Fireplace TV Mount Above Ergonomic Versus Tradition Debate
Fireplace TV Mount Above Ergonomic Versus Tradition Debate Few interior decisions provoke as much debate among designers, ergonomists, and homeowners as the question of whether a television belongs above a fireplace. On one side, the configuration is space efficient, visually centralized, and reads as a natural focal point in rooms that already have two competing ones. On the other side, it forces viewers to crane their necks upward for hours at a stretch and exposes sensitive electronics to heat plumes that were never imagined by their manufacturers. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has noted that sustained upward viewing angles greater than 15 degrees above horizontal can produce neck strain and dry eye symptoms within an hour of continuous use. Yet the National Association of Home Builders reports that 54 percent of new construction great rooms in the past three years have been designed with a TV niche directly above the firebox, suggesting that consumer preference i...
