Does it cause a lot of damage installing a flat screen tv over a fireplace?

Question

If so how hard is it to fix? I'm renting and want to hang my tv in the brick. I don't plan on hiding the wires behind the brick so how much damage will the wall mount itself cause?

Answer 1

I would strongly suggest not to burn the fireplace....

Answer 2

Drilling fireplace brick can be risky- it may have cracks you can't really see if the fireplace has been used a lot or is just old, and some brick is recycled or flakey to start with. There's always some potential for damage. The safe answer is not to unless you have to. If you must, use a smaller guage drill bit and deeper anchors. Lead is best- it has a bit of give. Screws expand when hot and can crack the brick =O. You can drill the anchor out when you leave (go slow, use a dust mask, and use a metal bit, not a masonry bit to minimize dust creation and bit fouling). Plastic anchors can melt and drop your set on the floor if the fireplace gets hot enough. A 2.5" deep hole or so is unlikely to matter, as most fireplaces have at least two layers of brick, but the diameter does- wide holes are harder to hide. If the brick is painted, it's probably a non-issue; fill the necessary mounting holes, match the color, and you're done.

Above all- be absolutely sure it isn't just a facade with an insulated metal flue behind it. If it is, drilling holes in it could cause a lethal fire. The number of holes required will vary by size and type of set, plasma generally being heavier than lcd and requiring more holes. A swivel mount for either type also requires more holes because of the leverages applied by moving the set away from the wall.  

One trick I've seen is finding the front stud in the fireplace frame (above it), ceiling mounting support eyelets (because holes in gypsum are so easy to patch) and dropping support wires to a rear-mount bracket on the set. Insure the rings, wires and hardware are rated to support the weight, with a little margin for error just in case. Pads at the contact points are a good idea to protect the brick and the set- little sticky backed jobs will do it. Put the sticky side on the back of the set and you can remove them later with a little WD-40. Pads also prevent any buzzing that set or frame vibration on brick might cause.

Hopefully this will give you some options.

Answer 3

Depending on the size of the TV 4-8 holes need to be drilled in to the brick Anywhere from 3/8 - 3/4 so plastic grabbers can be placed in the holes then bolts screwed into those.