OTHER TECH

Q. I recently bought a 42-inch LCD that I'd like to mount over my gas fireplace. The bottom of the monitor will be 27 inches from the top of the fireplace. The fireplace has a small heat deflector built into it, and there will also be a mantel 8 inches wide mounted about 6 inches below the monitor. Will this installation avoid damaging the monitor? Ronald Plante, Jr. Via E-Mail

A. JOHN TAMBURELLO, Owner, Burello Sound, New York, NY, says: This is a classic dilemma we encounter as installers. Usually the fireplace is the focal point of the room, with the furniture oriented to "sitting around the campfire." So the space above the fireplace becomes an ideal spot for the TV.

Installing your flat-screen there depends on a few factors. Can you mount the bracket safely and without any danger of breaching the flue? How will you get wires to the TV, and can they be hidden? The good news is that a gas fireplace generates no soot. With no need to clean the fireplace, there's no problem of airborne particles flowing into the set.

Of course, the "burning" question is: How hot does the wall get when using the fireplace? Place a thermometer where you expect to put the TV and see if the temperature climbs above 90 degrees. If it does, it's not a good idea. But chances are it'll be fine, at which point you should consider a tilt bracket to angle the TV down for better viewing and to allow more air flow behind it. An articulating bracket leaves even more space behind. In any case, be sure to allow rising heat to escape above the TV. Now, about placing those speakers ....

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