Indoor TV Outside?

Although you can use an indoor TV outside, it’s not recommended by television manufacturers. This is due to variables like water exposure, exposure to wind, a rogue backyard baseball, and gardening tools that can all badly damage a TV.

You can purchase protective covering for your TV screen, like a screen protector with an IP55 grade rating. And reinforce wires with conduit or a drip loop to protect against water damage. But your best bet for placing a non-weather resistant TV outside is to place it in a TV cabinet or install it underneath some kind of structure like a covered patio.

Weather resistant TVs on the other hand, come with some level of protection from the elements and would perform gloriously in a backyard or under a covered patio. These special TVs are built to withstand extreme temperature changes and can act as more of a permanent solution than running out the clock on an indoor TV holding up to a harsh environment.

Additionally, weather resistant TVs have a brighter display than a normal TV. This makes it possible to watch TV outside even in bright, direct sunlight if you don’t have the luxury of a covered deck or patio. To put a bow on the question, do you need a special TV for outdoors, the answer is, yes, if you want to create the best outdoor-viewing experience and don’t want to do constant repairs and maintenance. 

How to Weatherproof a TV

Whether you choose to purchase a weather resistant TV with an IP54 rating, or you drag an old TV outside, you are going to want to create some level of weatherproofing to give whichever TV you place outside it’s best chance for surviving through temperature changes and exposure to the elements.

One option is to build a weatherized TV cabinet. These can be a great project for the experienced DIYer and provide a level of protection similar to a covered patio if it’s built correctly. Another advantage of a TV cabinet is that you can then mount the TV inside on an articulated mount. With any of our Pull Down TV Mounts and the AB40 Bracket, you can place your brand new flat screen safely in a recess like an alcove or a TV cabinet.

Although having a cabinet as a structure isn’t necessarily the answer to figuring out how to weatherproof a TV, it is one solution to further make your television safe, secure, and away from the outdoor elements. If you prefer to have a more slimline approach to your covered patio outdoor TV, a TV case to make your outdoor covered patio lounging setup look a bit more like your indoor living room. 

Here are Some Other Ways You Can Use MantelMount for Outdoor TV-Watching

Even though MantelMount wall mounts are not weatherproof, our world-class wall mounts, like the 340 Standard Pull Down TV Mount, can help create the outdoor entertainment space of your dreams with some weatherized protection or an outdoor TV for a covered patio. 

If you’ve taken all the necessary steps and precautions such as placing your TV under a covered patio, setting up a weatherized television cabinet, and purchasing a TV case or cover, MantelMount products make it possible to place your TV at the best height for a comfortable outdoor viewing experience.