Can You Put a TV Over a Fireplace?

To help you out, for this week’s blog we’re taking a look at the issue of whether it is safe to have your TV mounted above a fireplace – or if you should find somewhere else to put it… While TV’s and their stands are very streamlined these days, you might think freeing up that extra bit of floor space would open your room up further.

While TV’s and their stands are very streamlined these days, you might think freeing up that extra bit of floor space would open your room up further.

Coming home on a cold day to sit around the fire and watch your favourite film? Coming home on a cold day to sit around the fire and watch your favourite film? Smaller fires also mean you can leave more space before you hang the television, so could also be a good option.

Electric fires, meanwhile, come with an effect-only feature, so you can enjoy the flame display without the heat. You could, if you really wanted to mount your TV above your fire, measure the heat produced in that spot with a thermometer. Placing the TV higher up the wall might help you find a cooler spot, but be aware this could make viewing it more difficult – more about this below! If your TV instructions specifically warn against placing too close to your fire, then you probably won’t be covered if a fault does occur.

Kicking back on the sofa and watching your TV while the fireplace flickers might look comfortable. If you put it higher, you will need to sit further back to be comfortable – which may only be possible if your room is the size of a cinema!

Verdict: Above the fireplace might not be the most comfortable place to position your TV – make sure you are happy with it before fitting it. You need to think about how far away the nearest power outlet and aerial is, and how an extension cord will be run to this point.

Some drilling into the wall will be required to keep the wires concealed – or, some strategically place ornaments can help disguise them. Verdict: Be aware that you might not be able to fully conceal all of the TV wires, which could make your fireplace look cluttered. Finally, many people argue that the angle you will be looking up at your TV from will reduce the picture quality. Verdict: Picture quality shouldn’t be a big issue if you use a manoeuvrable wall bracket.

Big rooms need a higher heat output, meaning you need to be extra careful about how close you place your TV to the fire. might be best, as you can always turn the heat off and still enjoy the flames Widescreen shaped fireplaces are better suited, as they leave you more wall space to position your TV

placed between your fire and the TV can help stop the heat from damaging it Always check yourself first – read your TVs safety instructions and test out whether your room is big enough You can even find TV mounts that pull out, so you can still get that cosy feel around your fireplace when you want to watch your television.

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