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.