You may want to mount your television above the fireplace for many reasons, including convenience, aesthetics, or just the “cool” factor. Although it may be visually pleasing, here are five reasons why mounting your flat screen above your fireplace is a big no-no.
1. Fire + Electronics = Disaster
You’d think it would be a no-brainer, but TVs and other electronics don’t do well with heat and smoke. When exposed to smoke for long periods of time, the screen and internal components of your TV can start to suffer from smoke damage, which can lead to issues with the sound and picture, or result in a total malfunction. Even if you have an electric fireplace, the heat that it puts off can damage the set as well, causing the same problems.
2. It’s a Pain in the Neck
Ergonomics experts recommend placing your TV at eye level for the most minimal impact on your neck and back. Placing your set above the fireplace will result in you tilting your head back to watch, which can result in both temporary and permanent pain. Turning your chin up into an extended position can also cause headaches after a while.
3. Lower Picture Quality
Most flat-screen TVs are meant to be viewed at eye level and are calibrated accordingly. Raising the angle of the TV can cause the picture to appear either washed out or shadowed, depending on your TV.
4. Difficult and Risky Installation
Depending on the material of your fireplace, mounting the TV safely and securely can prove to be difficult. Using brick as an example, you’ll need to use heavy-duty cement anchors to ensure they can handle the weight, which will leave large, ugly holes in your fireplace should you ever decide to take the TV down.
5. Wire Woes
Building codes recommend at least a two-inch clearance between combustible electric wires and a fireplace. Although it may look nice to tuck all of the wires behind the TV, the heat from the chimney could cause damage to them, or even worse, they could catch on fire.
