Should You Mount Your TV Over Your Fireplace?

At Mercer County Chimney Services, we get asked many questions about fireplace and chimney maintenance and safety. However, one question that comes up more and more often is whether it’s safe to mount your TV over your wood burning or gas fireplace or insert. In this article, we look at the pros and cons of doing so and offer alternative methods to consider.

Pros of Mounting a TV Over Your Fireplace

As we’ll see, the cons outweigh the pros when choosing to mount your TV over your fireplace, but there are still reasons to consider it.

Space Savings

If you live in a small home or apartment where space is at a premium, mounting the TV on the wall makes sense, especially if you have a large TV and don’t want an equally large stand.

Focal Point

Mounting a TV above the fireplace provides a focal point that can tie the room together.

Theater Experience

Many people like putting the TV higher up on the wall because it makes it feel more like a movie theater.

Cons of Mounting a TV Over Your Fireplace

While many people choose to put the TV over their fireplace, experts recommend against it for these reasons.

Possible Heat Damage

A high-quality 4K TV averages a few thousand dollars. If you’re spending that much on a TV, the last thing you want is for it to get damaged. Mounting a TV over the fireplace exposes it to potential heat damage, ruining your investment.

Poor Viewing Quality

Many experts agree that the ideal viewing angle for a TV is 35–45 inches off the ground. This provides the best viewing experience without neck strain from looking too high or low. For most homeowners, mounting a TV above the fireplace is too high for comfortable viewing, especially if you’re spending hours staring at the screen.

Limited Accessibility

Another drawback of putting your TV over the fireplace is that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to access the ports in the back. It’s true that once you have your TV set up, you rarely have to mess with it, but on the off chance you want to hook up a game system or another HDMI or USB device, getting to the ports can be a real pain in the butt.

Cable Management

Few things will make your beautifully decorated living room uglier than cables crawling down the wall from your wall mounted TV. Sure, you can spend extra money to hide the wires behind the wall but getting to the cables if needed is inconvenient.

Things to Consider For Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace

If you’re dead set on putting your TV over the fireplace, here are a few things to consider.

The Size of the Room & Your TV

A large TV in a small room could be overwhelming and throw the aesthetics out of balance.

Type of Fireplace

Some fireplaces emit more heat than others, which could damage your TV over time. For example, electric fireplaces are a good choice because they don’t produce real flames. Gas fireplaces that are properly vented are also good options. Ask your fireplace professional for their recommendation.

Viewing Distance

If you spend hours watching TV or gaming, you could strain your neck and eyes if the TV is too far away or too high.

Power Outlet Accessibility

Finally, if you don’t have easy access to power outlets, you may want to consider paying an electrician to install them below the TV, so you don’t have to run wires all over the floor, which looks terrible and can be a safety hazard.

Alternatives to Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace

Situating your TV over the fireplace isn’t always the best option, so here are a few alternatives.
One option is to mount the TV on another wall in the same room. This gives you the benefits of a higher wall mount without the risk of putting it over the fireplace where heat could damage it.

Another option is to use a TV stand or entertainment center if you have enough room. There are many attractive stands you can get to compliment your decor, and they’re versatile, allowing you to move them around easily when you need to clean or if you want to switch the viewing angle. Finally, if you like the idea of a theater experience at home, you could opt for a projector.

If you have more questions about mounting your TV above the fireplace or need chimney cleaning, maintenance, or repairs, call the experts at Mercer County Chimney Service today at 609-802-5288.