Pull-down mounts for a TV over the fireplace

The complaint about TVs over fireplaces is always the same: it's too high. A pull-down mount — often called a mantel mount — answers it mechanically. You pull the TV down and forward to eye level to watch, and push it back up when you're done.

How they work

Two arms on gas springs or counterbalance springs carry the TV's weight. The springs are matched to the TV, so the screen moves with a light pull and stays wherever you leave it. Typical vertical travel is 20 to 30 inches. Many also swivel left and right.

What you gain

• Eye-level viewing from a fireplace wall, without tilting the picture.
• The TV comes off the mantel line when lowered, so a deep mantel no longer blocks the bottom of the screen.
• Heat distance — but only while it's raised and the fire is on, so see the caution below.

What they need

• Solid framing. The mount is heavy on its own (often 25 to 50 pounds) and the lowered TV is a long lever. It must be lag-bolted into studs or anchored into masonry. A framed chase with a single 2×4 in the middle may need reinforcing.
• The right spring range. Each model lists a minimum and maximum TV weight. Too light and the TV floats up; too heavy and it sinks. Weigh the TV with any soundbar that will ride on it.
• Clearance. When lowered, the TV sits in front of the firebox opening. Measure that the mantel depth and the TV's height allow it to clear.
• Depth. Folded, most sit 4 to 8 inches off the wall — noticeably thicker than a tilt bracket. Some people recess the mount into the wall to hide that.

The heat caution

Never lower the TV in front of a burning fire. Some mounts have heat-sensing handles that turn red; a few have motor options that can be set to stay up. Treat it as an either/or: fire on, TV up.

Cables

The TV travels a long way, so cables need a generous, managed loop. In-wall power with the outlet placed behind the raised position is the usual approach.

Cost

Good pull-down mounts are several hundred dollars — far more than a tilt bracket. Whether it's worth it depends on how often you watch that TV.

• Main TV, watched every night, mantel over 50 inches high: yes, it changes the experience.
• Occasional TV in a formal room: a tilt bracket and a slightly reclined seat are fine.

Alternatives

• A plain tilt bracket when the centre of the screen is less than about two feet above eye level — see tilt angles.
• A different wall. Sometimes the honest best answer.

Installing one with us

If you buy a pull-down mount, choose "I have one" for the bracket and tell us the model in the notes. We'll check that your framing and the spring range suit your TV before anything is drilled. Over-fireplace work adds $60 to labor.