It may look great and blend well with the room décor, but many experts are saying that mounting a TV above a fireplace is a big no-no. They’ve more or less three reasons why they discourage such setup: heat damage, distorted image quality, and neck strain. But do these reasons really make any sense?
Heat
Most electronic devices operate best at a specific temperature range, and the heat generated by the fireplace may put your television at risk. Manufacturers recommend not running their TV units above their maximum temperature, which is somewhere around 90-125 °F.
On the other hand, heat damage can be minimized by building an alcove for the television. Installing a mantelpiece between the fireplace and television also helps dissipate the heat.
Distorted Image Quality
While manufacturers are getting better at making HDTVs with a wide viewing angle, many televisions still suffer from picture quality degradation when they’re not viewed straight on. But there is an easy way to rectify the loss of picture quality: install a mounting bracket. A tilting mount lets you adjust the screen to the perfect angle for viewing.
Neck Strain
Prolonged watching on a television that’s positioned at an elevated height causes neck strain. It’s like sitting in the front row of a movie theater. But once again, installing a TV mount solves this problem. Or why not just get one of those comfortable-yet-stylish reclining chairs? You can also sit further away from the TV so you don’t have to crane your neck upwards too much.
To answer the title of this article, mounting a TV above a fireplace is only a bad idea when you fail to overcome those three issues. A wide variety of fixes are fortunately available, so much so that perhaps the only problem left is whether a TV above the fireplace is aesthetically pleasing or not. The answer for that is entirely up to you.