Big screen TV over the mantle

[Pete]

I have a fireplace, the kind that goes into the corner of the living room. There's an 8" stove pipe that goes to a flue. I'm not sure what is behind the mantle, but I suspect mostly air and the stovepipe. this Christmas we got a 40" LCD TV. I bought a bracket for it at Best Buy. Has anyone installed one of these yet ? The instructions on the bracket cover molly bolts into brick or concrete as well as 2x4s. If anything there are steel "studs", so I'm not sure what extra bracing I'll need.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Pete

[Yanita]

Hi,

If you are able to hit two studs with your mounting hardware you should be fine. If you can not then I would remove the wall panel and add nailers, these are pieces of 2x4 nailed (screwed) horizontally between the studs.

I am doubting that your home has steel studs, but I guess it could.

A word of caution before mounting the tv...I have many customers that now regret placing their tv's above the fireplace. It is kind of hard on the neck for comfortable viewing. Of course this may depend on how high your mantel is.

Yanita

[Harry]

Hi

How hot does it get where you are going to mount the TV?

Hot air rises.

Harry

[GraceNC]

I was going to do the same thing. TV over the mantle.

After doing alot of research I've decided not to do it.

The TV and the fireplace are going to compete and it's gonna give a negative vibe to the room.

I've decided to mount a flat panel on the wall adjacent to the mantle and close to the kitchen eat in bar.

Heat can and often does ruin these new flat panel tvs. I put the XBox on a surge protector so the fan won't run-expels heat and is under the mounted tv.