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. Our lives have changed greatly over the last few years, and in many ways, people are creating spaces in their homes that can be enjoyed for both entertaining and for family use. One such way that households are transforming their outdoor space is to enhance it with a TV.

But, you might be asking, how do you make an indoor TV an outdoor TV? Or, a question you might be wondering is a screened in porch with a TV is any different to a TV on a patio that’s more open to the elements. Or you may have asked thought to yourself if you need a special TV for the outdoors, or if you can simply put an outdoor TV under a covered patio for added protection. 

We 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 Weatherized TV for Outdoors? How Do You Make An Indoor TV An Outdoor TV?

Although there are methods on how to make an indoor TV an outdoor TV, it’s not recommended by television manufacturers. This is due to variables like exposure to both water and wind, a rogue backyard ballgame element, and gardening tools that can all badly damage a TV. This piece from the New York Times spells out why you might be more susceptible to considering purchasing a weatherized TV rather than chance your indoor TV outside.

Looking to go the route of going for an indoor TV? Regardless of whether you have a screened in porch with a TV or the television is more exposed to the outdoor elements, purchasing a protective covering for your TV screen, like a screen protector with an IP55 grade rating, is an option. What’s more, to protect your TV that’s on a patio, 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.

On the other hand, a weatherized TV comes with some level of protection from the elements and would likely perform well in a backyard or under a covered patio. These special TVs, like ones from SunBrite that are capable of having full sun, partial sun, or shaded exposure, 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, a weatherized TV typically has 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 a screened in porch with a TV. To put a bow on the question of if 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 having a weatherized TV is vital.

How To Weatherproof A TV

Whether you choose to purchase a weatherized 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 its 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. One useful solution to a cabinet or alcove is with MantelMount’s AB40 horizontal adapter that works with certain MantelMount TV mount models. 

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. 

Do none of those options suit your fancy? At MantelMount, we have just the solution: WeatherMounts by MantelMount. Combining a weatherized TV with our Marine Grade 316 stainless steel TV mount will enhance your outdoor entertainment experience so much that you may never want to nip inside.

Why You Need To Invest In A WeatherMount By MantelMount and Weatherized TV

For those intrigued by the idea of having a TV on your patio, mounted with a weatherproof TV mount, there is nowhere else to look than MantelMount. With our WeatherMounts by MantelMount, before going on the market, our team rigorously tested to ensure the outdoor mounts — wherever they are placed in an outdoor entertainment environment — would be sturdy, proven, and long lasting.

So, how did we do it? Well, first off, imagine you live on the coast, whether that is in San Diego, Seattle, Miami, or Virginia Beach. In any of those locations, besides sand, what do you get with beachside or oceanside living? Salt. Because salt corrodes metal, we knew that our WeatherMounts had to be exposed to harsh environments, from any coast, that any San Diegan, Seattleite, Miamian, or Virginian knows far too well. 

Now that you have the picture of why it was important to test our WeatherMounts, here’s how we did it. We conducted a 720-hour salt spray test that incorporated UV light exposure and 24-hour thermal cycling between 60 degrees and 100 degrees. 

In addition to that, the mounts use Marine Grade 316 stainless steel. Why is that noteworthy? That type of stainless steel is known for being corrosion resistant, lending to our mounts being sturdier and more long lasting in an outdoor environment than other non-weatherized TV mounts.

Other Ways You Can Use MantelMount For Outdoor-TV Watching

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

Whether you’re deciding to use a weatherized TV, a weatherized cabinet, purchasing a weather resistant TV along with a WeatherMount, or are hoping for the best and winging it, MantelMount is here to help guide you through TV mounting with helpful and friendly experts. And that’s for inside and outside TV-watching.