The area around the fireplace will naturally get very hot. This is why you shouldn't hang any sensitive items above the fireplace.

If it's a gas fireplace, you should check your fireplace manual to make sure your installer used the proper clearances.

If it's wood, you should get an inspection done.

If you don't know where to start, contact your local fireplace retailer for help.

Get a local fireplace company to look at it.

So much for hanging stockings!

Is the mantle combustible or not?

Shielding it doesn't fix it. There will be heat rising from a fireplace, but if it's enough to cause worry, call in an expert. You might have a serious problem.

Awfully hard to help you when you don't even mention what TYPE of fire you have! Gas? Electric? What?

A new gas firebox usually has a blower feature sending warm air into the room, even as the heat rises, as it prevents the uncomfortable cooling effect from warm air going up a chimney. What do you HAVE?

following

To clarify.... the fireplace is gas, not vented and the mantle and a tv hang above

You could damage the TV with that heat. Samsung TVs, for instance, should never be exposed to more that 104 degrees F. Most other companies are about the same range, since LCD panels are so similar.

We have the same problem, yet the heat has never created a problem in the 10 years we have lived in our home. :) It's a ventless gas fireplace. We hang Christmas stockings every year. There is a small shield on our unit (see photo below), but it really doesn't help with the heat rising. The underside of mantle gets very hot! And while we do not have a TV above, there does not appear to be any overly high heat above the mantle. No obvious problems with the painting that we can see.

Try putting a suction cup thermometer in the middle of your TV to gage the temperature.

Thermometer

Our problem is with the logs "off gassing" when we run it. Yes, we have have the gas company, several gas and fireplace techs, etc. our here, and they all say everything is fine and the off-gassing is normal. Our problem appears to be that the ceilings are only 9' high in our space and the off gassing has no place to escape. We cannot change to vented because of building codes and having windows within a certain distance from the vent. We have changed log size. Went from 36" to 30", I think. And have even turned down the gas intensity (which means that flames are lower.) None of this has helped the smell. It helps to open the french doors, but when it is cold all the heat in the house goes out. So we rarely use the fireplace.

We are seriously thinking of putting in an electric set of logs this year. After 10 years, I am ready to have some sort of fire look without the smell. Our HVAC man is looking into one other option before we go ahead with electric. Anyway, I was getting off subject. Good luck!

Black shield, right below the granite slab, slopes out and down about 6". Our mantel is high and about 12" deep. Gets hot, and before we changed the log size, some soot would gather underneath. Sold the previous logs, with no problem, on CL.

I would be very worried if my mantel was getting that hot ever. I have a huge fireplace that i get roaring hot sometimes in the winter and have never had the area around the firebox get HOT

Not sure why, but these types of units are not sold in CA. Here you can direct vent to the outside through a wall or through the roof or through an existing chimney. When ours was installed, they did not put in the brick top piece which caused the wall to get hot. After they installed the proper piece it stayed perfectly cool. Check the top of your unit. There should be the same brick stuff on the inside top as is on the back wall.

Wow. I would never install a ventless gas appliance inside the house. Probably not even in the garage either.

It is common knowledge to not heat your house with a gas stove. Any other ventless gas appliance is the same thing. There technically is supposed to be a CO safety shutoff on these appliances, but I wouldnt bet my life on something that could possibly fail. I hate CO detectors, they only last like 5 years and better get an outlet version or you will be replacing the battery like every 3-6 months.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/ventless-gas-fireplace-doesn-t-belong-your-home

If you want the display of the fireplace, just get an electric. Most of them allow the display without the heat so they hardly use any energy and wont mess up the temps in your home. I would say thermostat is typically found in the main room where you want the fireplace display anyways so yes it does mess with your comfort in the rest of the house. If you do have to turn them on for heat they are safer also (perhaps if your furnace broke down). I do have some stand alone infrared heaters (non display) in case of a breakdown. I aint paying for an emergency call...

I am actually looking at getting a electric fireplace entertainment center to put the TV on. They come as stand alone units, entertainment centers, and wall inserts. Best bought by looking at them first and that you are happy with the fire display and/or the cabinetry.