Should you mount the TV above the fireplace?
By Pro Install Greg · Updated · 3 min read
You can mount a TV above a fireplace if two things check out: the wall above the mantel stays cool enough while the fire is lit, and the screen will not sit so high that everyone watches with their head tilted back. Check the heat with your hand or a thermometer during a fire, and measure the height from the sofa before you commit.
Key takeaways
- Heat rising off the firebox is the main risk; most TV makers list a maximum operating temperature in the manual.
- A deep mantel deflects much of the rising heat away from the screen.
- The center of the screen above a fireplace usually ends up well over seated eye level, which strains the neck over long viewing.
- A tilting or pull-down mount angles or lowers the screen to fix most of the height problem.
- Brick, stone and tile surrounds need masonry anchors, and drilling into the chimney flue itself must be avoided.
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The heat check
Light the fireplace and run it for half an hour, then hold your hand flat against the wall where the TV would go. If it is too hot to keep your hand there comfortably, it is too hot for electronics. A thermometer gives you a number to compare against the operating temperature in your TV's manual. Gas inserts and wood fireplaces vary widely, and a deep mantel makes a large difference.
The height problem, and how to fix it
For comfortable viewing, the center of the screen sits roughly at eye level from the seat. Above a mantel it rarely can. Three ways to deal with it:
| Mount | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Holds the screen flat to the wall | Low mantels and rooms where seating sits far back |
| Tilting | Angles the screen down toward the seating | Most over-fireplace installs |
| Pull-down | Lowers the screen in front of the mantel to eye level | High mantels and rooms used for long viewing |
What the wall is made of
Over a fireplace you are rarely drilling into plain drywall. Brick, stone and tile surrounds take masonry anchors set in a hammer-drilled hole, and the anchor goes into solid material, not the mortar joint. Behind the surround is the chimney: a mount needs solid fastening points without drilling into the flue.
Every TV mounting job over a fireplace starts with that check — height, heat and surface — before a single hole is drilled.
Hiding the cables
A TV above a fireplace has a long cable run down to the components, and a dangling cord is the first thing the eye catches. The options, from a paintable raceway to a proper in-wall kit, are in our guide to hiding TV wires.
