installing plasma tv on wall

[Mack V]

I have a question for those who have done this. I am getting ready to hang a 50" plasma from the brick fireplace. My problem is that downstairs there is a place for a wood burning stove and the pipe goes up towards the roof and travels next to the entry level fireplace where I am hanging the plasma. Well that means if I hang the tv to the center of the wall it won't be centered to the fireplace opening. The fireplace has more bricks to the right than the left of the opening of the fireplace. I have hung a piece of carboard the size of the tv to see what it looks like but wanted some others opinions.
Center the tv w/ the wall or w/ the opening of the fireplace?

 

[TONE]

Its hard to picture without seeing the room, but I would center it with the fireplace.

The reason..........

A fireplace is usually a focal point of a room. The tv being centered over it wont distract from that.

Otherwise you might have two areas bring strong attention to them.

This I feel would give balance and continuity.

Post some pixs when done.

 

[HIRISC]

+1 center it w/ the fireplace.

 

[Timo]

Make sure to counter sink the plug!

When I installed my wall unit TV I ran all of the wires inside the wall as I was renovating - the plug for the power is a straight plug in and ended up pushing the TV out. I had to pull everything appart and countersink the plug after.....

T_

 

[Richard Givan]

How about centering the TV with the fireplace opening--like the other guys have said--and hanging a picture or something to the side where the excess brick overhang lies. That might help offset the imbalance.

Another concern is heat. Do you actually use the fireplace? Plasmas throw off enough heat of their own that they don't need to bathe in hot air from below. Heat is the enemy of electronics. Personally, I would use either the fireplace or the TV but not both.

 

[Mack V]

Here is a link to the picture.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f381/boostn22/001.jpg

Yes I know about the heat. I am not too concerned as we won't use it much plus I have talked to a bunch of people that have had one over there fireplace for years. But you know if it did puke I could always upgrade.

 

[Kevin54]

That's a tough call. If it were me, I would center the TV in the brick, then put up a mantle to break the space between the fireplace opening and the TV. But even with no mantle, I would say center it in the brick. Your eye will be drawn to the TV first.

 

[65Stang]

Oh... I would have said center it over the fireplace, but after looking at that picture, I would center it in the brick intead.

 

[Sammy7]

I'd center it on the wall and find a plant or something for the hearth to add balance.

 

[Mark-in-NH]

After seeing the picture. I would definately center the tv within the full width of the brick chimney and NOT the fireplace. The tv is so much larger then the fireplace opening that it will now become the focal point. I would then find some decorative accessory to place on the hearth to the right of the fireplace to soften the the imbalance.
My first suggestion would have been a set of fireplace tools but since your fireplace is gas, tools are unecessory.
Think about leaving enough space between the top of the fireplace and the bottom of the tv incase you ever decide to install a mantle.

 

[Mike83]

Funny how the picture changed everyone's opinion! I totally agree that the TV should center in the the brick.

 

[apong23]

Looking at the picture, it would look better center it to the brick.

Andy

 

[Mack V]

You guys/gals rock. I should have posted the picture in the first place. The fingers got out of the gate before the brain on that one.
I don't want to put the tv much higher as it might cause some neck pain to look up when sitting on the couch. But putting the mantle back below the tv bottom would look funny??? Thoughts on mantle height. The person that put it up originally had it way too high so I chiseled the brick supports off so I could install the tv.

 

[pattenp]

I'd center it on the wall and find a plant or something for the hearth to add balance.

+ 1 on this suggesion.

 

[sjt78]

I'm not a fan of TVs over fireplaces, but if you are going to do it, then center it with the brick in your case. I don't like looking up to watch television, you may feel the same after a while so make sure you really want a TV up there before drilling.

 

[TONE]

Well now that Ive seen it I am changing my posts answer. I wasnt picturing this at all.

I would center it on the wall.

Then I would place my fireplace tools (ones that hang on a stand) to the right of the fireplace.

That would give a nice balance to it all.

 

[rlme36]

you may have more of an issue since its a gas fireplace, there will tend to be more water vapor due to the gas, also not so good for electronics on or off.

i would center it to the brick field and not to the fireplace opening.

 

[nate379]

I would center with the brick, though I wouldn't even mount it there... heat isn't going to be a good thing for the TV.

 

[C G]

I like it centered with the brick. We have ours over our gas fire place, no problems with heat or moisture (yet?) and its been close to two years. But we do have a mantle that may deflect the heat a little?

I stuck a nice cardboard chair in there to match your TV, and I noticed HGTV was on the screen

 

[porphyre]

Thinking out of the box....

Have you thought about adding faux elements to re-center the fireplace? Add some columns, a little paneling and box in the hearth with some slate or granite or something...

 

[thdewey]

I'd center it on the wall and find a plant or something for the hearth to add balance.

+2,3,4 whatever. I agree what you'll need is maybe..... A tall 'firewood box' or tall fireplace tools.

IMHO I don't like the idea of a crooked neck. I wouldn't place nearly so high unless most of the time I'd be watching from a bar stool.

 

[TONE]

Now this is some great thinking.

A++++++

I can see some potential with this sorta treatment

 

[Kevin54]

Mack...All good suggestions.

CG and Porphyre.....Straighten the TV up a little

MACK........Along with what THDEWEY stated, you may want to rethink a television up that high unless you can sit quite a ways away from it. I mounted a 52" on my wall to where the top of the TV was 1' down from the ceiling. I have 8' ceilings. It was great standing up and it was at the height that if I had a fireplace it would have to have been mounted that high. I had it up for about a month and down it came. The only way that you could watch it was from a recliner. Sitting in a regular chair you were constantly looking up. So either you had a headache from your eyes looking constantly looking up, or your neck started to get sore from looking up.
So before you go to the expense of buying your mount to hang it, and the labor of mounting the mount, take a little time and arrange your furniture to where it will be when you watch TV. Then sit in the furniture and look at your cardboard TV for an hour or so and see how comfortable it is. If you are going to get eye strain or neck strain you will feel it within an hour. With a TV that size you don't want to make a mistake. Myself, I was able to patch the drywall. Also when you are in a sitting position, look around the room a time or two and then notice what is a "natural" eye level. And not knowing anyones medical issues, but anyone with neck problems or even if you have a mother that frequently visits and has osteoporisis looking up is not a good thing.
Other than that, go for it. I also like the column idea to center everything up. I would not have thought of that one.

 

[Mark-in-NH]

+2,3,4 whatever. I agree what you'll need is maybe..... A tall 'firewood box' or tall fireplace tools.

It's a gas fireplace.

 

[Mack V]

Thank you all for the great suggestions, especially the photo shopped pictures. I have been looking at the cardboard and I can't seem to get any channels or sound to come through. Anyway, it's still up in the air. I might use the brace I bought for the basement as I still haven't bought the man tv for that space yet.