TV above the fireplace?

A customer of mine had bought a new plasma which they wanted mounted above their fire place. They were unaware of the fact that installing a flat panel TV above a fire place may damage the TV, or void their warranty.
They had their hearts set on wall mounting the TV so I offered them what turned out to be the perfect solution. With a little extra work, I was able to create a cut out into the wall, added a timber frame and some additional bracing to hold the weight of the 55inch TV.
To protect the TV from the heat of the fire place and the concealed flu, I added fire rated cement sheeting behind the TV, then attached the plaster on top of that. To protect the cabling, I installed 60mm PVC piping through the rear cavity to the entertainment unit where the AV equipment and other components were located. The PVC not only protects the cables from the potentially hot metal flu and heater, but also allows for any future cabling to be added with ease.
My customer had a painter in to finish off before I installed the TV which added a few days to the project, but I think the results are worth the wait.
My customer was rapt, and I am proud as punch.

Michael – Jim’s Antennas Malvern