Home audio & video: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace?
- 2/27/09 2:41 PM
mounting a TV over a fireplace
by deniseroundy - 2/21/09 7:19 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Thank you for asking this question, as I have the same one.
However my fireplace is all brick (not sheet rock).
Do I put the mounting brackets in the brick or in the mortar?
TV vs Fireplace
by l8rb - 3/8/09 1:29 AM In reply to: mounting a TV over a fireplace by deniseroundyMy history: over 10 years as a pro installer.
Considerations:
1) HEIGHT...of mantle versus seating position and distance. This will determine how high above the mantle you will need to mount for visual 'clearance' as well as determining whether you need a standard 'tilt mount' or a modified version...nobody likes a sore neck. Also look at depth of mantle for clearance of heat moving up from the face of the fire opening: I usually recommend 3 or more inches outside of the deepest point on tv for wood or gas. Electric systms can be more lenient since they usually include blowers.
2) MATERIAL...finding studs in sheetrock is usually simple, but panelling, brick, rock, or stone (even faux)can make this very difficult. If in brick or stone derivatives, plan on needing specialty hardware installed into solid surface...NOT MORTAR! That can be a lot of weight pulling on lightly glued sand. If you do have studs to work with, be prepared for the possibility that they may not allow you to place the unit -exactly- where you want it side-to-side.
3) Lastly, but no less important: WIRING...Your new tv needs a source of some type, and that can range from one to fifteen various wires NOT including power. National Electrical Code does not allow standard power cords to be buried in the wall...consequently you may need to hire a qualified electrician to install an electrical outlet behind the proposed tv location, or plan on concealing it otherwise on the exterior of that wall. Most installers can find a way to conceal the feed wiring, but that can incur specialty charges for custom tracks, carpentry work, and definitely much longer wires than your average tv salesman will talk you into taking with you -- not his fault, he hasn't seen your home and usually has never done an install outside of the false wall at the store -- his job is to sell you what he can while you are spending.
Bottom line is: there are many considerations in this endeavour (especially if you add multi-channel audio and a consolidated remote into the mix!) that are not noticed by anyone involved in this process until the day the installer arrives. Whenever possible it is always a good idea to spend a few dollars beforehand (some may refund or adjust this charge if doing the work) to have an installer assess what can and cannot be done with your specific arrangement BEFORE you fall under the salesman's chant of "WE can do ANYTHING!"
Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace?
by Frankdreef - 2/21/09 7:26 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We have 52 inch Pioneer Plasma monitor over our 4'8" gas fire place. The screen is located about 1'4" above the fireplace and is mounted in a recess. The type of fire place does not give that muchof convection heat at the front. I would prefer a recessed mounted screen which lookd really nice. Ours we mounted on a bracket that allows to turn it and pull it forward (this is mainly helpfull for cabling et cetera) During normal use (watching TV:) ) we do not turn or pull the monitor in any direction and it gives perfect visibility from all angles. I would check the convection temperature of the air flowing upwards along the wall and communicate that with the supplier of the monitor.
Flat Screen Over Fireplace
by soundgardner - 2/21/09 7:26 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am a contractor that does allot of home theater projects. We install flat screens over fireplaces from time to time, but one must be careful to work within the guidlines of the building codes. Wires cannot be too close to the flue or their insulation can smolder & melt. You need to use a mounting bracket. A less heavy screen will obviously need less anchorage, try to hit the studs as often as possible & use heavy duty anchors into sheetrock. Use fasteners with good shear strength. Fireplaces that do not draft well may have smoke and heat drift up to the unit and over time kill it, but I have yet to see this happen. Take into consideration that plasmas are heavier & can run hotter than LCDs when making your decision.
Mounting Flatscreen
by ben2003 - 2/21/09 7:44 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It's probably not a good idea to expose your screen to heat,remember hot air rises.When mounting your screen it's best to fid a wall stud by tapping gently on wall until you find a spot that sounds solid,then,using a small nail,drive it in,if you get wood,then you know that you have found the wall stud,there should be one evey 16"
It Worked For Me
by Hal_9001 - 2/21/09 7:53 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I placed a 42" plasma above a "vent less" fireplace in my living room. It's been there for 3 years ... viewing angle is a little high but the higher viewing angle gives it a cinemanic effect.
flat screen over fireplace
by cody 55 - 2/21/09 7:53 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a 50 in plasma mounted over my fireplace, it sits on a mantel, no mounting brackets or nothing.
I checked the temperature before installing for weeks above the mantel and it was the same temp as the room with the gas fireplace going. I have had no problem as it has been there for almost a year now.
Hey looks good and blends right in as my surroundings on the firplace are black.I bought a plasma for action movies and nascar, each to their own.If you stand directly in front of the screen within 3 to 4 feet the screen is blurry, but who watches a big screen tv that close,unless you are cuddling up to the fireplace.Hey works for me
Check the temperature first
by MarkLatarnik - 2/21/09 7:55 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It all depends what fire place you have. I hope that this is not the only source of heat for your whole house, taking 17 big logs every day.
Try hanging wall thermometer where that screen could go, run fireplace for four hours or so, close windows to eliminate air movements and take a reading. If the area is hot to too to touch, place is not suitable.
Many electronic devices have warnings in a manual stating safe operating temperatures. There is also possibility of installing hidden fan inside a mantle to blow colder air from outside, or at least from the colder side — under the screen. Electronic devices are not protected from condensation of water from the air, so check whether colder air from outside, when mixed with moist inside, does not cause condensation. That could cause serious damage to circuit boards.
It's all worth it because large screen over the fireplace looks very nice.
Fireplace Mount
by buddmargolis - 2/27/09 10:23 PM In reply to: Check the temperature first by MarkLatarnikUnless you watch TV standing up, why would you mount a TV above a fireplace? The light from fire also means your eyes could be strained, the heat generated from the fireplace means you have to sit further away. HD TV's can be best appreciated when you are close to them, further away and it will be hard to make out the detail. Also, if sitting on a sofa you have to look up at the TV. I know fireplace mounting is popular, I just think its not the best place for a TV.
Don't cut out sheetrock!
by danxt - 2/21/09 8:09 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Barbara,
I'm sorry to say that I cannot speak as to how the heat escaping from the fireplace will affect your tv. However, having been in construction my whole life, I can tell you that you do NOT want to cut out the sheetrock. Use the brackets that you can buy with your TV, and just make sure that they get screwed into studs (you can buy a studfinder at your local hardware store for about $15, and its a good tool to have anyway). The sheetrock is not just a finish layer to make the walls look nice, it is also a fire/heat stopper. Most modern gas fireplaces do not have a traditional chimney made from brick. Instead, there is the firebox which then has a sheet metal flu that either vents directly out the side of the house (a.k.a. "direct vent fireplace"), or it goes all the way up and above the roof. When the house is built, there is a chase framed in so that this flu can run down the center of it. Fire codes all over the country require the inside of this chase to be lined with sheetrock (in many places 2 layers are required) to contain any fire breaches in the sheet metal flu. The sheetrock on the wall over the fireplace is not part of this chase, but leaving it there is a good idea, because it keeps an extra barrier between the heat of the fire going up the flu, and the TV. Also, removing it would detract from the overall insulation value of your home.
Again, just be sure that when you install the bracket, the screws go through the sheetrock and into the wood studs behind it.
Dan
St. Louis, MO
mount flat screen over my fireplace
by wm6fwayne - 2/21/09 8:25 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Heat kills.....I would not do it. Find a safer more secure place. Let the fireplace do what it was designed to do.....create heat.
Regards, Wayne
Probably not a good viewing position.
by fkolcz - 2/21/09 8:29 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Most A/V experts would advise you not to do this and so probably would your doctor. The mounting position over most fireplaces is too high for comfortable viewing. You're liable to get a permanent krick in your neck!
Heat is the killer of electronics
by johndouglaselliott - 2/21/09 8:51 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Place thermometer above the fireplace and monitor the temperature for a while. In general for electronics:
Above 85 def F. = NO
Below 75 deg F. = Yes
In between: The hotter, the shorter the lifetime of the screen.
Also go on the internet and check the manufactures specifications for temperature. Go to the Product support section and locate the manuals for a given model.
It Depends
by media_decor - 2/21/09 9:40 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This is probably the most common place flatscreens are mounted today in the home. The issue is heat from the fireplace. Most (not all) fireplaces have a mantle above them which protrudes many inches into the room.
When the heat emanates into the room it rises and it is deflected away from the wall above the mantle into the room. The best way to determine if a wall mounted flatscreen is subject to excessive heat is to put a digital thermometer above the mantle at about the location of the front and center of the TV screen.
Start the fireplace at full blast or whatever setting you normally use it at. After about 30 minutes check the temperature. If it is above about 93 degrees F, do not use the TV if the fireplace is being used. If you MUST use the TV is this situation, then some type of forced air ventilation should be used to deflect the heat from the fireplace.
Mounting the TV inside the wall above the fireplace will look better and usually avoids the heat issue. Since the flue for the fireplace is typically well insulated, heat from the inside wall is minimal in most cases.
By building a finished recess or niche at least 3 inches wider and higher all around the TV, there should be adequate natural air flow around the TV. Also, now the TV is further away from the heat radiating into the room. If necessary, it is easier to incorporate a vent system in the niche.
If you recess the TV, be sure to use a licensed contractor familiar with local fire codes.
It matters little whether you use an LCD or Plasma TV.
is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace?
by Larry W. Young - 2/21/09 9:41 AM In reply to: Is it safe to mount a flat screen over my fireplace? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I going to make is short and sweet! Unless your fireplace was specifically designed to accommodate a flat screen television, don't do it!
Several years ago, to be exact six (6), I purchased a 50" Pioneer Elite Plasma Television. This television listed for over $17,000.00 thousand back in those days, and I wound up paying over $12,000.00 thousand, which included $1,050.00 for installing it. At the time I purchased it, in my opinion, it was the best plasma television on the market. And I spent over two (2) years researching every large screen plasma television that was available at the time.
I had just built this $500,000.00 home and had visions of a plasma television hanging over the mantel on my brick fire place. However, when I discussed that matter with the two technicians, from HiFi Buys, they told me they would not recommend installing it over the fire place, if I ever entended to use the fireplace, because the Plasma televisions could not take a lot of heat.
One of the things I discover during my research of plasma televisions, was they all have to have cooling fans that assisted in keeping the plasma television cool.
I don't know about a LCD large flat screen television, but if it were me, I would never think about hanging a flat screen over my fireplace, because of the heat factor.
Anyone with any engineering knowledge, will most likely advise you not to hang or mount any flat screen television over a fireplace that you intend to use for heating purposes.
If you are shopping for a plasma, in my opinion a plasma has the best quality picture available on televison screens 50" and over, listen for the cooling fans. If you hear them running in the store's showroom, don't buy that television.
Heat is a killer for plasma televisions!
I hope this little bit of information will assist you.
Sincerely,
Larry W. Young
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