TV above fireplace - who has done this?

15 years ago

My husband finally talked me into letting him put our 42" flat screen above our fireplace - Im not crazy about it, but he loves it and if it makes him happy then why not. I was curious as to how many of you also have a tv above your fireplace - if you do could you post pictures of how you have everything set up? Im trying to figure out what, if anyting i should put on either side of the tv on the mantle, and then if i need to put put anything on the bottom ledge of the fireplace.

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Comments (9)

terezosa / terriks
15 years ago
I know that this is becoming more popular, but I think that most of the time it makes the TV too high to watch comfortably.
kec01
15 years ago
Not for us, either, and for the same reason as terriks mentioned.
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I realize the TV over the fireplace has been discussed a lot, but I'm not asking if I should do, I'm wondering what fireplaces people have chosen that have done it (and are happy with it). I'm looking for as short (low height) as possible, but still being traditional with 20" or so of depth, and a brick backdrop and a clean face (linear would be fine but they all seem to be modern, no brick). Any recommendations? Or any good websites to search? I cannot find any fireplace aggregators that offer more than a brand or two, so I'm surfing through dozens. Any advice on what fireplace has worked for you, or website to search? Thanks!
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Some fireplaces are deserving of being called a monstrosity. Our old one certainly was. Bellsmom on the kitchen forum enhanced the monster so you can see it better: I begrudged it taking nearly 4' of depth for most of the width of the room to support its tiny firebox. We considered putting the TV over the fireplace in the remodel, but we wanted wood burning and the low emissions fireplaces are all quite tall. Also, I didn't feel it would be comfortable for me that high and the hood might block some of the viewing area from the kitchen. Post remodel we have a tamed fireplace, definitely not a monstrosity: The new fireplace takes just a small bit at one side of the wall leaving the center to our - horror of horrors! - 60" flat screen TV. We like the size because it makes it easier to read the screen when using it as an internet browser. The large size is also very nice when viewing from the kitchen which is over 20' from the screen: The new fireplace is an EPA Phase II wood burning fireplace. It runs efficiently and produces minimal particulates. Convection air flow around the firebox heats the room nicely and the intake air control allows control of how quickly the fuel burns. We live in an area with cool winters - enough that the additional warmth in the evening is nice since we usually keep our thermostats low. It heats the family room and kitchen nicely and the room is still comfy in the morning. Because it is EPA phase II, it's legal to use on most "No Burn" days. So far we haven't had to buy wood. Our yard and tree trimmers of neighbor's trees have supplied enough.
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kellilou, that is a lovely and interesting floor plan. You're right, you've got a lot going on in that room. Open floor plans are challenging. I can see why you want to put it above the FP, but really and truly before paper goes to reality, you should rig your TV to that height and watch it that way for a couple weeks. I suppose with a few changes you could move the fireplace into the foyer area, which could be very cozy. But of course you are going to want it to be the focal point of your family room. I'm stumped! I would not want to see you move the FP to the the right of where it is now (in the corner) and the TV where the FP now is. We have that situation in this house -- corner FP and no place to put the TV cabinet but on the adjacent wall. Thanks to a very talented and expensive designer, it has been worked out to look good. But it is not optimal!
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modify the built-ins and have the tv installed on the wall. in order to have proper clearance above the fireplace insert, it would mean the tv would be way too high for recommended viewing height. (plus, the tv is too large for that fireplace spot) viewing distance is 8-13' Most people hang their tv's far too high. while seated, 42" from floor to center is optimum height. in order to find out how high you should mount your TV, you need to take the height of your TV (32 inches) and divide it by 2 (which equals 17 inches). Then subtract that from the height of your eye level when sitting down, which is normally 42 inches. So, that means a 65-inch TV should usually be mounted around 25 inches above the floor (to the bottom of the TV). In this case, the top of your TV would be around 59 inches above the floor. Now measure your spot on the fireplace from the floor to where the bottom of the tv would sit. it's a lot higher than 25" or even 42", isn't it? please remove that mantle, regardless of the tv! it's horrible.
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mimi_2006
15 years ago
I was looking at a new construction house the other day and they had it wired for a flat screen above the fireplace. It was not recessed, just a wall to mount the TV so it must be a popular thing to do now. Hopefully you can find some pics for inspiration.

I did a search and came up with a thread on this topic from a couple years ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: TV over fireplace thread
jynxed23
15 years ago
We have a 42". The tv is high but stays out of reach of our toddler. The biggest problem I ran into is the unsightly cable box (in the center).

{{!gwi}}
namabafo
15 years ago
I know I've said this before, but my dh talked me into it, too.

2.5 years later, I still hate it. I've watched it about 10 times maybe--totally uncomfortable for me at that height to sit and watch. If I am 30 ft away in the kitchen, standing, it's ok.

We have a bracket that tilts down only a few inches, so perhaps if you get a bracket that tilts further it would be more comfortable. I know other people have no problem with it..

btw, we had this wired when we were down to the studs in our remodel, so all the equipment is in the office next door,a nd the surround speakers are in the ceiling.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}
texashottie
15 years ago
I've done it. Recessed with trim around it. Cable box and all that other junk is in the cabinetry beside the tv.

Maybe Allison will see this and post. She contrived a neat little get-up where she can pull a "screen" (made of copper?) across the tv when it's not in use so it looks like artwork over the mantle.

It's definitely a challenge to decorate your mantle with the tv over it, because you can't let anything obstruct your screen.
learn_as_i_go
15 years ago
We've had the TV over the fireplace in a niche for 8 years. Never been uncomfortable and no one has complained which is not unusual since every home on our street was built with a TV niche years ago.

Since we have the niche we don't have the same issues w/ decorating the mantle or placement of other equipment (it is under a shelf built by DH). However, in shopping recently for a new TV we noted that it seems very common now to mount the TV to the wall using the bracket that permits movement of the TV in/out, right/left, and slightly tilted; often wires are run within the wall down to the other equipment placed in a cabinet to the side of the FP.

Good luck!
allison0704
15 years ago
Is this a new build or a remodel? If not, you will have a problem with wires, boxes, etc.
mcu12
15 years ago
I've got a 42" TV above the fireplace, and I took down my mantle so that the TV wouldn't be too high, its also on a mount that tilts down, which helps. I've got an armoire nearby that houses the cable box and other components behind closed doors - I got a remote control extender that has an "eye" that relays the signal from the remote to the components inside the cabinet so they are hidden. Works great.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remote Control Extender

TV above fireplace - who has done this?

Comments (9)

terezosa / terriks

kec01

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