Mounting Our TV Above the Fireplace
After building a new hearth and fireplace surround it was time to tackle the TV mount and bump-out above.
I really wanted to give the area some dimension and create a single focal point. Prior to this, we had an ugly TV unit on one wall and our fireplace on the other.
It was mostly just a matter of framing out the area with 2x4s and adding drywall.
The TV Bumpout: Tools and Materials
- 2x4 studs
- Miter saw
- Kreg jig
- 2 1/2" pocket hole screws
- Drill
- (2) 4'x8' sheets of 1/2" drywall
- Joint compound mix
- Drywall T square
- Utility knife
- Drywall screws
- Drywall tools: mud pan, joint knife, sandpaper
- Latex paint in Eggshell, Chantilly Lace
- TV Mount (we purchased this one but it's currently out of stock online 🙁
- 65" OLED TV
Fireplace bump-out construction
Before anything else, we needed to secure the TV mount and center it on the wall above the new mantel. Once we did this, I was able to build out the surround with 2x4s. I secured the 2x4s to the ceiling joists with 3" screws; the 2x4s were secured to each other with pocket hole joinery.
The last step was to enclose the area with drywall. I used a T-square to mark a straight line across the surface, then scored the line with a utility knife. Once I scored the line, breaking off the drywall was a snap!
Next, I secured my drywall to the studs with drywall screws. I applied metal corner braces to the outside corners.
The last step was filling in all the seams with joint compound mix and to sand, sand, sand until everything was nice and smooth. Then I added a coat of Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace in an eggshell finish.
And that was it! The hardest part was sanding and all the drywall dust created by the sanding.
And that's a wrap for this build! For more projects in this living room head on over to Top Shelf DIY!
Cheers,
Erin
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Maybe that would have helped - I definitely had to sand A LOT. Paper tape worked my better for the joints than the mesh stuff. Thanks for the feedback!
-
FYI: this looks nice. However most recommend that you NOT mount a tv above your fireplace. Definitely not good for your tv or any electronics!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?