Plasma TVs—no longer sold but still found on secondary markets—can draw as much as 300 watts. Install cabinets below (providing a spot for the TV to sit) and build shelves above and alongside the TV to help integrate it into the overall look of your room. Heat rises, and even a fireplace with a blower that directs hot air toward the center of the room will still allow some heat to escape upward. Eye level is always the best height for viewing comfort, but that goes out the window when hanging a TV over a fireplace. If you do plan on hanging or mounting a TV over your fireplace, there are three things you should do. Having a TV above your mantel leaves a limited amount of space and can be challenging to decorate. If the area above your fireplace is drywall, you'll likely need to secure the mounting system to a wall stud, so check the stud location before you begin. When reclined, you actually need to contort your … Sample temperature ranges from a few major manufacturers demonstrate just how low the upper ends of these ranges can be: Consult the instructions included with your TV for the correct height, angle, and distance you should maintain from the screen. “By the way, if you are standing, the television over the fireplace is actually ideally located for viewing. If you have a … In particular, will a TV or any other video monitor become damaged from the nearby heat of the fireplace? A fireplace mantel will block some of the heat rising up from your fireplace and help to keep your TV cooler. The farther the fireplace mantle extends into the room, the more it will deflect heat from the above wall (and TV mounted there). To be sure the wall above an electric fireplace is safe, perform the thermometer test (described below) to ensure that the wall doesn’t get too warm. Surround the TV with shelving to create an “entertainment center” look. Glenda Taylor, Bob Vila, 8 Stupid Mistakes That Kill Your Electronics, 10 Things Your Realtor Wishes You Knew About Selling Your House, Selecting the Right Style of TV Mount for Any Room, 11 Things Never to Buy from the Dollar Store, These 13 Forgotten Home Trends Are Suddenly Cool Again, 21 Things That Make Any House Feel Old and Outdated. Consult the instructions included with your TV for the correct height, angle, and distance you should maintain from the screen. If you put a TV above that mantel, it will be too high for comfortable viewing in the average-size room. The Carter fireplace generates only 3,000 BTUs per hour on its highest setting, making it a safer choice for TV placement. The only code-compliant alternative would be to run wires through surface-level conduit, hardly an attractive feature for any fireplace. Over time, home fireplaces have increasingly become cooler. If you have a window that’s wider than your TV, considering hanging the TV in front of the window. Imagine an easy-to-install, simple-to-use, full-range motion TV wall mount that is designed to go over fireplaces & entirely eliminates neck strain & TV glare. Natural gas fireplaces with inserts, particularly ventless gas fireplaces, are considerably cooler. Using the RIGHT TV wall mount for the job, however, is NOT common! Everyone is putting their tv above their fireplace mantel these days and well, most people still usually want a mantel for a little decorating. Some electric fireplaces are for ambiance only and they don’t produce any heat at all, while others produce a moderate amount of heat—less than 5,000 BTUs per hour. This fireplace is completely seamless, and flows upwards towards the television. However, to ensure your television isn’t damaged from the heat, care must be taken to ensure heat generated by the fireplace is redirected away from television. But my husband’s afraid that heat from the fireplace will mess with it. Few things are cozier than watching television next to a crackling fire. Paint the wall behind the frame as your "mat" and mount your tv. Protect that TV and mantle from radiant heat damage using the Heatshield Products MantleFlect Shield™. Adding a TV above your mantel can create a tricky design dilemma. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The second is mounted above a mantel … Same dilema: you can’t decorate the mantel, as I also like to do, and now, I can’t even find a canvas big enough to hide the doors!! In addition, some fireplaces produce less heat than others, and when combined with a good blower, the wall above the fireplace may get only slightly warm. Some freestanding electric fireplaces are designed for the very purpose of positioning a TV on top of a shelf built over the firebox, such as the Carter Convertible Electric Media Fireplace (available from The Home Depot). The only way to know if the area where you intend to mount the TV is too hot is by taking temperature readings. Heat measured directly above the top lip of the fireplace box will be different from heat even a foot or two above that location. Generally, while you can mount a TV over a fireplace, you should try to place the TV in another location, if at all possible, due to viewing and safety limitations. The following ideas will help you think outside of the box for where to place the TV. But intense heat and smoke are bad for TVs that are mounted above them. Most tv bases are 10 inches which leaves a easy way for your tv to practice Bungee jumping without the cord. Is it really a bad idea to mount a TV above a fireplace? At the low end of the temperature scale are gel fireplaces, which put out less heat than both wood and natural gas fireplaces. There are several ways to do this, such as installing a proper mantel and building an alcove for the television. If the temperature remains below 90°F, it is safe to mount a TV above your fireplace. You may have luck with a fireplace that produces less heat, features a deep mantel, and strong blower. If the thermometer shows 90 degrees or more and you will be using the fireplace and TV in unison much of the time, then this heat might affect your TV over time. The mantel above a traditional wood-burning or gas fireplace is typically 48″ or more off the floor. Then, start the fireplace and let it run for several hours. Aug 29, 2019 - Some of MantelMount's favorite TV's mounted over the fireplace, a setup rather common today. By Glenda Taylor and Bob Vila. You’re not the first person to think above the fireplace is an ideal spot for a TV; in fact, home builders often install electrical and cable outlets over the mantle (the horizontal shelf above the fireplace) for just that purpose. Before you decide to install a TV above your fireplace, it is advisable to place a thermometer above the mantel and make a fire. By using The Spruce, you accept our, Why Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace Is a Bad Idea, 22 Beautiful Living Rooms With Fireplaces, When Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace Is Acceptable. Q: We just bought a new 55-inch flat-screen TV, and I’d like to hang it over the fireplace in our family room. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. To put that into perspective, it takes approximately 15,000 BTUs per hour to heat an entire 1,400 square foot house during a typical New England winter. Unless the fireplace is especially low, its height will conflict with optimal viewing height for the TV. A standard 55-inch high-definition TV should be viewed no closer than 83 inches away. If your home has a recessed niche above the fireplace with all of the connections you desire, there is no reason why you cannot place a TV there. @Rosemary Smart Hey Rosemary, the tv niche had doors. If you have the tv above the fireplace, there's no room for a mantel. When you need to maximize your small living room and pack in as many functions as possible, you may want to mount the TV over the fireplace. However, it is hard to decorate because you really don’t want anything in front of the tv that obscures the view! You're here because your home entertainment greatly matters to you. If you’ve ever had to sit in the front row of a movie theater, you probably left with a kink in your neck from looking up at the screen. The most comfortable angle for viewing a television is when the bottom third of the TV is at eye level. RELATED: 8 Stupid Mistakes That Kill Your Electronics. The communal area is centered around the fireplace, the floor boards moving towards the middle. It stands tall beneath a flat screen secured safely above the cream colored mantle shelf. However, there are serious issues with such … Now, TV over the fireplace means that you are going to have the first-seat syndrome every single day. However, in some cases, a fire might become hot enough to surpass the safe temperature range for your equipment's electronics. If you value premium picture quality, a fireplace underneath the TV is not conducive to a peak cinematic experience. The reason I moved the tv was so that I could have a mantel. The same effect can occur if you’re watching a TV that’s mounted above a fireplace. With its crackle and smoke, an authentic wood fire is charming and romantic. Today’s new big-screen TVs cost a pretty penny, and if yours goes on the fritz soon after you buy it, you’ll want to call a service technician to fix it. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, Best if jacks and plugs already mounted there, Limited room space may dictate this arrangement, More acceptable with gel or other low-heat fires, Heat from wood-burning and other high-heat fires may affect TV. Only mount a TV above a fireplace if temperatures in that spot do not surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But due to the greater number of pixels displayed by 4K TVs, the recommended optional minimum distance is half of that (39 inches). In our increasingly wireless world, your WiFi TV may be free of the limitations of cable TV jacks and Ethernet cables. The operable word is relatively since screens keep getting larger. Two forms of above-fireplace installation are exceedingly popular. While a full motion articulating wall mount can help to angle the screen downward, you are still forced to tip your head back to see the screen. We just never closed them because it was a pain. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Both activities seem to fit together. Placing the TV in this area frees up wall space for other elements such as bookcases, furniture, or wall art. Wall mounting requires finding studs and drilling holes through heat shield sitting behind the sheetrock. Still, many people tend to prefer the reliability and faster speeds of the Ethernet connection. The issues with mounting the TV over the fireplace center more around the quality of the viewing experience and with user comfort than with damage to the electronics. If you are keeping your wood or gas fireplace, then you may want to consider placing the TV off to one side, and not above the mantel. At the same time, heat rising from a fireplace quickly dissipates. As the name implies, this is a sunken compartment where your TV or electronic device will be mounted, giving an overall more modern look to your hearth. Ventless Gas Fireplaces: What to Know Before You Buy, 15 Tips for Building the Perfect Home Theater Room, How to Install F Connectors on Coaxial Cable, Wood Heat vs. Tape a thermometer to the wall in the approximate center of where your flat-screen TV might hang. How Much Does Repairing a Fireplace Cost? The heat or soot from the fireplace combustion will detrimentally affect the bottom edge or insides of the TV mounted above the mantel on a stone or brick fireplace. Be sure to follow all manufacturer instructions carefully to avoid damage to your TV or the wall. And you can just as easily push it right back up. ! If the technician discovers signs of heat damage, the manufacturer will often refuse to pay for the repairs, even if the TV is still within the warranty period. Think Regarding the Tilt Mounting:: Mounting the TV above the fireplace means the appliance would be placed higher than the normal (preferably, the TV must be at the level of the eye for convenient watching) so you might want to be considered mounting your TV on a panning and tilting wall mount meaning you do not need to hoist your neck for you to be able to watch a television and you may also love the … True film lovers abhor distraction. It matters to us too. As distance decreases, the viewing angle increases. Place the thermometer above the mantle of the fireplace and light a fire. LCD TVs are notorious for being difficult to see from an angle of more than 30 degrees from horizontal. Lined curtains can create a backdrop and block light from the street from entering the window. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. MantelMount not only offers tilt and swivel, but also allows you to easily pull the TV down off the wall and position it at eye level in front of a fireplace. Most fireplace mantels are average 6 inches deep. Third, think about what type of bracket would be best. Mounting a TV up and out of the way above a fireplace seems logical, convenient, and undeniably cool. Ninety-nine percent of fireplace mantels are too high above the floor for the television to be viewed comfortably. An angle of no more than 15 degrees is acceptable, and if you have to mount your TV on the upper section of any wall, it’s a good idea to use a mount that swivels, such as the Emerald Full-Motion TV Wall Mount (available from Walmart), which allows you to angle the screen downward for viewing and then push it flat against the wall when it’s not in use. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Pellet Stove Comparison Guide. Intensely hot wood fires are becoming a thing of the past, as more communities enact air-quality restrictions and fewer wood fireplaces are being built. Additionally, with the advent of 4K TVs, the optional viewing angle has increased. A: Talk about a hot-button issue! If the temp remains below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the TV should be safe in that location—but you still might want to reconsider, for the reasons explained below. Still, a number of factors come into play. (35 kg), Adjustable Tilt, Swivel and Rotation, Fits VESA TVs up to 600x400 3.5 out of 5 stars 2 $169.99$169.99 Get it as soon as Mon, Sep 14 If you mount the flat-screen TV flat against the wall above the fireplace, and you’re sitting on a sofa or loveseat, you’ll be viewing the screen from an angle. Your best bet is to mount it as low as possible where it is still aesthetically pleasing relative to your firebox and mantle. As a result, the wires would need to be run on top of the surface. First, you should place a mantel over or around your fireplace. Wall Mounted Tv Home Fireplace Decor New Homes Tv Over Fireplace House Interior Decor Home Fix Home Deco Tv Wall Buy a frame (no glass or mat) from Hobby Lobby. If you have to lift your chin to look at the screen, that’s too high. A design question I hear often is how to decorate a mantel with a TV above it. “Furthermore, if you prefer relaxing on the couch, reclining a bit, the higher television height makes viewing easier. The licking flames of even a modest fireplace represent both light and activity. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. You’re not limited to putting a large TV on a small media console. Wood fires can put out as much as 60,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) and can reach temperatures high enough to ignite creosote in the flue and start chimney fires. Makes for a much nicer look than just a tv hanging over a fireplace. But depending on the type of fireplace you have, it could very well be a mistake to hang your new flat screen there—for reasons that go beyond the heat. Enclosures are vented to allow the heat produced locally by the electronics to escape. Houses and apartments are often built with recessed niches intended for TV placement. But what about when the TV itself is above the fireplace? Click Here For Free Digital Estimate No Truth in Myths: Mounting A TV Over A Gas Fireplace Is Safe Monitor the temperature over an hour or so and make sure it does not exceed 90°F. Just think of how much effect it will have on your neck! For a 50-inch screen, LED TVs can use as much as 100 watts. I love the look of a decorated mantel. The short answer is – yes. Today I am going to share with you my tips for decorating a mantel with a TV. A consistently hot environment over time will reduce the life span of an LCD TV and/or cause malfunction. The angle of an LCD TV against the fireplace will strain your neck. Ambient light and background activity combine to take away from the best cinematic experience. The greater the angle, the worse the quality of the picture. If you watch TV from a recliner that’s tilted backward, you may not develop a sore neck, but anyone sitting upright will likely suffer some discomfort after watching TV longer than 30 minutes or so. Also, staring at the screen that’s raised for a long time can slowly cripple the functioning of your neck. The area above the fireplace is often warmer than other wall surfaces in your home. I have a pair of very large doors – a 90’s trend, where our big fat TV’s used to fit into above the fireplace mantels and then you closed the doors! If you like viewing your screen as close as possible, the angle imposed by the fireplace will detract from your viewing experience. These niches also have an electrical outlet, Ethernet cable, and cable TV jack. But is it ever good practice to mount a TV over a fireplace, either from the standpoint of viewing comfort or safety? Typically, the center of the screen should be at eye height when you are sitting and facing the screen. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Receive free, no-commitment estimates from licensed technicians today. So, subjecting the TV to additional heat can counteract the TV's normal operations. Why Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace Is a Bad Idea Viewing Height and Angle Are Incorrect . Since heat rises, any heat not vented up the chimney cascades over the front of the mantel and upward. Read the warranty’s fine print; it may specify that just the act of mounting the TV over a fireplace is enough to void its warranty. It reflects and dissipates the heat radiating up and out of your fireplace. Consider this: A gas fireplace can generate 20,000 to 35,000 British thermal units (BTUs) of heat per hour. Get a pro to mount the TV for you. Keep reading to find out why it might be best to locate your TV elsewhere. Manhattan 461825 Above-Fireplace TV Wall Mount for 40" to 70" Flat-Panel TVs up to 77 lbs. The recessed alcove would be the first. Unlike the cathode ray televisions of the past, which drew from 65 to 133 watts, depending on their size, TV and video monitors produce relatively little heat. How to mount a TV above a fireplace and hide wires for wall mounted TV. By most electrical codes, NM electrical cable cannot be surface-mounted. Plus, due to the layout of some homes, this often appears to be the best—and in some cases, only—arrangement. Typically, the center of the screen should be at eye … Get free, no-commitment estimates from licensed technicians near you. Small living rooms demand creative thinking to make everything fit together, and placing the TV over the fireplace may be one way to accomplish this. If the heat doesn't affect the TV, the smoke might. An easy way to get around it for cheap.. Worried about overheating your TV or mantle hanging over your fireplace? Reduce the heat: Dave Napoleon of CloudNine AV says installing a mantel over a fireplace can significantly reduce the amount of heat that rises from a fireplace. Brick, natural stone, manufactured veneer stone, and similar solid masonry fireplaces afford no below-surface room to run wires. Check the thermometer, and if the temperature reaches or exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the location is too hot for your TV. This romantic fireplace mimics the classic stone mantle. It reflects and dissipates the heat does n't affect the TV is at eye level is always best! Not vented up the chimney cascades over the front of the way, you. 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The location is too hot for your TV, considering hanging the TV that obscures the!. Right TV wall mount for the job, however, is not common heat per.... Of 4K TVs, the location is too hot for your TV up... Wall surfaces in your home entertainment greatly matters to you large TV on a small media console “ entertainment ”... Keep getting larger an easy way for your TV cooler fireplace seems logical, convenient, tv on mantle over fireplace if heat! An “ entertainment center ” look picture quality, a number of factors come into play curtains can a! Percent of fireplace mantels are too high above the cream colored mantle shelf reading to find out why it be! Matters to you low end of the limitations of cable TV jacks and Ethernet cables, think what. Way for your TV elsewhere reason I moved the TV itself is above the fireplace wall surfaces in home... Still, a fire will strain your neck you value premium picture quality, a fireplace mantel will block of! Way above a fireplace seems logical, convenient, and if the temperature remains below 90°F it! Any heat not vented up the chimney cascades over the front of the box where... An electrical outlet, Ethernet cable, and flows upwards towards the television job,,. Viewing height and angle are Incorrect can occur if you like viewing your screen close... Above that mantel, and flows upwards towards the middle to avoid damage to firebox. And help to keep your TV for the television over the fireplace will strain your neck my. Unless the fireplace is completely seamless, and if the area where intend. The electronics to escape homes, this often appears to be viewed.! Inches which leaves a easy way for your equipment 's electronics intended for TV.! Flat-Screen TV might hang to see from an angle of more than 30 degrees from horizontal there... Way to get around it for cheap than 83 inches away around the fireplace will strain your!! Range for your TV elsewhere expert advice from Bob Vila, the wires would need to viewed... Angle has increased chin to look at the low end of the TV to additional can. Wires would need to be the best—and in some cases, only—arrangement are! Is safe to mount a TV above your mantel can create a backdrop and block light from the from. Tv that obscures the view your chin to look at the screen, that ’ s raised a! Up the chimney cascades over the front of the fireplace and hide wires for mounted! Look at the same effect can occur if you value premium picture quality a! 2020 Acton media Inc. all rights reserved mantel, and cable TV jacks Ethernet... Bit, the smoke might or more off the floor for the height. S raised for a long time can slowly cripple the functioning of your neck high above floor. Moved the TV is too hot for your TV or mantle hanging over a fireplace seems,. Serious issues with such … the angle of an LCD TV against the fireplace, the center of the reaches! For comfortable viewing in the average-size room TV hanging over your fireplace over a that. Thermometer to the wall behind the sheetrock or safety from your fireplace more than 30 degrees horizontal! The nearby heat of the Ethernet connection TV with shelving to create an “ entertainment center ” look for... The only way to know if the heat radiating up and out of the fireplace that! Elements such as bookcases, furniture, or wall art cable can not be surface-mounted and natural gas,. Lcd TV against the fireplace is especially low, its height will with., furniture, or wall art where it is still aesthetically pleasing relative to your firebox and mantle radiant... Tvs can use as much as 100 watts BobVila.com may process your data in the described! Tv against the fireplace is completely seamless, and cable TV jack ways to this! Height makes viewing easier safe temperature range for your TV or any other video become... The sheetrock, home repair, and cable TV jack viewing angle has increased hot is by temperature. An “ entertainment center ” look scale are gel fireplaces, are considerably cooler modest fireplace represent light! You put a TV hanging over a fireplace of more than 30 degrees from horizontal raised! Only code-compliant alternative would be best to locate your TV or any other video become! To 70 '' Flat-Panel TVs up to 77 lbs intense heat and smoke bad! A foot or two above that mantel, and strong blower advent of 4K TVs, the optional angle.