Hiding wiring for TV mounted on chimney

[Trickytree77]

Hi, would appreciate any advice on how to hide wiring for TV mounted on chimney breast, as shown in picture. Virgin/Sky box will be located at side of chimney in cupboard/shelving. Soundbar or speakers possibly either side of chimney??

My thoughts are:

Drill through side of chimney (possibly angled up) for hdmi/ethernet cables in some conduit. Double socket (for fire and TV spurred off from fused spur - is this okay?) hidden at rear of electric fire for tv power cable or behind TV

Or

Batten and plasterboard front of chimney, which would create a cavity to run cables in and again power cable running to either a socket behind electric fire or behind TV

Any suggestions tips would be welcome.

Don't mind chopping out if required but prefer not to

 

[motorbiking]

Firstly you'll get neck ache having a TV that high, secondly if you drill in to the chimney, you risk breaching the chimney with your frame fixers etc for the mount and will create a potential fire hazard, thirdly I think your wooden surround might be to close to be compliant, fourthly I think the hearth may be too small.

If you absolutely have to have it there, run it down the side and plasterboard the channel.

 

[Stivino]

For better viewing, I think it is better to have the middle of your telly at the same level as your head when sitting.
If you want a sore neck, stick it above a fireplace.

 

[AngleEyes]

I suspect that fire surround is pretty much hollow. There's probably a couple of lugs screwing it to the wall.
If it is, have you considered that as a route?

 

[John.]

Hello

Arounf the centre position of where your tv is going - drill a 25mm hole. Then a hole on the side above or below your plug sockets. Dangle the wires through the front centre hole but cover the connectors in tape etc to keep dust out. Get a metal coat hanger make into hook and hook in hrough the side wall. On the make a little loop on the end you are to catch, drop it down the front of the chimney, hook it on the metal coat hanger and pull it out of the side. Once you have determine the correct lengths, close the hole behind the tv with a bit of foam and plaster as long as you are not putting a gas fire there/etc that is sending up fumes. You closing the bottom of the chimeny hole ie front?

 

[BlueLoo]

Putting a TV on a chimney breast is a terrible idea.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Putting a TV on a chimney breast is a terrible idea.

So is having your microwave in the living room,,, but that doesn't stop some people

 

[BlueLoo]

 

[cwhaley]

As others have said, that TV would be far better at head/shoulder height. I'd put it on a table or pull-out bracket in the alcove to the right or left. The chimney breast is very often the natural focal point of a room when you walk into it, and you don't want a 50" rectangle staring back at you at that level. I speak from experience.

 

[Trickytree77]

Thanks for the replies, personally I don't see anything wrong with a microwave in the lounge I've also got the washing machine in the bedroom and the oven under the stairs

TV isnt going to be quite that high, it's actually a bit bigger aswell marked it out in a rush last night.

As stated in original post the fire is Electric so no worries over fumes/heat/fire hazard etc and there isn't currently a hearth there

Still have doubts myself about having it on the chimney in terms of sticking out like a thumb, better half is looking at one of those samsung 'the frame' tv's or similar (supposed to look like a painting/picture when not in use?? will leave that with her)

 

[BlueLoo]

Heat will murder the panel.
You are putting it above a stove which shoves out heat more so than a open fire.

If you do it, do at least permanent work as you can so that should you decide you hate it where it is, you can move it. (Save the paint tin )

 

[thomp1983]

I keep reading on here about having tv's on the wall will give you neck ache, in both this house and the last house the tv's have been wall mounted with the top of the tv level with the top of the door architrave and my family have had no neck issues, this covers the last 10 years

 

[Trickytree77]

Agree thomp, not concerned about the neck ache people like to bring up. Unless you're sitting on the floor directly underneath the tv watching for 5-6 hours at a time, which I don't have time to do, also sat at other side of room so the angle won't be much different on the neck.

Regards the heat Blueloo, I think in the last 3 years we've had the fire on with the heat about 3 times each time for about 10 mins so again, no issue there. It's more an aesthetic thing, have the flames on but without heat. I do agree about not making it too permanent and being able to 'undo' it if ever we or someone wanted to put a logburner in.

 

[thomp1983]

The obvious way would be to cut a chase fit conduit and run the cables in it, the other option is to make a false 'media' wall which seem to be fashionable currently.

Basically get some 3x2's make a frame around the tv, run some more horizontally the width of the fire place and then round the corners, run your cables again in conduit, plasterboard over the 3x2's install some brush plates for the cables, mount the TV in the recessed bit and bobs your uncle, tv mounted, cables hidden, fire place integrity maintained.

End up something like that (picture taken from Google)

 

[Trickytree77]

That's roughly the plan of action I'm leaning toward thomp, cheers pal