apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i think this is a time when a little $ spent in hiring a pro will reap valuable rewards. when we bought our tv for above the fireplace (we actually mounted it on the brick... because the brick goes all the way to the ceiling), we used the service that the place we bought it from (crutchfield.com) recommended. they farm out the installation to local companies so maybe you could call/email them for the name of someone in your area.

There are a few great places to check out. First off I would suggest you take a little time to troll the threads over at AVSForum.com. There is a TON of great information throughout the board relating to just this.

As far as buying the mount itself:
monoprice.com has some very affordable mounts.
mountsdirect.com has a huge selection.

Do you have a wider shot of this room? You can (possibly) mount the TV to the wall without the heat getting to it. Want a real professional answer? Call the local fire department, or go over there and ask them in person.

Your other issue is where to put all the stuff you connect to it. I'm guessing those are shelves on either side. The wires hanging down/over aren't exactly attractive. I'd suggest checking on the heat thing, then buy a couple of accessories (not candles !) to hide the wires.

I think this is one of those things best done by the pros.. its a heavy and expensive TV, not a painting.

Outside of your heat concerns, take the viewing angle into consideration before mounting - many over-the-mantle mounts are actually too-high for comfortable viewing. You don't want to feel as if you're straining your neck to look up at the TV.

Over the fireplace is definitely too high; it should be placed no higher than the brick. I think you're just goint have to make an executive decision here: watch TV or use the fireplace. Additionally, you have to worry about how to deal with your peripherals like the cable box, TiVO, DVD player, etc. But perhaps it's not a total loss... you could still play a DVD of a flickering fireplace.

Get it really drunk.

Save the money you'd spend on a mount and installation and design a really beautiful deeper mantle and fireplace surround. Then just set the tv there on its stand it comes with. You might even be able to hide the wires if you plan them into the design of the mantle.

Might be a little bit more work but I love fireplaces (and am not a huge fan of mounted tvs).. I have serious fireplace envy!

I agree with eebnyc. My solution was to build out the mantel and create a shelf fo the tv. I have a pics of what I did if you are interested.

you could consider a ceiling mount.

basically a support arm attached to the joists in the ceiling and the a bracket which attaches to the t.v.

Have you been to Ikea? Their t.v.s that show product demos, etc. are mounted with these types of brackets.

I bummed I don't have the contact info handy but they are a company based in the US and you can order from their website. The manufacturer's label is on the bracket (at Ikea) if you want to find out.

The advantage of mounting the tv from the ceiling and off the wall, in my opinion, is that it wouldn't be affected by the residual heat that is building up in the flue behind your wall.

This is a relatively simple task if you have two people are slightly handy. First, the television is not too high on the wall, especially if the couch is back 10 feet or more. Second, make sure you get a good tilt mount, which will make up for any height issues by tilting the tv downwards. Third, the heat is not usually a problem, but as someone above sugested, look at the AVS forum. You can kick up a roaring fire and tape a thermometer to the wall and test the heat gain. And, even if you show too much heat now, installing a larger mantle will alleviate the problem. I have no mantle at all over my fireplace underneath a 50" plasma.

The most important thing you need to figure out is whether you have wood or steel studs in the wall. If the aparment is in Manhattan and built since the 1970s, more than likely it is steel. If wood, the installation is quite simple -- get a stud finder, locate the studs in the wall (usually 16 inches apart), level the mount and install with lag bolts into the studs. Get a good mount (omnimount is one example) -- easier to install. The television simply hangs from the mount with hooks installed in the back of the television.

If you have steel studs, you may indeed wish to go the professional install route. You need to get high quality toggle bolts to hold the mount. There are two readily available brands - Toggler and Hilti (which actually are re-packaged Togglers). Get 3/8 togglers and four matching bolts 1/2" longer than the depth of the mount and drywall. Now, you again need to locate the steel studs, and drill holes through the drywall and steel stud, instert the togglers, and then bolt in the mount. With this setup, you can perform gymnastics off the mount and it will not budge and inch.

You probably could run the cords up the side of the fireplace and wall cavity without being too obtrusive. Get some cord wrap and, if possible, use an HDMI cable to connect the television so you only have two cords to hide.

if you do end up mounting the tv above the fireplace make sure you buy an angle mount so you can angle the tv downwards for comfortable viewing.

Thank you for all of your ideas so far. I don't have a better picture of the whole room yet, but can post at a later date.

I really like the idea of finding some sort of rack that would hold the large flat screen with supports to the the floor instead of the wall. Something that lives on either side of the mantle, simulating a wall mount but movable - could also hide wires perhaps. If this exists already made, does anyone know about it? dsgnomite, I'd love to see your pics.

The ceiling idea is a good thought as well.

JessBrooklyn

Have you bought the TV yet? If not, consider going to circuit city as they have a number of deals going on right now and we found their service to be great. We bought our flat screen on a Wedesday night, they delivered it Friday and scheduled the tech to come over to install it on Saturday morning. We have it hanging on a bracket which is somewhat complicated -its a heavy piece of expensive equipment - I'd recommend involving a pro.

No, this is not the do-it-yourself kinda project if you are in a financial pinch. I suggest you save about 3-400 and then call in a tech. It's a recovery you'll never make...the sound of 42" crashing to the floor..but you said 37" so maybe it will be lighter?

don't skimp, wait and save.

I believe the company is Chief Manufacturing:

here's a perfect example:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/517472-REG/Chief_MCS6040_MCS6040_Flat_Panel_Ceiling.html

The wiring then goes behind the tv and up through the ceiling to a power source and your components which can be off to the side in a nice cabinet or something.

I just DON'T agree with televisions being hung over fireplaces. #1, it's a television not art (unless you will have a screensaver or slide show of some nice art (which is not a bad idea)). and #2, I don't understand how people view their televisions from that odd angle.

I have my telly on a low tv table which is at eye level when I'm sitting comfortably on my sofa. The great thing about flat screens is that you don't need a really deep stand or table to place it on.

I agree with everyone else though, if you simply must hang it, get it done professionally.

If you are going to do a build-out, make sure it's heatproof and fire-resistent.

I work for an integrator that does this sort of thing in commercial environments all the time. Proper viewing angle for a flat display is 15 degrees above eye level. That's a lot less than it sounds like, but probably still ok for your TV over the fireplace. I honestly prefer to be looking UP a little.

If I may inject a question also? I just bought a flat screened television to replace my tube that died. With the new set being so small, I no longer need my big ole' entertainment stand. Can anyone recommend something under 300 that I can now sit my vcr and 19 inch television on? I'm even looking into low book shelves, if possible. Thanks!

I install big screen tvs. It can go over the fireplace provided it is high enough. However this only works if you are sitting far enough away. You might want to reconsider. It also doesn't look that great. Hope this was of some help.

I just installed my 37" LCD over my fireplace a few weeks ago. I had the fortune of having brick all the way up to the ceiling. It can be a DIY, but it is definitely not a quick and simple project. TVs are quite heavy, and you must make sure it is bolted in securely.

I bought an articulating arm for mine so that I could swing it out and rotate because my room is so small. The first time I mounted it, I used lead anchors with lag bolts into the brick thinking that would be sufficient (I also was using a $250 mount from Amazon). Even with eight bolts, I suffered a giant panic two days later when the top row began to slip out. I was alone and being unable to lift the TV that high on my own, I was terrified it would fall. I managed to get a friend over to help lower it down, and with new anchors I picked up at the Depot, (some kind of sliding shank) it appears to be fine now. I am still hesitant at pulling the thing completely out and away from the wall, but I don't think it is going to fall now. That is why I say that you have to really plan this thing out.

As for having it over the fireplace... Not all of us live in situations where we have the space to shove the TV just anywhere. Besides, the whole point of having a flat panel is that it takes up less space. My fireplace is truly the only logical place to put the TV in my 274 sq ft apartment. When I have company over, I show artistic video.

Thanks so much for asking this question. I'm definitely going to get a professional to mount the TV, but I have the same dilemma about placing it over the gas stove. We have a closet behind that area where we could probably put the DVD player, etc... but I'm hesitant because of the heat and neck-straining.

I'm in Manhattan, and I used this guy... he's great! Super efficient and really nice. He has a website but I forget what it is. I cut and pasted his email below:


Hello ,
My charge for TV installation is $150
Hiding wires from TV $50
Hook up Stereo system $60
Mounting speakers on the wall and concealing the wires $30 each
Thanks
Andrew
Cell 718 344 4145

http://hangthatflatscreen.blogspot.com

I know this is way late to help the original poster, but for anybody that comes along, I installed a 42-inch plasma above a bedroom fireplace. Pic's and video at the link above.