How to Build a TV Lift

Firgelli TV Lift in Action

How Do You Make a TV Lift?

Firgelli Automations TV Lift Kit has two different types of TV lifts available.  There is a rear mounted TV lift and a floor mounted TV lift.

The video above shows a rear mounted TV lift but the installation and operation is exactly the same for the floor mounted lift.  Why would you choose a floor mounted vs a rear mounted TV lift?  Simple. Some applications do not have a cabinet to install them into, or sometimes the cabinet is an odd shape.  The photo below shows a floor mounted TV lift because the shape of the cabinet does not have a flat back. 

How Do You Install the Lid onto a TV Lift?

After you deicide which type of lift to use, you need to need to consider what type of lid you want with your TV lift cabinet.  There are two basic options, a flip back hinge lid or a fixed lid as shown below.

Flip back hinge lid method

In the first option as the TV lift raises out of the cabinet the roller fixture on the top of the lid flips back a cabinet lid that you would have installed in your cabinet and is hinged at the back of the cabinet. This is the most common method and is demonstrated in the video above.  The benefit of this method is that if a child leaves their fingers at the top of the cabinet as the TV lift is lowering, then only the weight of the lid is felt by the child which acts as a good safety mechanism.  Both our TV lift systems come with this roller top fixture. The downside of this style of lid is that if a cup of coffee has been left on the lid and the button is pressed to lift the TV up into sight, then the cup will get thrown backwards and cause a mess. 

Fixed lid method 

There are two ways to have the lid raise up and down with the TV lift.  The first method is to directly attach the lid of the cabinet to the top of the TV lift mechanism.  We DO NOT recommend this method although we have seen this widely adopted. The danger is that if a child leaves their fingers or if an object falls between the opening as the lift is lowering down then it acts as a scissor and can cause some damage. Even with the built in electronic overload protection our systems have, it can take a second before this method kicks in and causes damage. The benefit to having a fixed lid is that if you have objects that sit on top of the lid such as a vase or ornament, this will simply lift up with the TV lift and will not fall over as it would if it was sat on top of the flip back lid type.

The Best Way to Install the Lid on a TV Lift

The second method and the best way we have found to install a fixed lid to the top of the TV lift is to use strong off the shelf magnets attached to the bottom of the cabinet lid. This is the method we use for our Outdoor TV Lift Cabinet shown below.

Using magnets to connect the lid of the cabinet to the top of the lift offers a few benefits you would not normally think of:

1. The lid automatically disconnects if something gets in the way
2. If power goes out and you need to access the inside of the cabinet you can simply lift the lid off the cabinet to gain access. The only force required is to overcome the weight of the lid and force of the magnets. Adding more magnets adds more force.
3. You don't need to perfectly align the top of the TV lift mechanism with the bottom of the cabinet lid. When the TV lift is lowering, the lid can disengage when it is in its flush position but the lift can continue to drop further if required. See image below

This method can also be used very effectively for granite counter tops. We tested this with a granite lid that weighed approx. 80lbs.   We used four rare earth 1" diameter magnets and this held onto the TV lift mechanism without any problems.  Below is a picture of the inside of the cabinet lid used on the Outdoor TV Lift Cabinet. As you can see the four magnets are screwed into position using wood screws and these four magnets then align perfectly with the four corners of the TV lift system. 

Where are TV Lift systems currently used?

Our pop up TV lifts are suitable for home automation projects where you would like to keep your TV hidden out of sight, either in a cabinet, wall or behind something. These are very easy to install and include everything you need to attach your TV.

Firgelli pop-up TV lifts can be found in yachts, RV’s, modern kitchens, patio’s, stages, home theaters, and more all across the globe. Below is the HGTV show, House Crashers, showing how they used a Firgelli lift for not only a pop-up bar, but also a back to back TV lift out of a cabinet.

How House Crashers Built a TV Lift and Bar Lift

Firgelli pop-up lifts are rear mounted, with vibration absorbing legs which sit on the ground to remove reverberation, however a floor mounted bracket is also offered and can be used for convenience.

All of our TV lift apparatus’ come backed by our 5 year comprehensive warranty.

Below are the specification for the exact TV Lift mechanism used on House Crashers.

Model:  FA-TVL-170-24-25  -  FA-TVL-170-24-30  -  FA-TVL-170-24-36

Features and Benefits

• 135 lbs. total lift capacity 
• Internal limit switches automatically shuts off the unit at the end of stroke - this protects you and your equipment from possible damage.
• Mount your PVR/DVD player etc. to the TV mounting bars - included. Watch this video to see how to attach any electronic box.  
• Lifts any TV size from 20 inch to 70 inch or up to 135 lbs weight - Gives you more flexibility.
• Input 100 - 240V, 50/60Hz, 1.5 amps
• Output 29V, 2.5 amps
• Travels 25 inch, 30 inch or 35 inch  - You select the size based on your TV size or however far you want the TV to pop-up into view. 
• Maintenance free - Gives you more free time to do more important things
• CE and RoHS certified - for extra comfort knowing they are certified for safe use.   
• No exposed chains, tracks, gears or scissors - Watch the product video you cannot even see the mechanism when installed. 
• Extra quiet, uses a worm gear drive system commonly known as the quietest system in the industry - Runs at only 5-dB above Ambient
• Comes with RF and wired remotes - No excuse for loosing a remote now. 
• No professional installation required - No need to hire an expert, if you are capable of installing a TV wall bracket then you are qualified to install these TV lifts.

TV Lift Specifications

Technical Drawings