Custom lumber frame for wall-mount in front of fireplace

[LokutusofBorg]

I am wondering if a custom lumber frame made from vertical 2x2s with either 2x4 or 2x6 cross pieces laid flat would be strong enough to hold up a 50" plasma. This is to be able to mount the TV in front of my brick fireplace.

The fireplace has its hearth 12" off the ground (18" deep), and then the mantle is 4 feet above that, with a 4" overhang. I want to fit the wood frame on top of the hearth, underneath that mantle overhang, but I want to keep it as flush to the brick as possible. The 2x2s would run vertical against the brick on each side of the opening, and then one of the cross-pieces would be clamped to the brick up at the top of the opening (the lintel) and the other cross piece would be even further up flush against the brick, tucked right under the mantle. Then the TV wall mount would screw to those cross pieces.

I am just wondering if the 2x2s as vertical strengtheners would be strong enough. I am thinking so, but just wanting a sanity check from anyone that can make sense of my description above. Here's a general picture of a fireplace. I want my frame to fit where the arrow for lintel is in that picture, essentially. Except that it will extend all the way from the hearth at the bottom up to the bottom of the mantle flush against the outer face of the brick above the lintel.

 

[sdifox]

maybe a picture would help? I doubt you need to build like that to mount tv.

 

[vi edit]

Can you take an actual picture of the fireplace and MSpaint in a TV where you want to put it?

I still have no idea what exactly you are trying to do. And whatever you end up doing, it sounds like it would look tacky as hell. Do you have power and hookups anywhere near there?

 

[jtvang125]

I take it the tv is going to be mounted somewhere between the hearth and the mantle, basically blocking the use of the fireplace right? This wouldn't be my first choice for mounting locations but 2x2s are more than enough to hold a tv if the whole frame is properly constructed. The frame would also need to be securely mounted to the fireplace too.

Mine is mounted to just the studs in the wall and I can hang on the tv mount with no problems and I'm about 180 lbs.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I'll try to get a picture mocked up to help illustrate.

I take it the tv is going to be mounted somewhere between the hearth and the mantle, basically blocking the use of the fireplace right? This wouldn't be my first choice for mounting locations but 2x2s are more than enough to hold a tv if the whole frame is properly constructed. The frame would also need to be securely mounted to the fireplace too.

Mine is mounted to just the studs in the wall and I can hang on the tv mount with no problems and I'm about 180 lbs.

You have the gist. I want the TV down in front of the brick (the mantle is 5 feet high, so I would have to mount the TV extremely high to be able to just mount to the wall studs above the fireplace). My TV is a 50" plasma so it should hide the lumber frame I build, and I plan to paint it black, and have an Ikea LACK sitting on the hearth at the bottom, so the frame shouldn't be viewable at all. I plan to use strong C-clamps to secure the frame to the lintel, which is the top of the opening of the actual fireplace.

Like I said, I'll try to get a picture mocked up to help illustrate.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Ok, here are some mockups from Google SketchUp (I love this program!).

First the fireplace by itself. The mantle is too high (50") to mount the TV to the wall above the fireplace. We don't use the fireplace for fires, so I'd like to mount the TV in *front* of the fireplace.

Here's what I had in mind for the frame to put a TV mount on. The mantle overhangs the brick below it by 3 3/4", so the frame would need to fit underneath it (there's about 34" of vertical under there). The vertical 2x2s would extend down to rest on the hearth and bear the weight, and also provide vertical stability since they run flush with the brick the whole way down. The cross pieces would be 2x4s that I would screw the TV mount directly to. Those silver-ish things are bar clamps, which would attach up in behind the lintel. The clamps would not be weight-bearing, they would just cinch the frame up against the brick. (And I will also spray paint them black; I made them silver here so they would stand out for clarity.)

And here's a look at the complete deal with a hacked Ikea LACK TV Stand (that would hold my AVR and PS3/Xbox etc. not pictured) and my plasma hanging from the proposed mount.

And just to be clear, what I'm going for is essentially a home-made wooden version of one of these (without wheels, and shorter, of course). I just need something to hold the TV in place in front of the bricks there. If that metal TV cart wasn't so expensive I'd just buy it, take the wheels off, cut the vertical bars down to fit under my mantle and call it a day.

Criticisms and alternate ideas are obviously welcome.

 

[sdifox]

so just get a tv bench and put tv on tv bench.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I don't want to use the stand. I don't want the TV to tip over. Besides the TV stand puts the TV too low for the center channel speaker.

 

[sdifox]

I don't want to use the stand. I don't want the TV to tip over. Besides the TV stand puts the TV too low for the center channel speaker.

well, the beams holding up the tv better be sturdy metal tubes or they are going to flex.

 

[Humpy]

As you have it drawn it could hold hundreds of pounds and it is about as simple as could be without hard mounting directly to the brick. I might mount a safety rope back to the damper handle or something for the unlikely event the clamps slip off.

For joining the lumber together I would also suggest using something like Simpson TP37-R Tie Plates at each joint, front and back, with 1-1/4" pan head screws. It's easy to split a 2x2 so pre-drill the holes.

I like it.

 

[Ross Ridge]

I don't want to use the stand. I don't want the TV to tip over. Besides the TV stand puts the TV too low for the center channel speaker.

A 50" Plasma is not easy to tip over, and you would need to have a huge center speaker for it not to fit on or below the TV bench.

Why not just use a standard TV wall mount attached directly to the brick? Or with 2x4s as a spacer if the mantel is in the way.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

We're just renting and I don't want to go drilling into the brick. If we owned this place the brick fireplace would come out completely.

 

[Doppel]

As long as those clamps don't let the tv tilt outward (I know it is a rental but two small concrete screws would be well hidden), I agree with above, that could hold tons of weight, absolutely.

 

[0roo0roo]

That would probably work, assuming enough clamps, but i'd suggest you anchor it by screwing anchors into the grout. I did something similar for a 50" plasma, but used a regular slim mount, held on with anchor bolts, drilled into the grout between bricks. the drill bit was almost 1/2 or about the thickness of the brick grout for that because it was taking the entire force of the mount, and about 3" in depth, you can get masonary drill bit from home depot or whatever..just takes a while to do. you can probably get away with much smaller diameter bit and anchor to do your way since its just holding the thing from tipping forward.

and yea good to see you aren't trying to mount it stupid high over the fireplace like so many do.

*oh ur renting..doh, no drill, i'm sure there are clamp like things that are extendable tube that you could stick in the back and apply pressure against the inside walls of the fireplace for more anchoring?

 

[0roo0roo]

just for the lulz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB3tqhYM9wc
thats the expensive way

 

[LokutusofBorg]

That motorized one is pretty cool. Nothing I'd ever do. But I was looking for a mount that would attach to the wall right on top of the mantle and hang the VESA mount down over the edge. From the graphic you can see that the top of my TV is a good foot above the mantle so it would hide the mounting hardware back there. I couldn't find anything even remotely close to that kind of a configuration though.

I'm going to alter my lumber frame design a bit to negate the need for the bar clamps, as well as not push the component shelf out any from the brick face. When I've only got an 18" shelf to work with there, a couple inches is making quite a difference trying to figure out the right shelf unit/configuration to fit on there. I'll post a new graphic sometime tomorrow, probably.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[Doppel]

If you don't want to use any clamps and still want it strong as hell, the bottom section that goes in the fire could consist of a box shape of wood--just the outside frame. This would slide into the fireplace, and then when the TV is hanging on the top two 2X4s the only way for it to tilt out is if the box itself tilts up into the fireplace (which it can't do). I don't think you need metal strapping at all, just some wood screws and I always pilot everything I ever screw.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Yep, that's more what I was thinking. I'm going to put the main verticals flush inside the fireplace (and using 2x4s instead), and if they're the same height as the brick, they will be prevented from rotating out. I will probably put a metal clip at the top that hooks behind the lintel though, just for extra holding power. Then on the outside, I'll attach a length of 2x2 at the top that then extends across the upper brick to hold the cross pieces, as my other graphic already shows.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Here's a look at the new frame design. This is just one of the legs. The wood-textured piece is a 2x4 that will tuck inside the fireplace opening. The metal clip on top of the 2x4 will hook behind the lintel to hold the whole thing in place. The white piece is a 2x2. The cross pieces would attach to the 2x2, as the above graphics showed. Metal brackets, tie plates or the like will be used at the junctions as needed to make it extra strong.

Anybody have recommendations on a wall mount unit that allows me to adjust the vertical positioning of the TV on the TV side of the mount, as opposed to just moving the mounting point on the wall up and down? I know most of them have lots of mounting holes where you attach it to the TV, but I'm looking for one that allows a bit more freedom than that. My TV is a 50" Panasonic S1 plasma, if that matters.

Edit- here's a look at the frame leg in place:

 

[LokutusofBorg]

A look at the complete new frame:

And in place in the fireplace:

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I realized I never came back and posted pics of the finished product, so here are some.

(For anybody interested, here's the thread for my custom AV rack/shelf that you see in the last picture below.)

This is a look at the full finished frame -- 2x4s, 2x2s, and a bunch of hardware:

The Simpson plates holding everything together:

A couple L-brackets that hook up behind the lintel to hold it in place:

A couple Simpson brackets to keep the bottom end of the legs from moving:

And a look at the whole setup when done:

 

[sdifox]

good job!

 

[0roo0roo]

nice, yea that brick jutting out there made all that necessary lol

did you black stain or spray it?

 

[LokutusofBorg]

Sanded down the rough lumber with my palm sander, then once it was all together just spray painted it with matte black exterior grade.

 

[0roo0roo]

ah ok, i didn't think u'd be able to see grain through spray matte...guess i was wrong