# LCD above fireplace. How to run cables?



## tigerfankk

Wood burning firplace with oak cabinets on either side. Right cabinet has the current old tv and dvd etc. Oak mantle and sheetrock above fireplace. One story house. My ideas on running the cables:
Hole in side of right cabinet into cavity above fireplace and then hole in sheetrock behind lcd tv. 3 to 4 ft distance between holes. Or go up to attic then down from attic to behind lcd tv. There is already coax from attic to tv so I could use that hole to run wires into attic then down to tv. Is there a crawl space above the fireplace? What kind of studs will I find? etc. My neighber says you can stand in that space above the fireplace. Any ideas/suggestions ??? thanks


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## Termite

What's above your fireplace totally depends on the way the house is framed. It also depends on the type of fireplace. If it is a true masonry woodburner there will be a chimney going up through the attic. No holes or wires in it!!! If it is a woodburning factory built fireplace it will have a flue pipe in a dead space above the fireplace. That flue probably runs up through a chase or through the attic. You can use the dead space above the fireplace to your advantage, just be very careful to keep all of your wires well away from the fireplace itself and especially the flue. 

I hung a plasma TV above a fireplace for a friend once. The fireplace had sheetrock and trim above the mantle, and the stud spacing wasn't conducive to hanging the TV bracket. I removed the sheetrock from an area about the size of the TV, and pulled all of the wires through the floor next to the fireplace (Keeping several inches of clearance). The wires were routed against the side of the dead space following the studs.

I made a mounting panel out of 3/4" MDF and painted it with enamel to match the room's trim. I mounted a mudring box in it behind the TV to pull the wires through. The MDF panel was installed with trim head screws to the studs and the TV bracket was mounted to the MDF. A little touch up paint at the trim and it looked very professional.


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## tigerfankk

thanks for the reply. it is you say, a big dead space. i opened a piece of sheet rock in the attic and can see what i need to do. i think i have a plan now and with the help of some friends will run the electical(separately) and other video cables. i have studs to mount the tv on and this should be fairly easy with all the open space and no studs or firewalls to worry about. it's also a very short run for the all cables.

thanks

ps were out of power for 26 hours due to Gustav. just got internet about an hour ago. we faired better than others. no damage!!


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