Best Practices and Tips for Building a DIY TV Lift Cabinet using Touchstone TV Lifts

Modified on Thu, 20 Mar at 5:01 PM

The most frequent question that we get after customers purchase their Touchstone Home Products TV Lift is, “How do I build my cabinet?” The following is a list of best practices and tips for planning your TV lift cabinet build:

Difference Between Flat Top Lid Mount and Hinged Lid Mount

Touchstone TV lifts can be used in cabinets with a flat top lid or a hinged lid. Below is an explanation of the differences between each option:

Flat Top Lid
A flat top lid attaches to the top of the lift and raises along with the lift. The lid will always be visible above the TV when the lift is raised. A flat top lid mount is needed to attach the lid to the lift. The Touchstone SRV 32800, 32820, 33900, and 33920 TV Lifts all come with flat top lid mounts. A flat top lid mount must be purchased separately for use with Touchstone Whisper Lifts - Whisper Lift II PRO (23401 and 23501) and Whisper Lift XL PRO (23601 and 23602) TV lifts.

Hinged Lid
A hinged lid is attached to the cabinet and is pushed open by the lift when the lift is extended. The lid rests on the back of the lift when the lift is extended. When the lift is retracted, the lid automatically lowers due to gravity and the retraction of the lift. Hinged lid cabinets require a lid roller attachment for proper operation. The Touchstone Whisper Lift II PRO (23401 and 23501) and Whisper Lift XL PRO (23601 and 23602) TV Lifts all come with a lid roller attachment. A lid roller must be purchased separately for use with the Touchstone SRV 32800, 32820, 33900, and 33920 TV lifts.

**The Touchstone SRV 32820 and 33920 are not compatible with hinged lid cabinets.**

Cabinet Size and Minimum TV Lift Opening

A popular question we receive after customers purchase their TV lift is, “My TV is X inches diagonal. What dimensions should I make my cabinet?” The answer is not in the cabinet size but rather in the length and depth of the TV and the dimensions of the TV opening.

First, you will need to determine the width, height, and depth of your TV without the TV stand attached. You can find this by measuring the TV or looking at your TV owner’s manual for this information.

After you determine the width, height, and depth of the TV, you can plan the size of the minimum TV opening in your cabinet. The minimum TV opening should be as follows:

Minimum Length of TV Opening (left to right of TV opening):

Length of TV plus 1” (example: 57” long +1” = 58” minimum opening length)

Minimum Depth of TV Opening (front to back of TV opening):

At least 8” plus the depth of your TV (example: 8” + 3” TV depth = 11” minimum opening depth)

Cabinet TV Opening Height and Overall Cabinet Height

The overall height of your cabinet and the height of the TV opening in your cabinet will depend on the height of your TV and whether you are using any components. All Touchstone TV lifts have an extension bracket on the top of the lift that can extend the minimum retracted height of the lift. Below is a chart to determine the minimum height of the TV opening in your cabinet:

Flat Top Lids:

Lift Model Number	Retracted Height With Top Bracket at Lowest Point	Retracted Height With Top Bracket at Maximum Extension	Minimum TV Opening Height
23401/23501	30 ¾”	34 ¾”	31 ¾” to 35 ¾”
23601/23602	39”	43”	40” to 44”
32800	27 ¼”	37 ¼”	28 ¼” to 38 ¼”
32820	27 ¼”	37 ¼”	28 ¼” to 38 ¼”
33900	31 ½”	41 ½”	32 ½” to 42 ½”
33920	31 ½”	41 ½”	32 ½” to 42 ½”

Hinged Lids:

Lift Model Number	Retracted Height With Top Bracket at Lowest Point (With Roller)	Retracted Height With Top Bracket at Maximum Extension (With Roller)	Minimum TV Opening Height
23401/23501	32”	36”	33” to 37”
23601/23602	40 ¼”	44 ¼”	41 ¼” to 45 ¼”
32800	28 ¾”	38 ¾”	29 ¾” to 39 ¾”
33900	32 ¾”	42 ¾”	33 ¾” to 43 ¾”

The TV opening height should not be more than the travel of the lift plus the extension bracket (and roller if attached) on the top of the lift. The travel of each lift is as follows:

Lift Model Number	Lift Travel	Extension Bracket Height	Roller Height	Max TV Opening Height
23401/23501	36”	4”	1 ½”	41 ½”
23601/23602	48”	4”	1 ½”	54 ½”
32800	28”	10”	1 ½”	38 ½”
32820	28”	10”	1 ½”	38 ½”
33900	39”	10”	1 ½”	50 ½”
33920	39”	10”	1 ½”	50 ½”

The thickness of the wood you are using will determine your overall TV cabinet height.

Access Panel for Lift Electronic Parts

(Control Box, Wired Controller, Power Supply)

All Touchstone TV lifts come with a control box, wired controller, and power supply. You should have access to these components at all times, even when the lid and the doors of the cabinet are closed. Please mount these components in an area where you will be able to access them when the cabinet lid is in the closed position. Either store them behind doors that open/close or behind an access panel. This is an electric lift and cannot be operated manually if there is no power.

TV Lift Controls/Lift Automation

Touchstone TV lifts offer different methods for controlling the lift. The following are the different ways the lift can be controlled:

Wired Controller:

Every Touchstone TV lift comes with a wired controller that attaches to the lift control box. This controller allows you to raise/lower the lift and set the memory settings. When planning your TV lift cabinet build, be sure to create an access port for this part, as it will be needed for troubleshooting and resetting the lift.

RF Wireless Remote Control:

Every Touchstone TV lift also comes with an RF wireless remote control. This allows you to control the lift from the other side of the room. RF stands for radio frequency, so there is no need to plan for an unsightly infrared eye on the outside of your cabinet.

Touchstone Fireplace Mobile App:

Touchstone TV lifts can be controlled through the Touchstone Fireplace Mobile App. Simply pair the lift with the Touchstone Fireplace Mobile App, and you can raise/lower the lift by pressing a button on the app. You can also pair the lift with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and control the lift with just your voice!

RS232:

RS232 is a standard for serial communication transmission of data. Touchstone TV lifts come with an RS232 port to connect directly through high-end third-party automation systems for controlling the lift.

Components and Component Wire Management

Due to the motion of the lift, the TV cables (HDMI, power, etc.) need to be able to move freely and must not bind up the lift. We do not recommend zip-tying wires together and fastening them to the cabinet. They need to move freely as the lift moves.

There are different add-on component shelves available depending on the lift model:

The SRV add-on component shelf is designed specifically for SRV 32800, 32820, 33900, and 33920 TV lifts.
The Whisper Lift add-on component shelf is designed for Whisper Lift II PRO and Whisper Lift XL PRO TV lifts.

Both shelves attach to the lift and move up and down along with the lift and TV. The wires from the TV to the components on the shelf can be tied together, and only the cables from the shelf to the outlet need to move freely. The shelf provides easy access to components, mounting directly below the TV on the lift.

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