The Goodwill or Salvation Army

I know, I know.  They are not the most prestigious of retail outlets.  But you want inexpensive, and these are about as inexpensive as they get.  The cool thing about these places, besides being cheap, is that you might be able to find some interesting vintage tv stands.  Something with character and a little bit of wear might be perfect for your loft or fixer-upper.

Liquidation Sales

The economy is rough, and with a rough economy comes bankruptcies and store closures.  That means there will be more and more bright yellow signs highlighting liquidation sales.  When Circuit City closed its doors, there were some excellent deals on modern tv stands and accessories.  Keep your eyes open for these.

Bulk Resellers

By bulk resellers, I basically mean companies that buy items in lots and thus get a much cheaper price which they can pass on to you.  Check out Big Lots or The Dump if there is one in your area.  You can pick up some nice stuff for a LOT less.

Online Retailers

Don’t count out the online retailers.  Sites like Target, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Ikea have great deals and even greater deals on special occasions.  You just want to avoid furniture and electronics retailers if you want inexpensive.

Craigslist or Freecycle

No list of inexpensive sources for household items would be complete without mentioning Craigslist and Freecycle.  People often sell tv stands on Craigslist for next to nothing because they want them out of their house.  On Freecycle, people do sell tv stands for nothing because they want them out of their house, or to have another life with a loving family

Build your Own

If none of those options work for you, you might just want to build your own.  You can find plans online for building a basic stand, and add your own enhancements along the way.  This will only cost you materials and any equipment you don’t already have.  Of course, it might cost your some sweat and maybe some blood and tears if you miss a nail, but it is often worth it.  You get a stand for your tv, some room in your budget, and pride knowing you built it yourself.

Measuring

When building custom tv stands, the first step and most vital is making sure you measure properly.  Ideally, you will already know where your stand will reside once finished and you can base your measurements on that location.  If you’re not sure were it’s going to go, you best bet would be to base measurements on the size of your TV, adding an additional 30% in width and depth for growing room.  Here you are primarily concerned with three dimensions:  width, height, and depth.  Make sure you add additional depth for wires, and additional height for shelves if you intend to house any media controllers below the TV.

Estimating Materials

Once you have the basic dimensions of your stand, go ahead and draw a sketch of it on paper.  This will help you decide on the look of your stand, and features such as shelves.  Then, you will need to measure out each piece based on your drawing.  You will want to plot these on grid paper or a computer in order to figure out how many board or sheets you will need to purchase on your trip to the hardware store.  Don’t forget to account for things like cabinet hardware and trim.

Deciding on Materials

If you are going to commit to a building project such as designing a custom tv stand, you are going to want to use quality materials that will not break down or wear out over years of use.  Most quality commercial tv stands are built out of solid hard woods, such as birch or oak.  You could use a partical board material, such a melamine, but over time you may end up with sagging shelves or premature wear relegating your hard work to the city dump.  If at all possible, buy your wood panels in standard sheets.  You can make your shelves out of the scraps from those sheets, and you will save money by cutting it yourself.  Lastly, if you intend to paint your tv stand ultimately, it will not matter if you are mixing woods.  You might consider going with cheaper woods for the portions that carry less weight.

Cutting

One of the most important steps in the process of building a tv stand is cutting out the pieces.  The old carpenters adage of “measure twice, cut once” certainly applies here.  I suggest using a table saw for cutting, as it is nearly impossible to get a clean and straight cut otherwise.  Pull out the document or computer diagram where you drew out the pieces on the wooden board.  Measure and cut the sheet long-ways first.  The short cuts will be easier and you will likely have spare board if you mess up on them.  But do your best not to mess up the long cuts.  A pencil is helpful to mark key cut lines, and it can be erased or painted over later.

Assembly

The key to assembly is glue - wood glue.  You can’t nail straight if your pieces aren’t stable and in proper position.  Therefore, it is necessary to set every piece with glue first, then use pin nails to secure the boards.  A nail gun is more than helpful here. Also, it looks unprofessional if you have any cut edges showing, so you will want to measure and cut trim pieces to cover them up.

Finishing

To make your tv stand look like tv stands you see at the neighborhood furniture store, you need to add a few finishing touches.  First, you will want to sand any rough places, specifically edges that are sharp or fresh cut.  Sand with a circular motion or use a rotary sander; use fine hand-held sandpaper for hard to reach areas or detailing.  Second, doors are a nice touch and I would suggest purchasing pre-crafted doors that fit your stand.  The hinges and magnets can be bought at any hardware store.  Finally, you will want to either stain or paint your tv stand.  Stain will usually look nicer, but know that you will see the wood grain showing through and thus you will need to have built your stand with the same wood type throughout.

With that, I bid you good luck.

Quality and Durability of Corner TV Stands

The best way to measure the quality and durability of any product is to know what it is made of. If you are buying a wood tv stand, you will want to know if it is particle board or solid wood. If it is soft wood like pine, it can be dented by the vacuum cleaner whereas hardwoods will not. Obviously, hardwoods will last longer than particle board. The same goes for metal stands. Steel will last longer than aluminum, but both are very durable. The quality and durability of your corner tv stand can be measured by the quality of the materials used to build it.

Décor and Corner TV Stands

TV stands can be bought in any style, today. From Louis Philippe to ultra-modern. The trick is knowing the style that you use in the room where you intend to put this stand. Even if you have an eclectic taste in style and want the room to just be comfortable, there is a stand for you. If you do not have any particular style in mind then you should try something in a light-colored wood. That goes with nearly any room. Whatever you do, think it through a little before you buy.

Does it fit?

With corner stands you have to ask yourself that question twice. Once about whether or not the stand will fit nicely into the corner of your home and once again about whether or not it is big enough to hold your television. You are going to want to measure the corner and tv to get your answers. Make sure the surface is longer than the tv just to keep it from rubbing the walls around the stand. Usually you should allow 4-6 inches so that you will have a couple of inches of space on either side of your television.

Once you have answered all of these questions, you should be able to find several corner tv stands that match your needs. The quality of the stand you buy should be the thing in the front of your mind, followed by budget. Paying a little more to get a product that will last longer is the key to saving money in the long run. Hopefully, this post has helped you make an informed decision on the tv stand you choose to compliment your television set.

Contemporary Bush TV Stands

The Napa TV Stand can hold up to a 27 inch traditional television or a 37 inch flat screen. It is in a light cherry finish, comes with rear access for wiring, and an adjustable shelf. The pull out drawer features a slide with ball bearings for longer wear and easier use. The contemporary look can fit into many different decors and the quality of this model offers a long life.

The Sonoma 60 Inch Flat Panel TV Stand can hold up to a 36 inch standard television and a 60 inch flat panel tv. It features 3 tempered glass doors that offer adjustable shelving for video or audio equipment. The mocha cherry finish should fit into nearly any room quite nicely.

The Savannah corner tv stand holds up to a 36 inch traditional television and a 42 inch flat panel. It features two glass doors for component access, rear wire routing, and 6 drawers to let you store your cds and dvds. The space saving design holds up to 240 lbs. The dark cherry finish will accent most light colored rooms and other dark furniture, nicely.

Modern Bush TV Stands

The Raptor Video Game Station can hold a 42 inch flat panel television or a 36 in traditional TV. This model features notched doors so you can have the wires for your controllers out without exposing the entire game system, two tempered glass doors, and a drawer with a drop down face for easy access to your game console. The Quest Video Game Station is another ultra-modern cabinet, but this one uses wood and plastic to pull off its unique look and style.

Another of the Bush tv stands that is modern looking is the Segments Swivel 50. Most 50 inch flat panel tv’s will mount to the Segments Swivel as long as they weigh 117 lbs or less. When mounted the tv can turn a maximum of 10 degrees to either side. This model has been thoroughly tested to make sure that it will not tip.

Bush tv stands come in a large variety of styles for you to choose from. The main reasons to choose a Bush product over the many other brands available are quality, style, and function. All of their products deliver on these points. As an added bonus, there is free shipping on some products and no sales tax in 49 out of 50 states. Kansas is the only exclusion. Bush offers good quality furniture at low prices with free shipping and no sales tax. What else could you ask for?

Corner vs Flat Wall

One of the first things to consider when searching for a TV stand is the location.  Where you intend to place the television is important to determine before you get to the store.  For instance, are you going to go with a corner stand or place the tv against a flat wall?  Choosing a corner for the television could save you valuable space in the living room.  However, if you have a large flat panel screen, putting it against a large empty wall may be ideal.  Think through your intended location for the television and imagine…

Set Depth

Another important point you’ll want to take into account during your shopping excursion is the set depth.  The modern trend for plasma and LCD television sets is to make them as thin as possible.  If you intend to purchase one of these sets, you do not need a stand with much depth at all.  In fact, you might want to go with a slim stand which protrudes only a few inches from the wall.  Your living room may look unbalanced otherwise.  However, if your set still uses a large tube to project the image onto the screen, it is necessary to get a good idea of the set depth before heading to the store.  Be sure the leave an inch or two for cables or cords when calculating your measurements.

Weight Requirements

Just as important as set depth and your intended location is the weight of the set.  All TV stands are not constructed the same.  And all do not hold the same weight.  Determine how heavy your television is and make sure the set you go with can handle that amount of weight.  It would be unfortunate to come home from a long day at work ready for a weekend of college football on the tube only to find you’re new HDTV shattered into several pieces amongst the heap of plywood which used to be your tv stand.

External Units

Now this is an important one.  Make sure you take into account all of the other devices that you intend to attach to your television now and in the future.  Will you need space for game systems, DVD or Blue-Ray players, stereo equipment, external speakers, or laptops?  Do you need just a stand or an entertainment center?  Make sure you think ahead.  If your children aren’t yet old enough to play video games, they soon will be, and they will certainly want to plug them into the “big TV” from time to time.

Accessibility

Cords, cables, antennas, inputs, - will you be able to get to them?  Nothing is more frustrating than when you have your television on its stand pushed back against the wall in the perfect place - and then you need to get behind it to plug something in.  In many cases, you end up struggling either to pull that heavy set out from the wall or to stuff your hand behind it at just the right angle to get the cables into the appropriate position.  This can easily be remedied by purchasing a TV stand with enough room for easy access to the rear panels.

Term of Use

Also vital is the estimated term of use for the stand itself.  If you wish to keep this television stand around for several years, it is important to pay attention to the construction.  A cheap stand is fine if you only intend to use for a short time.  Maybe you want to mount the tv on the wall next year when you have some time.  If however, you want to pass this stand down to your children one day, a furniture quality stand may be a better fit than composite wood or aluminum TV stand.

So the question remains then:  why do these low-quality, cheaply-made, snap-together tv stands cost an arm and a leg and maybe even a big toe?  The answer, my friend, is the same as it is in real estate: location, location, location.

Consider the situation:  You just bought your shiny new Samsung 50-Inch Plasma HDTV, and your about to wet yourself with excitement.  You somehow get that thing home, thanks to your brother-in-law who curses the day he ever bought that F350 longbed.  You break your back and his trying to get that acward yet massive box into your house, uncrate it, and regret sincerely that you didn’t just pay the guy at Best Buy to deliver it.  So, your starting down at it and then up at the wall you’ve set aside - it will be the center-piece of your entire world.  And then it sinks in.  How are you ever going to hang that beast on your pristine living room wall?   You look over at your brother-in-law to ask his advice, but he has already checked out (he can read the tea leaves, oh yeah).  So, you decide after much internal debate - that you might just be better off for the time being to get yourself a nice, cheap tv stand.  Nothing fancy, just something to put the tv on, after all who’s going to be staring at the tv stand when you have a 50-Inch Plasma HDTV directly above it?  So, you return to Best Buy (or whatever electronics store you bought the plasma from).  They have two stands that may hold your tv.  One is perfect, and it is $800.  The other is of questionable quality and may collapse under the weight of your collosal television, but it only costs $650 so you go it.  On the way home, you are either praying that your tv survives once you set it on top or you are calling your brother-in-law again to return for another back-breaker.

Now, what have we learned from this?  Brothers-In-Law are useful in some cases? Yes.  Always pay for the delivery? No doubt.  Never buy a tv stand from an electronics store?  Now you’re catching on.

Electronics stores do not specilize in furnature, so your best prices are not going to be there.  In addition, they have a captive audience.  You just bought a freakin’ huge tv from them.  Why not just get the stand while you’re there.  Finally, since they aren’t primarily selling tv stands, they are only going to have room for a few of them, leaving your selection minimal at best.

Bottom line:  Forget buying a tv stand at an electronics store or general retailer.  You will get the best prices at a store who specilizes in furnature or online (watch the shipping).

Before you get out that circular saw and duct tape, here are a few things to consider when building your own TV stand.

1.  Start with a Guide

 Often the instinct is to start measuring and create a design from the measurements.  This is problematic in many ways, but suffice it to say that you would be better off starting with a some sort of template or guide.  If you have schematics for the TV stand you want to build, perfect.  If not, find a set of plans that are close to what you want to build.  Then measure and make modifications to those plans based on the measurements of your specific media system.  Sites like buildeasy.com and diynetwork.com have free plans of commonly built items, as well as tips on how best to approach the project.

2.  Purchase, Rent, or Borrow the Correct Equipment

Having the right equipment can make a project easy or extremely difficult.  Consider trying to tighten your bicycle wheels without a torque wrench - it may well be impossible depending on the type of bike you have.  For instance, trying to cut wood planks evenly with a hand saw is much more difficult than when using a circular table saw.  And trying to paint without using an appropriate grade of sand paper first will leave you with less than stellar results.  Do a bit of research online or at your local hardware store to find out what tools are needed for your project.  If you cannot purchase them outright, inquire about renting them or ask your brother-in-law to borrow his.  Attempting to build a custom TV stand with just a hammer, nails, and few two-by-fours could leave you frustrated and less a few hours of your life.

3.  Ask for Help

Don’t be a hero.  In projects like this, where something of value is being built that will be a visible element of the family home, pride is always involved.  Often the builder hopes to work in secret, under cover of night, to construct a masterpiece to be unveiled at a ceremonial time of his choosing.  Well, you can certainly do that, but you risk much.  Especially if this is one of your first construction projects, seeking advice or assistance from others more experienced at this type of work could pay off significantly.  Another hand for steadying a wood beam - another eye for ensuring a proper cut - these are indispensable in emerging with piece of furniture you can be proud of.  And even with the help, people will still know who thought of it

Tidying Cables

We have a love-hate relationship with cables.  They are necessary, but no one wants to see them.  I long for the future where everything is wireless, but I digress.  Keeping cables organized and out of the way is common to owners of electronics everywhere.   One thing to keep in mind when searching for a way to deal with the rats nest is that you need be able to add and remove cables at will.  Don’t go for a rigid solution which is difficult to adjust later.  You will certainly have a cable go out or need to add your son’s new game system just after you get everything situated.  With that said, you might want to try Zip ties.  You can get them at Wal-Mart or your local hardware store in a case of 50 or more.  They are easy to implement, hold cables together well, and you can replace them easily when you have to add or remove something from the cable structure.  Another option might be to use a PVC pipe to run the cables from the set to the power supply or other devices.  You can get PVC in colors that may blend with your TV stand, and you could even slice down the length of it for easy access.  If neither of those work, try looking at a specialty shop, like the Container Store, for cable ties or similar items.

Dusting

Another common concern amongst TV owners is the dust that inevitably collects on the TV stand, particularly if it is made of a tempered glass material.  Accumulating dust in unavoidable, as the television creates a static charge which draws in dust like a magnet.  One solution may be to wipe the screen down with a dryer sheet to neutralize the static, and leave your TV with a fresh clean smell  Next, wipe the stand down with a damp cloth or a swiffer duster.  This way you are not just throwing dust back into the air for it to land again on your TV set.

Cleaning Glass

Finally, as most media centers include something made of glass, we must address glass cleaning.  To clean the smudges causes by fingers and such, try using a solution of one cup each of rubbing alcohol and water, with a tablespoon or two of vinegar.  To fix a chip in the glass, try one of the auto windshield repair kits.  They use a resin which seeps down into the chip and seals it off, often appearing completely unnoticeable.

Broken Glass

In the scenario we outlined above, you have been left without glass doors on the front of your entertainment center - not the best look.  In order to replace the doors, your first place to look would be the manufacturer of stand in question.  This is going to be your cheapest option and will result in a perfect fit - no measuring required.  Most manufacturers will have replacements available for order on parts - such as glass - which may break or wear out over time.  Your second option, though significantly less desirable, would be to contact a local glass company.  You should be able to locate one through a web search or the phone book in most urban areas.  When you co-opt a company to replace your glass doors, it is critical that you get the measurements exact, in all dimensions.  Let them come out and measure if possible.  You will also want to keep the metal hardware from your broken doors, such as the hinge pieces and the magnetic plates, so you can reattach the doors when your glass arrives.

Cleaning Spots

Another common ailment affecting TV stands over time are spots and stains.  Particularly on a wooden stand, some spots can be very difficult to remove.  Your first option would be to use a stain remover.  On wood, try a combination of linseed oil and salt, or for tougher stains try 1-part petroleum jelly and 2-parts turpentine.  Remember to test your mixture on a small hidden area before use.  If that doesn’t work, more drastic measures must be taken.  You can opt to strip and re-stain it.  This will leave the wood grain in place and make your stand look brand new.  You can also choose to go darker with the stain, though lighter may be more difficult.  Remember to sand thoroughly before you attempt to refinish it.  If that seems like too much work, you could always paint it a color darker than the spot.  This will not be nearly as elegant, but for a game room or spare bedroom, it may be all that is needed. 

Scratches

“What if my media center is just scratched?”, you ask.  Well, there are several ways to fix a scratch depending on its depth.  For very small surface scratches, try rubbing the meat of an oily nut (walnuts or pecans) on the scratch.  The oils will coat the scratch and lessen its appearance.  For shallow scratches, apply paste wax with a No. 0000 steel wool pad.  For deeper scratches, try using one of the wax sticks you can buy at your hardware or furniture store specifically for patching wood furniture.  If neither of the options above work for you, it may be time to look at doing a full refinish job.