Why It Is Not A Good Idea To Mount Your TV Above Your Fireplace
Nice as they look together, your TV and fireplace aren’t best friends. Learn How They Can Get Along.
Marrying the TV and the fireplace is a popular design move because both tend to act as the focal points of the living room, which means one seating arrangement fits all. But that convenience can come with a price.
Why it’s not a good idea to mount your TV above your fireplace
Mounting a TV above a fireplace is not a good idea for one main reason: It’s far from optimal for the TV, and it may even dramatically shorten its lifespan.
Electronic devices run better at lower temperatures. So putting a TV directly above a source of high heat causes its internal bits to degrade very quickly. Even without a roaring fire immediately below it, a television generates a generous amount of its own heat, so compounding that with heat from the fireplace is even more damaging.
Smoke is far from ideal for a TV’s health. Much like cigarette smoke inside a car, smoke from a fireplace can deposit a film over the TV screen, dulling it.
Another deterrent for mounting a TV above a fireplace is the viewing height. Watching a TV that is mounted so high on a wall creates issues for most of us. Namely, neck strains. Binge-watching isn’t nearly as fun when you can’t turn your head the next day.
How to Pair Your TV and Fireplace
Using a TV ceiling lift with a fireplace
One way to put your TV near your fireplace without subjecting it to the heat or the smoke is to employ a TV ceiling lift a few feet in front of the fireplace. This hidden lift extends the TV down in front of the fireplace, leaving a few feet between them.
And because the length of the extension can vary, you can adjust the viewing height of the TV using a remote control. A television lift can also allow the plasma TV to swivel to offer the best view.
However you ultimately arrange it, remember that your TV is a significant investment, so make sure that it’s housed in a way that extends its life as long as possible.
