We just moved into a new home and the 65" TV and stand I have do not fit in the alcove, so I'm left with mounting it above the fireplace, but need to run electrical and AV cabling (speaker wire and HDMI) to it. It would be a retrofit. I've never done this before so looking for some help.

There is access to the fireplace from the side, but I think wires would need to be fished through to a location above the fireplace. There is also attic access. Not sure which would be easiest. Below is a picture of the condition.

Where is that wall in relation to the roof? If it's an exterior wall below a hip roof edge it's going to be difficult to go fishing. You won't be able to drill the top plate from above. You'll need to cut sheet rock, drill through the top plate from below and then push a fiberglass rod or fish tape up through the hole.

If there is 14.5" between the studs, go for a recessed box mount that will give you a 22" x 14.5" hole to access the top plate and allow you to flush mount the TV with an articulating arm that can move.

What kind of fireplace is that? Is it open air or is their a cavity with a flue? If the latter you might be able to run the wires inside.

Big fan of these things (concept, not this particular model), depending on your needs and the space you have up there.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sanus-Sanus-9-Media-Box-Kit/5002952063

Good questions.

• This is a single story home so the attic runs across the entire house.
• That back wall is interior, not exterior, which is obviously helpful.
• I'm about 90% sure that the fireplace is in a cavity with a flue, based on what I saw in the attic.

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If the latter you might be able to run the wires inside.

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That was my thinking. I knocked back and forth on that return wall from the fireplace back to the alcove and the sheetrock spans from corner to corner...there doesn't appear to be a stud or blocking there. That alcove was already pre-wired for the surround sound speakers. I thought I could make a penetration on the sidewall of the fireplace and fish the cabling through to another penetration above the fire place.

Two other questions:

1. Above the fireplace, do I need blocking behind the wall or can I get by with some type of sheet rock anchors. This seems big/heavy and obviously don't want those pulling out.

2. Especially since this is by the fireplace, I'm guessing I either need some kind of plenum-rated HDMI cable or put it through conduit (which would be more difficult).

Greatly appreciate the help!

I think you have a couple of question, chief among them, do you actually anticipate using the fireplace at all? I know some folks believe there is some extra shielding to protect the TV and cables from residual heat. I don't know how legitimate a problem that is in a place like Texas where it may get used once ever couple of years. If anything, it'd be a reason to put a quick release mounting up there so you could take the TV down if there was a storm or something where you were without heat and needed to use it for real.

Regarding the hanging, I've used some pretty beefy toggle bolts to hang heavy mirrors and the like. Scares me every time, ha.

What about using that area to the right of the fireplace for a built in and TV.

Barring some incident like Snowpocalyse I don't see us using it. We live in South Texas so we MIGHT have a couple of weeks of chilly weather a year.

Thanks for the information on the toggle anchors. It's been a while since I've used those. They always make me nervous, too. The threading of the machine screw looks like a weak point. Feel better if it was something with a bigger threading.

In my experience, if you have a wife, you'll use the fireplace more times a year than you could ever imagine.

ETA: Also in South Texas.

Some related discussions on this thread that I started. I'm still uncertain about routing cables in the space behind the sheetrock (but not in the metal flue).

https://texags.com/forums/30/topics/3465691/1

MW03 said:

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Regarding the hanging, I've used some pretty beefy toggle bolts to hang heavy mirrors and the like. Scares me every time, ha.

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These are the only type of anchors i would consider using if you absolutely can't find a stud. And i would not use them with any kind of swivel mount that pulls out from the wall, only a flush mount. I've used them a handful of times with regular flush mounts with no issues. I still feel a lot better when i can find at least 1 stud though.

If you're planning to be there for an extended period and don't mind spending a little cash, look at the MantelMount pull down tv mounts for this specific application.
If you keep an eye one their site and/or ebay you can find some decent deals to save some cash.


MantelMount MM340

ThreatLevel: Midnight said:

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If you're planning to be there for an extended period and don't mind spending a little cash, look at the MantelMount pull down tv mounts for this specific application.
If you keep an eye one their site and/or ebay you can find some decent deals to save some cash.


MantelMount MM340

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This.

I was about to ask how long do you plan on using the TV at any given time. Mounting a TV that high will give you some bad neck and upper back strain. Hell, I have my TV mounted with the center of the TV about 5.5' from the ground, and extended gaming sessions can mess my neck up.

Being able to pull it out and lower it will make for a far superior experience when watching movies or playing games. However, you have to get your cable management down.

I would recommend attaching a nice balun to the back of the TV, so you only have to run Cat6a back through the wall. Then either install some cabinets, or an entertainment center to the left of right of the fireplace, where you house all your systems, cable boxes, etc. Either that, or install it all in a closet somewhere else.

Honestly, unless you just really look forward to the project, a good AV installer can give you some great ideas on the best way to install with the best sound system, and they can execute to make it look great.

Caesar4 said:

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Some related discussions on this thread that I started. I'm still uncertain about routing cables in the space behind the sheetrock (but not in the metal flue).

https://texags.com/forums/30/topics/3465691/1

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I ran power and cat 5 to an outlet above my mantel when I redid my fireplace about 5 years ago and have not had a single issue.