Have you always wanted an outdoor TV but the cost has deterred you? I’ve got a solution for you that you’re going to love! I’ll show you how to install a “regular” TV in a waterproof outdoor enclosure. It’s easy and affordable!
Update
We blew up on social media with this solution to hang a regular TV outside. And we’ve received a ton of questions, comments, and a little hate about this project. I mean it wouldn’t be social media if we didn’t get some negative comments, am I right?! LOL
Check out our most frequently asked questions at the end of this blog post.
A few weeks ago I was hanging outside on our back deck and I thought to myself…” where the heck is Chris” (if you’re new here…that’s my husband).
So, I pulled out my phone and texted him.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who texts their family when you’re both home!
He texted right back and let me know that he was inside watching golf.
What?!?
On a beautiful summer day, my husband was inside watching TV.
Can’t blame the guy…don’t we all do things we enjoy as a way to relax on the weekend?
But there had to be a way we could be together enjoying both the outdoors and watching sports!
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How Can I Hang a TV Outside?
I’ve seen outdoor televisions hung at other people’s homes.
But it is usually in a covered area.
My dad has a TV in his pool cabana/house but it’s not exposed to the weather elements.
Anne has a regular TV that her husband, Kevin built a stand and wood cover for.
He’s pretty handy and loves to do woodworking projects.
Chris & I…well, not so much super handy or good at building something like that from scratch.
I’ve seen TVs hung from the side of a covered pergola or gazebo.
But our pergola doesn’t have wide support posts and it’s metal…so, that wouldn’t work.
So as I sat there considering my options I came up with an idea!
Where Can I Hang a TV Outside?
“What if we hung a TV on the back of our house”?
I wasn’t sure if it was even possible because there would be no protection since it wouldn’t have a roof over it.
So, I did what any good wife would do and I checked Amazon for a waterproof cover.
And guess what?
I found this outdoor TV enclosure.
It wasn’t pretty but it would protect a TV.
Hmm…maybe this could work!
I texted Chris and asked him to come out on the deck because I had an idea.
After I showed him the link on Amazon, he practically jumped up and down like a little kid.
He was so excited at the thought of being able to watch sports outside.
And even more importantly…that I would consider actually hanging a TV on the outside of our home!
We weren’t sure if it would even fit on the house.
We don’t have a lot of “wall” space because our deck is behind the kitchen and there is a wall of windows on one side and the window over the sink on the other side.
There was only one small area that could fit a TV.
A quick measurement and we determined that it would work!
We wouldn’t be able to have a large TV because there wasn’t much space for one but we could at least have one back there.
Can an Indoor TV Be Used Outdoors?
We bought a regular smart TV to hang outside on the back of our house.
We didn’t worry about running wires since we planned just stream the shows we wanted to watch outside.
Regular TVs are much more budget-friendly than outdoor TVs.
You may know how expensive outdoor TVs are if you’re reading this post and have priced them.
Ouch!
So a regular smart TV was definitely the way to go for us!
The 43″ Insigna Smart Fire TV was the perfect size for the 32-44″ Storm Shell hard cover weather protection.
And we lucked out because there was already an outdoor outlet right below where we planned to hang it.
No electrical work needed!
Geez, I wish I had moved that bench and dog bowl when I was taking my “before” photos of this project!
But you can see the outlet cover just to the left of the bench.
How Do You Install a Regular TV Outside?
The TV and enclosure were delivered quickly and the next weekend we got to work installing the cover on the house.
And by “we” I mean Chris!
I was there to take photos of the process and hand him stuff as he needed it.
Because our house is Hardiplank siding with plywood behind the siding we were able to screw right into the house to attach the TV cabinet.
However, after finding the studs behind the Hardiplank, the cover wasn’t laying flat against the house because of the different depths of the siding.
The top of the cover laid flush to the siding but the bottom did not.
Chris was able to easily fix that by screwing shims (pieces of scrap wood) into the siding where the bottom of the cover was attached to the house.
Then, he attached the cover, which now sat perfectly flush against the siding, with the shims in place behind it.
Once the back of the cover was in place, he started installing the wall mount bracket that came with the TV enclosure.
The directions for the Storm Shell cover were super easy to follow…so just follow them step by step.
Chris had it up and ready for the new TV in no time at all!
We were super excited to get that TV attached to the wall mount so we could start enjoying our new outdoor television.
But when we took the TV out of the box…
What to Do if Your TV is Damaged in Shipping?
It was cracked!
The damage must have happened in shipping.
Luckily, although we ordered the TV through Amazon it was from Best Buy so, we were able to go to our local store and exchange it that day.
Phew crisis averted!
LOL!
Once we got the new TV home, Chris quickly and easily attached it to the TV wall mount in the outdoor enclosure.
The wall mount extends and swivels so you’re able to turn the TV in any direction needed.
We have two seating areas so being able to extend and rotate the TV is super helpful.
We can watch TV from our new sectional in the living room area.
Or turn it to see the TV while sitting at our outdoor table in the dining room area of the deck.
When we want to watch TV outside, we just take the front of the enclosure off and hang it on the hooks provided at the bottom of the unit.
Then, just plug in the TV and we can stream anything we want to watch.
And after we’re done, we simply unplug the TV, wrap the cord inside, and cover it back up.
So, easy!
We’re really enjoying our new outdoor TV!
I only wish we had done this sooner!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Storm Shell TV cover is available in four different sizes: 32″-44″, 45″-55″, 56″-65″, and 65″-75″
We’ve left our TV outside year-round without any issues. We live in North Carolina and have had several weeks of temperatures below freezing and the TV has been fine.
We live in North Carolina and regularly have hot and humid summers with temperatures in the upper 90s and low 100s. We’ve never had any issues with it getting too hot inside the enclosure, or condensation forming.
This is the largest size that fits in the space we had to hang it.
There’s a place on the enclosure to add a padlock to keep the TV secure.
We were looking for a cheap way to enjoy having a TV outside. We don’t mind having to plug in the TV each time we want to use it.
My family enjoys watching sports: football, baseball, basketball, and golf. This solution allows us to do what we enjoy while sitting outside instead of having to be stuck inside. We also enjoy movie nights, and this gives us the freedom to enjoy watching a movie under the stars.
Watching TV outside is no noisier than listening to music. We haven’t had any complaints from any of our neighbors.
This weatherproof enclosure allows us to use an inexpensive TV outside instead of spending money for an outdoor TV. This solution is significantly less expensive!
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