How to Build a Fireplace Mantel

Build a beautiful mantel for your fireplace

One of the nicest architectural details in any home is the fireplace. The mantle over a fire place is the place where we put our holiday decorations and photographs of our family as well as the many items we have picked up over our life time. It is what makes the room and house feel like a home. If your fireplace mantel is looking a bit worn down, you can simply replace it, this just takes some time and some know how. Below are the materials list and steps to rejuvenating your fireplace and mantel.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber
• Pry bar
• Level
• Nail gun
• Decorative trim (optional)
• Wood glue
• Construction adhesive
• Spackle
• Paint and Primer (optional)
• Wood Stain (optional)

Instructions

1. Take a pry bar and gently separate the mantel from the wall where it is attached. Do this step slowly so as to not damage the wall or mantel. You should take the putty knife and place it in front of the pry bar next to the wall to help shield the wall.

2. Take your pieces of lumber that you bought and cut them to the proper length and width for your mantel area. Cut the pieces of lumber to the correct lengths as a frame for your mantel. These pieces will go up each side and across the top. The wood you have now cut will be laid along the sides and top of the mantel.

3. Locate and mark the stud wood in the wall around the mantel area and then take the frame of the mantel and attach it to the wall employing the nail gun. Make sure before you attach the frame that everything is now level.

4. Attach the sides of the mantel. If your wall area is tiled make sure you use construction adhesive instead of the nail gun. Repeat the step of checking for level.

5. Take a piece of wood and cut it to the proper length to form the mantel and also cut the decorative trim to go with the sides the wood.

6. Nail the decorative trim pieces to the mantel. Take the construction adhesive, the wood glue and nails and attach the mantel to the upper portion of the frame, making sure the decorative trim is pointing downward. Now is the time to add any extra pieces such as a railing, to the mantel.

7. Take any corner blocks and attach to the top on each part of the mantel. The corner blocks will look like column tops.

8. Cut some decorative pieces by using a miter saw and then nail them to the faces of the side columns.

9. Using spackle, fill in any cracks or holes that are left by the nails. Then simply allow to dry, prime and paint or stain your new mantel.

Tips & Warnings

• Try taking some time to draw out your design ideas first, this will allow you to make a more complete material list and also get measurements before having wood purchased and cut.