Mounting a TV in a bathroom

A TV you can see from the tub sounds great, and it can be done. But a bathroom is the hardest indoor room for electronics, and a few of the rules here are about safety rather than looks.

The moisture problem

A hot shower fills the room with warm, wet air. When that air meets a cooler surface — like the inside of a TV — it condenses. An ordinary TV isn't sealed; over months, moisture corrodes connectors and boards. It usually doesn't fail on day one. It fails early.

Three ways to approach it

1. A TV made for bathrooms or wet locations. These are sealed and carry an ingress-protection (IP) rating. They cost more and come in smaller sizes, but they're the right tool for a spot near the tub or shower.
2. An ordinary TV in a large, well-ventilated bathroom, mounted far from the shower, with a good exhaust fan that actually gets used. Accept that it may not last as long as it would in the den.
3. An ordinary TV just outside the bathroom, visible through the door or from the tub. Often the smartest answer.

Where to put it

• As far from the shower and tub as the room allows.
• Not above the sink, where splashes reach.
• High enough to be out of reach of wet hands, angled down with a tilt bracket.
• Where the fan pulls air away from it, not toward it.

Electrical safety comes first

• Bathroom outlets must be GFCI-protected. The TV should be plugged into one — never into an extension cord run in from the hallway.
• Keep the TV, its power cord and any power strip well out of reach from the tub or shower. Mains-powered electronics and bath water are a deadly combination.
• A new outlet near the TV is work for a licensed electrician, who will know the required clearances from the tub and shower.

The wall

Bathrooms are usually tiled, and behind the tile may be cement board or moisture-resistant drywall over studs — plus plumbing. We locate pipes before drilling and use diamond bits for the tile; see our tile guide. Every hole through a tiled wet-area wall should be sealed with silicone so water can't get behind the tile.

Sound and remotes

Tile makes rooms echo, so TV speakers sound harsh. Keep the volume modest. Use a waterproof remote cover or the TV's phone app rather than handling the remote with wet hands.

Our take

We're happy to mount in a bathroom when the spot is sensible and there's a GFCI outlet for it. If the location puts the TV within reach of the tub, we'll suggest another wall. Tile adds $30 to normal labor.