How To Mount A TV Over A Brick Fireplace (and Hide The Wires)

The very first time I envisioned our living room, I knew I wanted our flat screen mounted to the brick fireplace. I wanted one focal point, and placing the television elsewhere would have meant two conflicting focal points.

The problem is that our home was built in 1986 (well before flatscreen tv’s were a reality). This meant the cable and electrical receptacles were placed on another wall…not mounted into the fireplace like most modern homes. After consulting with electricians, I was told there was no way to mount an electrical outlet into the brick fireplace. So, my wheels began to spin until I came up with a solution. I want to share with you how we mounted our flatscreen tv onto our brick fireplace.

**For your convenience, I had included affiliate links to all of the products I used in this project. That just means I may get a small commission from the purchase of the product, without you having to pay a dime more.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases **

Materials Needed:

• Tapcon 1 1/4” x 1/4” hex head screws (like these)
• this drill bit (packaging on tapcon will give appropriate size).****This drill bit allows you to use a standard drill. **
• Hammer Drill (I recommend this one.) **It will make drilling into brick so much easier, but it’s not not mandatory if you purchase the drill bit listed above.**
• TV Wall Mount Kit(will tell on box what range of sizes will accommodate)
• Coaxial cable (Like this one) We used white because our fireplace is white but use the color closet to your fireplace to disguise the cable.
• Extension Cord Once again we used white so that it blended in with the color of the fireplace
• Wiremold C110 1-channel CordMate Kit, White, also known as wiremold.

How To Mount the TV

1. Using your hammer drill and masonry bit, drill holes in brick wall according to mounting slots on TV mount. Use level when drilling to make sure holes are level. (Concrete sleeve anchors are not necessary for this application).
2. Mount TV Wall Mount Kit according to directions.
3. Mount brackets on back of tv to attach the wall mount according to instructions.
4. Mount TV to wall mount.

How To Hide Cables and Wires

Luckily, we already had an electrical outlet on a wall directly next to our fireplace (on the right, lower side of the brick fireplace). We then had a cable company install a cable receptacle on the wall directly to the left of the brick fireplace. We essentially routed the cable and extension cord, with wire molding, directly along our fireplace and down into their proper outlets.

Because our fireplace is white, we used a white extension cord and wiremold which adequately disguises the wiring. If your fireplace is not white, use a color closest to that of your fireplace (I bet you could even spray paint the wiring to match the desired color, but don’t take my word on it). This is the left side of our fireplace and the side we directed the cable down to the cable receptacle.

Use the Wiremold channel CordMate Kit to direct wires towards the back of the tv.

I was able to hide the cable receptacle behind a large, boutique mirror.

Then, for the power cord, use the white extension cord so that black power cord does not extend from behind the tv.

The extension cord runs all the way down the side of the fireplace and down to the electrical outlet (which I covered with curtains).

And voila!!! You now have a wall mounted tv. I love the simplicity of one focal point in a room. This makes arranging your furniture so much easier and the overall design of the room much more sleek.

*** Tip: For those of you with a cable box to contend with, simply tuck the box behind the tv (this is what we had to do when we owned a box).***

Flat Screen TV Around High Temperatures

For those of you concerned about mounting your flat screen television in such close proximity to a heat source, I can personally say that we have never had any issues with the particular placement of our mounting brackets in relation to our wood burning (formerly gas burning) fireplace.

Not only did the actual mantel serve as a nice buffer from high temperatures on the few occasions we did burn a fire, but the placement of our large flat screen was about 2 to 2.5 feet from the opening of the fireplace.

If your stone or brick fireplace does not have a mantel, I would recommend that you mount your television at least two feet from the opening. It would also be advisable to closely monitor your television while burning your gas or wood logs. (Better safe than sorry!)

Viewing Angles

Some people may be concerned with the ergonomics of a television that has been mounted higher over a brick or stone fireplace (and consequently, above eye level). I believe if you place your couch at a good distance from the television, you will not have any issues. And believe me…I have suffered with neck and back pain in the past, but have not experienced any problems with this arrangement (and as I said, our flatscreen was mounted about 2.5 feet above the fireplace opening. ) And come on…looks are more important than proper spinal alignment anyhow..right?!

How To Lift a Large Flat-Screen Television Alone

Luckily enough, my husband and I had enough muscle power between the two of us to lift our 55 inch flat-screen on our own(not saying it wasn’t a pain in the a$$, but it was doable). But if you have an oversized television and don’t have the man power to mount it high enough on your brick wall alone, you can always use the help of a hydraulic lift table. Some hardware stores will actually rent these.

And here is an update on the tv we mounted years ago…

We have yet to experience any negatives with the way in which we decided to install our tv.

Hope this helps some of you who, like me, are determined to mount your television over your fireplace.

Related TV and Brick Tutorials (updated 5-3-22):

If you would like to know how we were able to display art on our basic smart tv (no fancy frame tv needed) as pictured directly above, you will want to read this separate tutorial.

By the way, if you would like to read how I built my wood beam mantel that you see here (for around $30), be sure to check out this tutorial. If you are looking for other ways to transform an outdated fireplace on a budget, click here for that separate post. Believe me….it was ugly AF when we first moved in.

Now get out there and design some good vibes and please pin!!!

Welcome!

My journey in interior design and home improvement began with transforming my first fixer-upper home, all while managing a budget and raising two young boys. My work, a reflection of my passion for creating beautiful, uplifting spaces, has been recognized by top publications like Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, HGTV, and more. I invite you to explore my site and witness the transformation of my home and the vibes we've designed. Read more...

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