wall mounting properly - chicken or egg?

[richard plumb]

Hi

I'm going to get our lounge smashed to bits by a builder relatively soon (removing stone clad fireplace - yuk!).

I'd like him to dig out channels and lay cables for my front speakers and TV too. But I don't have the TV yet.

Should I buy the TV, mount it and connect cables first - then when he comes round just remove the TV part and let him do his business? Or work out where the TV will go and just draw lines?

Is there anyway to calculate where the cables will hang from a TV before mounting it? (considering 37" JVC DS6)


Anything else I should be aware of? I'm probably going to upgrade my current Sky to HD next year, so does the cable need upgrading? It currently goes across the lounge, so I'd want that hidden too - so if it needs replacing I'd do it in advance.


cheers!

 

[master_shake_uk]

I am in the same situation at the moment and after talking to a lot of people step #1 should be get the fire installed first and check the amount of heat travelling up the wall by placing a thermometer above it after 30 mins on full.

A couple of installers have said they have never had problems putting a TV above a HIW or inset fireplace but there is a first time for everything.

My fireplace will hopefully be installed in the coming fortnight. Let me know how you get on. .

 

[gregh]

surely a tv mounted above a fireplace will be to high for comfortable viewing?

my only tip would be to use trunking so if you want to replace/repair you can slide the cable out of the buried trunking without ripping out the plaster again.

I took this one out myself, great fun!

cheers,

Greg

 

[richard plumb]

we've got our current LCD wall mounted above the fireplace and its fine. New one will probably be a little lower, but not by much.

 

[master_shake_uk]

If you find after installing the fireplace that the TV will be too high you can always buy a tilting wall mount...

 

[andrewfee]

I have to say; it sounds like you're going to get a recessed area for the TV to go into? This is not a good idea, unless it's got a very large gap all around, as the TV needs a lot of ventilation. You're best to just have a flat surface and mout the TV onto that.