Mounting TV above fireplace(wiring)

[Tjosterh]

I just purchased my first home and am wanting to mount the TV above the fireplace. The only thing I am having a hard time with is the wiring. How would I wore the cable and power cords? I do not want them to just hang off the sides. Hopefully, you all have some input and advice. (Attached is the picture)


Glad to me a member of this forum.

-Tjosterh

 

[user 4883]

Welcome to the site, I'm sure you'll find plenty of advice to help with your first home, congratulations.
I see few options here.
1) run your cables as tight to the mantle and sides to get you to the cable outlet and electrical outlet; using wiremold.
This may require cutting several short pieces and 90 degree parts depending on how tight to the fireplace you want to get.
2) run new cables and electrical inside the wall above the fireplace. This will be tricky as you will either have to access from the attic or cut the walls open and repair and paint when done.
3) not sure if that is cove molding above or not but, that may be something to consider when routing cables.

 

[Tjosterh]

Thanks for the quick response! I am wanting to hide the cables completely, looks like I will have to be cutting into the drywall. How much and how large of pieces should I be cutting?

 

[bud16415]

What’s on the other side of the wall behind the fireplace?

And to the forum!

 

[JoeD]

you need to mount a receptacle up high so it will be behind the TV. There are many systems made to feed cables up inside the wall to the high mounted TV.

 

[Tjosterh]

Behind the TV is the outside. It's on a corner so there is a lot of space behind it.

 

[Snoonyb]

I just purchased my first home and am wanting to mount the TV above the fireplace. The only thing I am having a hard time with is the wiring. How would I wore the cable and power cords? I do not want them to just hang off the sides. Hopefully, you all have some input and advice. (Attached is the picture)


Glad to me a member of this forum.

-Tjosterh

There are wireless systems.

 

[havasu]

Easy peazy. Can you come down from the top? if not, it will be a bit of cutting through sections of drywall.

 

[Tjosterh]

I cannot access it from the top. Above it is the second floor.

 

[havasu]

Then your access point for power would be the plug on the left side of your fireplace. Pop off your baseboards, run romex down from the outlet to just above the sill plate, run the romex to the first stud, chisel a trough through the first stud (which will need to be patched with a bit of compound) and continue burrowing until you reach the area behind the TV. Only cut a small area of the drywall which should only be about 1/2" tall, and about 2" wide, which will allow you to go around the studs. These small openings are easy to patch up.

 

[nealtw]

What's below?

 

[Kabris]

Chances are that corner is nothing but a lot of dead space. I would fish down to your basement after tapping off one of those receptacles, then fish up to your new outlet. I would cut the hole for your new outlet first just so you can investigate how much space you have, and so you don't end up drilling through your fireplace.

 

[bud16415]

Is there a chimney running up and out thru the roof or is it a vent-less fireplace? Do you have a basement below? If there is a basement is it finished?
The triangle above the fireplace is mostly an empty space inside is my guess. You may be able to pull the decorative surround off the fireplace with just a couple screws and you will see the rough in for the fireplace. If you get that far and provide some new pics there might be a way to work from below and in the area that gets covered back up to get the wires from the basement up to the location of the new outlets. It could also be quite easy to pop the fireplace insert out and then you would have all the room you would ever need to string your cables. Speaking of cables will it just be cable TV or will you be running HDMI and such for Blu-Ray and other things up there?

 

[Tjosterh]

It is a ventless fireplace and there is no basement. The house is on a slab. I never though about removing the fireplace to get behind it, has anyone ever done this before to wore hdmi, cables, power, etc?

 

[Snoonyb]

It is a ventless fireplace and there is no basement. The house is on a slab. I never though about removing the fireplace to get behind it, has anyone ever done this before to wore hdmi, cables, power, etc?

Certainly would have been "enlightening", in the OP.

There will probably still be some drywall repair necessary, but all and all, far simpler.

Make sure you identify and secure the breaker in the off position prior to disconnecting.

 

[nealtw]

Some of those fireplaces have an outlet under them to plug in a fan. To remove it I think you would have to get in the back or top to disconnect the vent. You don't happen to have an outlet on the dinning room wall behind it do you.

 

[bud16415]

Where will the rest of your equipment be located? Bluray player etc. Where is the TV cable located?

What is the outside of the house made from?

I bet a big mirror or a portrait of grandpa above the fireplace is sounding better all the time. I personally don’t like TV’s above a fireplace as they are too high and to me the look is not what I want I see a fireplace as a focal point on its own, but many people now love them up there.

You have to think about your seating as well. Will you have chairs or a couch out at an angle also? Wall units are nice because all the stuff is together and wires just run around the back.

 

[frodo]

i do not understnd, you say only outside is behind the FP. I can SEE a room behind the FP in the picture

they make wireless cable now, i would use that

i would, run the wire out the back of the right electrical box.. pull the base board. run behind it.
to the back side of the FP. then , I would cut a huge hole.

reframe the empty / dead space for shelves, while i was in there, run the wire

 

[slownsteady]

If you're lucky, there is a closet in that corner behind the wall. You can do the work from there.

 

[havasu]

I didn't notice the plug to the right of the fireplace. I would recommend, as Frodo, to pop the baseboard there and work your way in.