# Built In Entertainment Center



## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

Happy Holiday's Everyone!

My wife and I are about ready to build a wall unit (see attached sketch) around our fireplace to house a variety of things including a flat panel TV we want to buy and the assorted electronic gizmos that go with it. Before we start, I would like to get your advice on a few things.

1. My first concern is the Mantle that will hold our new Flat Screen TV that weighs 91 lbs. Will 3/4 inch plywood provide adequate support if the distance between its end supports (the shelving units) is 67 1/2 inches? I am thinking that it probably will not. We weren't planning to get a wall mount for the tv, but we can if needed. How would you recommend creating proper support? 

2 My second question is how to create the mantle? I am not sure how to "dress it up" so that is looks right.

3 My last question is the depth of the shelves. We need them to be deep enough to hold things like the DVD player, stereo, VCR(yes its old I know) and cable box. I am also planning to run a power strip down to back of the cabinet in order to provide power for these items as well as leave space to nicely tuck all the cables out of sight. I was planning to use 12 inches but I think it is going to be too short, so now I am planning to use 13 inches. Will my shelves still look ok at 13?

My thanks for you help,

Graham


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Personally, I would start out by eliminating the mantle and buying the wall hanging bracket for the TV. All of the weight of a flat screen TV is concentrated in the center so that is where you need the support. I would also not feel comfortable having a large TV (it must be fairly large to weight 92 lbs) just sitting on a mantle. I would want it secured better, in the manner of a specially designed bracket. 

For shelf depth, measure the depth of your largest item that will be on the shelves. Then add at least 3 inches to handle the space needed for the cables prutruding out of the back. I would probably add 4 or 5 inches myself just to be sure I had space for future objects of a larger size. Then add whatever space you need to hide the power strip and cables.

Be sure that you have an electrical source that will handle the potential load of all of the electronics that could possible be running at one time.

I think that your rough sketch looks good.

George


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## Admiral (Nov 9, 2007)

Ditto what George said about getting the mounting bracket. To engineer a mantle with that much weight on it would require some serious support. If you are settled on having a mantle, I would suggest having one fabricated out of steel with rods to be epoxied into the stone, then cover it with wood. 67 inches is a long span.....


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## Fox E (Nov 20, 2008)

Artis, It's really not a good idea to mount the HDTV above the fire place , IF you are planning on using it for heating. Heat is a electronics killer... HDTV- Fireplace mounting


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## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

Thank you Everyone. At this point, you have sold me on the idea of getting the mounting bracket. My wife and I have discussed the possibility of covering up the fire place, but have concerns on the homes resale value since fire places are such a popular item in our area.(we have a 7 month old son a plan to upgrade in few years) It has gas logs and the only time we have ever used it was at our annual Christmas party. The house was built in 1959 and the useable space in the room is bit a bit awkward. It think it is what they used to call the "Formal Dining Room" as it is long, narrow and and can be closed off from the rest of the house. To see what I mean, look at these pics: http://www.artis-usa.com/ARTISPhotoAlbum.asp?Folder=80606163457

Making this room the Family / TV area has been our best idea so far, and finishing the project will allow us to put our focus back onto remodeling the kitchen and dining area.

Also in response to George, we upgraded our main panel box this past summer and had them install an independent circuit to handle the Entainment stuff.


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## Admiral (Nov 9, 2007)

Having seen the pictures, you might consider taking out most of the brick wall, and then refacing what's left immediately around the firebox with about a dozen marble/granite tiles, and building a proper mantle surround and some large raised panels above. That would solve your support issues as you can take out the bricks above and use the remaining "top" row to support the platform, sinking some bolts in to hold nailers, etc.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

First off, I just want to say that after seeing the sketch, your seven month old can really draw!!! :laughing:
Next, I would be concerned about covering up a fireplace. Probably not the best idea. I would also have some concerns about the heat given from the fireplace affecting the new television. What are the recommended clearances for the fireplace?
AS far as the depth of the shelves, I agree that you need to measure you deepest "appliance" and allow room for cables etc. 
And lastly, I agree, that after seeing the photos, that the brick on the wall should be minimized. I think that no matter how nicely you execute your wall unit build, the brick may take away from the look that you are trying to acheive.
After reading my post, I just came to the conclusion that I am no help what so ever. :laughing:
Ken


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## daryl in nanoose (Feb 18, 2007)

I myself would cover all the brick up leaving about 12" around the opening and cover that up with some kind of natural tile,slate etc including the hearth where the brick would be exposed. I personaly like thick mantles.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

I seem to be in the minority about the brick, because I think it looks nice, other than being plain in all that flatness. As for the mantle, you can minimize heat from the fireplace (for the tv) by putting in a blower system. We put one in ours at Thanksgiving and the brick around the fireplace stays cool to the touch, even right at the front top of the fireplace. It also helps push the heat away from the fireplace and around the room. If you don't use the fireplace much, though, it's nothing to worry about. Modern TVs don't like heat, but they will survive reasonably well if you're not using the fireplace to heat your home regularly. 

I agree with Daryl, go with a nice thick slab mantle, if you decide to bother at all. With the built ins around it, the mantle won't "pop" quite so much though, so it may not be worth the extra effort. 

Others have already mentioned shelf depth. Because the room is so narrow, though, I'd say not much deeper than 14" because it will really make the room feel very small. I'd actually do a large heavy mantle, with some free-floating shelves along the brick and do a separate shelving unit below the window as a sort of shelving area/bench seat or something, but that's me.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Frankp, I also like brick. Of course I also still like the dark paneling for a den. So you can see my judgment is suspect.

G


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## daryl in nanoose (Feb 18, 2007)

*Must of been half asleep*



daryl in nanoose said:


> I myself would cover all the brick up leaving about 12" around the opening and cover that up with some kind of natural tile,slate etc including the hearth where the brick would be exposed. I personaly like thick mantles.


Well I must of been half asleep yesterday because I did not realize the new colors on the wall:wallbash:. That brick does not stick out like a sore thumb and in fact when your entertaiment unit and tv go in it will look preety nice so leave the brick.


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## goingenoan (May 24, 2008)

Others have already mentioned shelf depth. Because the room is so narrow, though, I'd say not much deeper than 14" because it will really make the room feel very small. I'd actually do a large heavy mantle, with some free-floating shelves along the brick and do a separate shelving unit below the window as a sort of shelving area/bench seat or something, but that's me.[/quote]

I gotta to agree with FrankP. Keep those shelves as shallow as possible or else tear out the brick to gain a couple of inches because when you are kicking back against the opposite wall watching tv that entertainment center is going to seem awfully close!


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## creative novice (Jul 25, 2008)

Ok ..a woman's point of view....not wanting to cause you more work, but knowing you said you were planning on selling this home sometime soon and of the belief you like to do things "right" ...i would have to encourage you to remove as much of the brick/thickness of the flanking walls as you can...and then build the shelving. i read these responses and then i googled fireplace and bookshelves..the first and only site i looked at verified my opinion...and that is.....asthetically, the fireplace needs to project into the room further than the flanking bookshelves....the bookshelves need to be a "step" back from the fireplace to look right. remedies to this when you can not do this MIGHT be to: add a little more facing to the fireplace surround....more brick (is this brick anywhere else in/out of the home? ) is there another type of "hard" product anywhere/ is the outside of the house done in stone? use stone. is the outside done in concrete/ use concrete...but, the idea is to try to bring the fireplace out and the bookshelves back....all the while conserving the space of the room. so, i vote: 
remove the brick, (c'mon..it'll be fun ...you'll be happy with the end product and more importantly so will potential buyers)
save that brick and reface the fireplace to bring it forward a bit......
add a significant mantle ...use a style that go with the rest of the house, perhaps painted with crown molding under the mantle to layer it "up" ...if you need to, use paintable molded brackets to appear to hold up the mantle. molding molding molding!!!! 
build your flanking units as shallow as you can get away with so that again, the fireplace does not appear to be shallower than the side units.....
a mantle that is a bit deeper might also give an illusion as to that same depth idea and protect the tv from heat.
buy the bracket to hang the tv on so it hangs (like a mirror would have been when the house was built) .

BUT anyway..i googled and found some examples of units surrounding fireplaces and again , i would opinion the more pleasing are those with fireplace more prominent than the side units. so, check out these examples: 
http://homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com/2007/08/built_in_wall_bookshelves.php 
i also had been looking at the great work the dewalt final 17 have done...alot of those finish carpenters specialized in built ins and they have some great pictures too..... creative novice


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## creative novice (Jul 25, 2008)

*more woman's opinion!*

ok..the moldings i was referring to are: 
Corbels or Capitals..those are the "brackets" ...don't have to be fancy, but in conjunction with the original house style
Pilasters: these are the moldings that go from floor to under the mantle. examples can be found at (the first site i found) www.invitinghome.com 

looking again at your pictures, your wall isn't very thick anyway...pulling off that brick should be fun!

bet your glad i offered my opinion as i sit here on my rearend ...easy for me to say ..huh? lol creative novice


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## creative novice (Jul 25, 2008)

*...and another thing!*

do some looking for yourselves...grab a couple of dressers or a buffet or a couple night stands and place them where you are planning to build..see if you like the effect. 

One of my favorite suggestions to anyone thinking over a project (be it wallpaper, paint, curtains, a dress , a shower curtain whatever...use something similar...step back and squint your eyes until they are just about closed...if what you see prominently is what you want...go for it! creative novice


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## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

*Update*

Hi Everyone, 

I was recently reminded to post an update so here it is: :thumbsup:

A link to photos showing what is looks like as of last wekend is below. 

In brief:


We are made the shelf depth 11 inches
The fireplace is recessed in relation to the shelves, which we think is going to look ok.
Decided to keep the fire place. So we removed the old gas logs, plugged the line, cleaned and restained the brick. We will be placing a large candle set inside it so not to present any problems.
An new, independent electrical line for the tv is under the left cabinet.
photos at: http://www.artis-usa.com/ARTISPhotoAlbum.asp?Folder=90102194829
Next on the list . . . shelves and face frame.

Graham

http://www.artis-usa.com/ARTISPhotoAlbum.asp?Folder=90102194829


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## creative novice (Jul 25, 2008)

*nice*

nice looking.....can't wait to see the final pics! julie:thumbsup:


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## moondawg (Dec 17, 2008)

form the TV mount, and cables, etc... try www.monoprice.com. You can't beat their prices. I've had great luck with them for my two flat-panel installs. (of the same TV!)


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## creative novice (Jul 25, 2008)

*link for wall mounts tv*

THANK YOU for the link to monoprice! i searched everywhere for a suitable wall monut for new tv...gave up and wasn't paying vizio 300-400 bucks for theirs.... i think i've found one for 55!!! love ya! julie:yes:


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

The one problem I see and no one has mentioned
is the height of the TV off the floor. Seems a very
uncomfortable angle of view? 

Are big TV to impress others or for watching?


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## daryl in nanoose (Feb 18, 2007)

how wide is the shelving units on each side, The reason I am asking is the center shelf looks like quite a span and was concerned of this fixed shelf sagging.


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## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

We FINALLY got a weekend nice enough to let me do some more work on the cabinets, so I spent the weekend ripping and planing boards for the trim and face frame. One board however, did not get along with the planer at all. The pieces cut from it kept hanging in the planer, refusing to pass through the blades. I constantly had to help it along, only end up with burn marks in the facing. I have had the same thing happen with other boards, but the planer is able to pull them throuh on its own by the 3rd or 4th pass.. This one board, however would not, I eventually planed all of them below the desired thickness.

Has this ever happened to anyone? Any ideas as to why this may have happened or how to prevent it?

Graham


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You might be planing into the grain. Try turning the board and run it the other way.


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

I always want my tv to sit straight in front of me.Looking up down or to the side gives me a pain in the neck after a while.Just my 2 cents worth but maybe I'm crazy! Itchy


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## daryl in nanoose (Feb 18, 2007)

ARTIS-USA said:


> We FINALLY got a weekend nice enough to let me do some more work on the cabinets, so I spent the weekend ripping and planing boards for the trim and face frame. One board however, did not get along with the planer at all. The pieces cut from it kept hanging in the planer, refusing to pass through the blades. I constantly had to help it along, only end up with burn marks in the facing. I have had the same thing happen with other boards, but the planer is able to pull them throuh on its own by the 3rd or 4th pass.. This one board, however would not, I eventually planed all of them below the desired thickness.
> 
> Has this ever happened to anyone? Any ideas as to why this may have happened or how to prevent it?
> 
> Graham


*I have had this happen a lot and found 3 reasons*
*1 taking to much off*
*2 dirty rollers*
*3 as mentioned fed the grain in the wrong direction.*
*Please note if cleaning rollers check with the Manufacture, I made the mistake of following someones advice and ended up useing the wrong cleaner and had to buy new rollers.*


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## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

Yes, I thought of that. I tried flipping and rotating the boards, reducing the amount I shaved off, but had the same problem regardless of what I did. I will also try cleaning the rollers. The boards I milled afterwards didn't have any problems, but who knows? Could the boards be too green? 

I was hoping to tackle more of the project this weekend, but the way things are looking it is going to pour down rain the entire time  Wish I had a "REAL Workshop"!

We broke down and bought the TV last week, and moved the living room furniture in from the other room. The height and distance from the TV seems to work well. We ended up getting a 50 inch Samsung Plasma with a Panasonic combo Blueray / Home theatre system. Found some great deals on Amazon!

My wife and I are both excited in how it is turning out and can't wait to finish the project. My 11 month old son is also fascinated with the now "life sized" characters on Noggin.  I will post some more pictures once some of the trim is done.

Graham


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

Are you sure the blades don't need to be changed? The only time I have that problem is when the blades have dulled.


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## ARTIS-USA (Dec 27, 2008)

Julian the woodnut said:


> Are you sure the blades don't need to be changed? The only time I have that problem is when the blades have dulled.


I haven't considered the blades because its a brand new (Delta) planer that I bought at the start of the project. How often should these be replaced? Perhaps this is my problem

Graham


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## Tweegs (Sep 8, 2007)

If it is the same one I have, the 12" model, there is nothing to changing the blades. In fact, both edges of the blades are sharp.
No blade adjustment necessary either, just flip the blades 180.

You can try that to see if it helps, but mine has the same problem from time to time. I just accept it and help the board along.

One other thing to try is to clean and wax the bottom plate. That has helped to some degree in the past.


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