Electric Fireplaces and TVs

Common sense tips for pairing TVs with electric fireplaces

It could be argued that the biggest impact on residential design in the past 25 years was the advent of the wall-mounted TV. Before flat-screen TVs came along, there was no thought of combining the fireplaces and TVs on one wall, because it just wasn’t possible. All of that changed when it became possible to hang a large-screen TV on the wall, or to set it on top of a media cabinet. Once wall-mounted TVs became the norm, a new style of electric fireplace was developed, to match the shape and size of those TVs. We now call these linear fireplaces, and they have outpaced more traditional styles as homeowners have embraced the idea of displaying electric fireplaces and TVs together.

But wait – some people hate this combination

While some folks would prefer not to combine fireplaces and TVs – many designers included — the reality is that many of our rooms don’t have enough space to have the fireplace on one wall and the TV on another, with seating that faces both. If this describes your room, then you’re not alone, and you need to find a way to put the TV above the fireplace and make both look great.

The 3 most important questions

To get the most out of your TV and fireplace wall, we have tips for the 3 most pressing questions:

• How high should I mount my fireplace?

• What size fireplace do I need below my TV?

• How high should I mount my TV?

What size fireplace do I need below my TV?

From an interior design perspective, we want our feature wall to look balanced and restful to the eye. The ideal is for the fireplace to be wider than the TV above, so that if we drew a line around the fireplace and TV, we would end up with a pyramid shape. What we want to avoid is an upside-down pyramid, with the TV wider than the fireplace. This will look top-heavy and unbalanced.

Comparing TV measurements to fireplace measurements

Before we can determine which size of fireplace we need to install below a TV, we need to understand the basic principals of TV measurements and fireplace measurements.

• TV’s are measured diagonally, from lower left corner to upper right corner, or lower right corner to upper left corner. A 65-inch TV is 65 inches diagonally. If you recall high school math, this means that the left-to-right width of the TV is less than 65 inches.
• Fireplaces are measured straight across, from side to side, left to right or right to left. So, a 60-inch fireplace is approximately 60-inches across. They are rarely exactly this measurement, as there are trims bordering the glass viewing window, but you get the idea.

Why linear fireplaces are best below TVs

The most popular fireplaces for mounting below TVs are what we call linear fireplaces – they are long and slim, and range in height from 17 – 22 inches. They come in widths ranging from 34-inches to 100-inches, so they may be paired with TVs of all sizes. However, TVs are two or three times taller than linear fireplaces. If the TV and fireplace are exactly the same width, the TV will look top-heavy because it’s so much taller than the fireplace. This is why we recommend that the fireplace be wider than the TV, to give a little more visual ‘weight’ to the bottom of the pyramid. To keep things simple, we’ve put together a table that matches popular TV sizes with fireplace sizes.

How high should I mount my TV?

Electric fireplaces have lots of advantages over gas and wood-burning fireplaces. The most important differences, when it comes to TVs, have to do with heat output.

• Electric fireplaces don’t heat up the inside of the surrounding walls because there’s no combustion inside an electric fireplace.
• A built-in electric fireplace blows hot air out the front and not up the wall.
• The heat output on an electric fireplace is 5,000-10,000 BTUs, enough to warm up a room, but not enough to damage items above.

For these reasons, it’s safe to mount a TV directly above an electric fireplace, with minimal distance between the top of the fireplace and the bottom of the TV. Visually, we like to see 8-12 inches between the fireplace and the TV, so they don’t look crowded. This is also a good buffer between any heat output and the electronics. There is definitely no need to have the TV mounted several feet above the fireplace, as you would with a gas fireplace. This means that you can have the TV at a height that’s comfortable for viewing from a seated position. For most people, this would put the bottom of the TV at 36-inches to 42-inches off the floor.

How to deal with higher ceilings

Some rooms have ceilings higher than 8-feet. If you follow our guidelines for the TV height, noted above, then you may have a lot of empty space above the TV. That’s okay. The TV isn’t meant to fill the space between the fireplace and the ceiling. You want to end up with both the fireplace and the TV at the optimal height for enjoyment. If you have high ceilings, and you have a lot of wall space above the TV, that’s a challenge to be solved with decorating or architectural features.

How high should I mount my fireplace?

Once you’ve decided on the best height for your TV, you can position the fireplace. You want to look down into the flames, while ensuring that the fire is visible beyond the coffee table or ottoman.  We recommend that the slimmest electric fireplaces be mounted so that the bottom of the viewing window is 12-inches off the floor. The taller the fireplace, the closer you can mount to the floor. Our table summarizes our suggestions for mounting heights based on fireplace sizes.

Summary: Fireplaces and TVs

Mounting your TV above the fireplace helps with room layout. It is perfectly safe to do this when you work with an electric fireplace, due to the lower heat outputs. We have answers to the 3 most important questions that you need to answer:

• What size fireplace do I need below my TV?
• How high should I mount my TV?
• How high should I mount my fireplace?

Need help? Reach out to our experts to discuss your project.