Reddit: Is TV Above Fireplace Too High? Expert Tips for Perfect Placement

Many homeowners face a recurring dilemma: is a TV positioned above a fireplace too high? This question sparks frequent debate on Reddit communities like r/homeimprovement and r/livingroomdesign, where users share photos, concerns, and solutions. The issue isn’t just aesthetic—it impacts viewing comfort, safety, and proper installation. Reddit users highlight that a TV mounted more than 10 inches above a fireplace mantel often creates awkward viewing angles and risks damage to wall anchors. Experts recommend positioning the screen at eye level or slightly below, ensuring it sits between 30 to 40 inches below the mantel’s top. This alignment enhances comfort and reduces strain. Reddit threads often emphasize practical tips: measuring twice, using adjustable mounts, and prioritizing accessibility for cable management. Engaging with the community reveals real-world solutions, from custom brackets to visual mockups, helping users avoid costly errors. If you’re uncertain, Reddit’s collective wisdom offers reliable guidance—making the ‘too high’ concern a solvable design challenge. Don’t guess—learn from others’ experiences and create a visually balanced, functional space today.

A TV above a fireplace doesn’t have to be a design mistake—especially when guided by Reddit’s practical insights. By applying community-tested placement rules and measuring carefully, you can achieve a seamless, comfortable setup. Explore Reddit’s expert discussions to refine your approach and elevate your home’s style and function.

Essentially allows you to pull the TV down down and in front of the fireplace so that it is at a proper viewing height and then return to above the fire place when done. Re: TV over Fireplace Solutions? by Kagord Fri May 23, 2025 12:31 pm Along with the great choice of mounting the TV too high, you might as well orient the couches perpendicular to the TV too. This entire community is dedicated to people who have wall-mounted or positioned their TVs in unruly locations - usually above a fireplace, sometimes above a door frame, and always far too high up.

Hanging a TV above a fireplace could very well be a mistake. However, the most common "offense" on the subreddit is placing your TV above a fireplace, a fairly common practice as flat panel displays make it easy to mount flush with the space. However, not only is an above-the-fireplace mounting almost certainly too high, if you actually use the fireplace it can be harmful to your TV.

The last thing I would want is to hang my TV above a strong source of heat, and you may also expose it to smoke or gas fumes. The screen can go over the fireplace, but it rolls up out of the way making it barely noticeable when not in use, it doesn't melt from the heat of the fire, and the expensive part is the projector anyway, so even if the screen is slightly damaged, it's not a big deal. The worst place to mount your new TV is above your fireplace.

I completely understand that it may seem like a logical place, and in many rooms, it's the easiest option. Many interior designers. Hello, I just mounted my 65" Sony X90CL tv with the Sanus SL428 mount above my fireplace/mantle.

The issue I am having is the studs in the wall stop 22-1/2 inches above the mantle. The mounting holes on the tv are on the lower side of the tv, causing the TV to sit about 2 inches off the ceiling. The space above a fireplace mantel is too high for comfortable TV viewing.

The center of the screen should be at eye level when you are sitting and facing the screen.