There is joy in curling up next to a fireplace to watch TV. A roaring fire creates an unrivaled atmosphere on a brisk fall or winter day. However, finding the ideal location to install your TV while still taking advantage of the benefit of having a fireplace can be difficult.
Remember to provide enough space between the furnishings and the fireplace. If it’s too close, it could be uncomfortable for you to sit there; too far, and you won’t feel the heat’s benefits. A decent minimum distance is two to three feet.
Is Your TV Affected by Fireplace Heat?
Your TV may sustain serious damage from the heat your fireplace emits. Suppose your TV is placed too close to the fireplace. In that case, it could overheat, display pictures incorrectly, or even stop functioning altogether. Any fireplace that emits heat could endanger your TV, even though some fireplaces pose a greater risk than others.
- The smoke and soot from a fireplace can potentially harm your television. Heat damages a television if placed too close to a fireplace.
- Even your TV might be damaged by too much fireplace heat.
- Your television could be harmed by smoke particulates.
Open-front fireplaces generate smoke and soot in addition to heat damage. Gas fireplaces can also produce soot; however, they do so more frequently than wood-burning fireplaces.
Things to Take into Account Before Mounting TV Above Fireplace
Although it may seem like a nice setup to have a TV near your fireplace, certain factors influence the success of preventing, at the very least, hassles and, at the very worst, accidents. The TV’s weight, the anchoring mechanism, and the quantity of heat generated underneath are just a few of the items that require careful inspection. Avoid straying too far from the ideal weight and temperature to be safe.
No one solution works for everyone when it comes to placing a device over a fireplace. To achieve the most outstanding results, seek the advice of a specialist and ask about the specific parts of your fireplace. Before putting your TV over your fireplace, keep in mind these fundamental points.
Temperature Prerequisites
It’s critical to remember that if you combine heat with an appliance, overheating may result. You may get around this problem by taking safety measures, such as setting up a fireplace hood to keep heat away from your TV.
Between the TV and the firebox, you should leave plenty of space. It is preferable to leave as much room as possible because the hood and mantel will serve as a safety box for your TV.
To avoid having to worry about your TV melting or overheating, your best alternative is still to switch to an electric or gas-powered fireplace.
Viewing Angle
It makes sense that you wouldn’t want a stiff neck when viewing your favorite program. The size of the TV mount and the distance between your couch and the TV are essential factors to consider.
The distance from the floor to the TV should be about 42 inches for a pleasant viewing angle. You may still want greater distance because staring at the computer directly can strain your eyes.
By installing a full-motion wall mount over your fireplace, you may move it whenever you feel uncomfortable and avoid these problems. This is not advised, though, if your wall is made of brick or stone since it could not be sturdy enough to support the fixture.
TV-related Wall Type
The best way to mount a TV is above regular wood studs covered in drywall, but traditional wood studs are safer if you plan to run cables through the wall. The drywall supports your TV’s weight, which will also facilitate installation.
Having your TV on a brick wall is not recommended at all because of the risk involved and the indeterminate quality of the material. Your TV can come loose and tumble, or it might get too hot and melt. Having a solid wall is essential if you want to keep your fireplace or living space structurally sound.
Develop a Cable Management Strategy
Electric wires are infamous for destroying the visual appeal of a room. Cable raceways are the best option for shielding wires from a fireplace’s heat and preventing dust from gathering. Both a cable raceway and a bridge system that extends the cable wires behind the wall can be used to conceal them.
The color of your walls might be used to paint these raceways to create more visually coherent space. Consequently, they won’t detract from the appearance of your living space and will blend in with it. So that you may still enjoy warmth and convenience while maintaining an intimate, cozy ambiance, neatly tuck them behind the hearth.
Where Else Can You Put the TV With A Fireplace?
There are various methods to reorganize your space such that the furniture arrangements are more practical for everyone if your brick wall cannot support a TV.
Having additional TV locations can provide you the chance to make your beautiful fireplace the focal point of your living space.
Across the Fireplace
Your TV can be positioned directly across from the fireplace on a console. This will shield your TV and prevent it from dominating your living space.
As you watch TV, if you want to catch up on your favorite show, this placement will also allow you to take in the ambiance of a warm fireplace.
Beside the Fireplace
A more practical solution would be to put the TV close to your fireplace. If you’re concerned about competing for focal points, you can construct a cabinet just for the TV and store it there when not in use.
If it’s feasible, you may also make a TV fixture recessed into the wall. This will make your arrangement more integrated and prevent it from competing with the fireplace.
How Far Should A Fireplace Be From A TV, At A Minimum?
A TV must be at least 20 inches from a fireplace when the mantle is present. A minimum of 7-8 inches should be left between the TV and the top of the mantel. Making sure the TV is at the optimum viewing height is just as crucial as choosing the perfect TV size for your wall. Typically, this is 42 to 48 inches, although it can be as high as 65 inches. Uncomfortable and perhaps painful for the neck is a TV that is too high or low.
After reading your TV’s instruction booklet to determine the operating temperature, start your fireplace with a roaring fire as usual. Then measure the temperature while taping a thermometer to the wall where the TV will be placed. Move it up if it’s too hot based on the operating temperature of the TV. Additionally, ensure you can see the TV from your sitting without squinting. The further your seating area may be, the bigger the TV can be.
How To Choose The Right Size TV For Above A fireplace?
It doesn’t matter where you put your TV (fireplace or elsewhere! ); just make sure it’s around two-thirds the width of the furniture that will hold it to the wall. Measure your mantle before selecting a TV that will fit roughly two-thirds of the mantle when you hang it over the fireplace.
When considering what size TV to install over your fireplace or in your home, keep the following general criteria in mind:
Use the two-thirds rule when choosing your Frame TV if it will be placed over a media cabinet or fireplace. Never go more extensive than the mantel or cabinet below it. A 55′′ or 65′′ would look ideal, for example, if your console is 75′′ broad.
Design-wise, having a TV the same size as the furniture under it is not ideal. Leave at least 6′′ of space on all sides. Since we added sconces, we now have 15′′ on either side. Remember that the width is not the same as the TV size! The TV’s diagonal measurement is referred to as its size. To see how wide each TV is, scroll down.
Divide the distance (approximately) between you and the TV by two if it is mounted on the wall rather than over furniture. Therefore, a 65-inch TV would look the greatest at most if you are sitting 120 inches from the TV.
Reasons To Avoid Mounting A Television Above a Fireplace
The height and angle of viewing may not be accurate
Refer to your TV’s handbook for instructions on how high to install your TV above a fireplace. The ideal viewing angle and the recommended distance from the screen should both be listed in the instructions. When you are seated and facing the screen, the center of the image should typically be at eye level. If your fireplace isn’t shallow, its height will probably interfere with the TV’s ideal viewing height and angle.
The TV might not fit in the available space.
Typically, mantels for fireplaces are between 4.5 and 5 feet tall. In a more recent development, 9 feet tall is the typical ceiling height. Therefore, if you want to avoid having the TV look crammed into the space, you won’t have much room to work with for a TV between the mantel and ceiling. Of course, the size of your TV is a factor. However, mounting a giant TV over the fireplace might not be a good fit for individuals who like one.
Flames could interfere with your viewing experience.
A good home theater experience can be ruined by ambient light and noise from the neighborhood. There’s a chance that a fireplace screen won’t be enough to eliminate the disturbance. And even a tiny fireplace licking flames stand in for light and action. So placing a TV above a fireplace is probably not the ideal choice if you prefer an uninterrupted viewing experience.