Fireplace Mantels
Summary: Fireplace mantels have been around for thousands of years. Wooden fireplace mantels are perhaps the most popular, but try to look at antique fireplace mantels if you can. A stone fireplace mantel will work if it matches the room's decor and feeling. Newer cast-stone fireplace mantels are very distinctive.
DEAR TIM: I need a fireplace mantel for a remodeling project at my home. As I look at different wood fireplace mantels, I get more confused. A trip to a local salvage company allowed me to see antique fireplace mantels, but some required too much work. My husband wants a stone fireplace mantel, but I don't think it will look right. Can you help clear up some of the confusion about different mantels for us? Jill P., Lampe, MO
DEAR JILL: It sure is easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to fireplace mantels. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different styles. When you then factor in the different types of materials used to make the mantels, the permutation possibilities go off the charts. I can see why you might be confused just thinking about wood mantels, especially when you have to consider the different common wood species like cherry, oak, walnut, pine, poplar and hickory.
You also need to decide if the fireplace mantel will be just the horizontal shelf above the actual fireplace or will it be part of a fireplace surround. Many stunning fireplace mantel designs are actual surrounds where two legs made of any number of materials connect to the horizontal aspect of the fireplace mantel.
Restoring an antique fireplace mantel may be worth it. My wife and I have a gorgeous solid-walnut antique fireplace mantel in our family room. The salvage company we purchased it from had it stripped and refinished for us. The cost of the mantel was far below the cost of a new one that had one quarter of the character.
If you decide to use an antique fireplace mantel, be sure it will pass the modern building codes. The building code usually is concerned with the proximity of combustible material to the left, right and just above the firebox opening.
Depending upon your budget and how urgent the need is for the new mantel, you might explore an option many people fail to consider. If you have a woodcarvers guild in your area, you may be able to get a one-of-a-kind custom fireplace mantel built for you.
A past customer of mine did this on one of my jobs, and the look was stunning. The woodcarver came up with a grapevine design that represented the family trees of my customer and his wife. I have to admit this mantel was the most gorgeous one I have ever installed in all my years of building.
As for your husband's desire for a stone fireplace mantel, it comes back to whether that look will fit in the room or clash with the finished design. There are many different types of stone, and you may find one that has the color range and texture to compliment what you are doing in that room. It may help to have an artist do a watercolor rendering of that wall elevation to help you decide.
Be sure you pay lots of attention to the scale of the new fireplace mantel. They need to match both the fireplace opening and the overall size of the room, including ceiling height. Rooms with tall ceilings may be able to support an overmantel. These were very common in older homes that had ceilings of ten feet or more. An overmantel is basically a mantel set on top of the horizontal shelf of the bottom mantel. The upper mantel often has a mirror or painting in the center area.
As you shop for fireplace mantels, pay attention to the way they are mounted to the wall. You want to make sure you buy one that allows you to hide all fasteners so the finished product looks as if it was glued to the wall. There are any number of ways to secure a fireplace mantel to a wall, but know what you need to do before you buy one and lug it home.
Now is the time to think about electricity above or next to your mantel. Since you are doing a remodel job, you have an opportunity to extend electricity to the mantel area. Installing an electrical outlet that is discreetly hidden, but meets all aspects of the National Electric Code, allows you to have powered holiday decorations on your mantel without a dangerous and dangling extension cord.
If you have sentimental items that will be displayed on your mantel, be sure they will fit on the horizontal mantel shelf. Not all mantel shelves are the same depth. If you know of mantels in other homes that really appeal to you, take photographs of them or measurements so you can get one that matches closely.
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Comments:
Fred 18 May 2008, 19:35
I just had a direct vent propane fireplace installed in our family room and
I need to build the wall surrond to hold the ledgestone rocks, a mantle and
a 47 inch LCD TV. The tv is 4 inches thick and I would like to build the
wall above the fireplace recessed 4 inches to hide the tv. How do you build
recessed framing? Also I am planning on hanging a natural, rough cut cherry
mantle, from a tree out back, and it will be heavy. Any suggestions.
Thanks.
Eric 27 Jul 2008, 10:03
Hi
My wife and I are redecorating our home and we want to add a mantel and surround to our existing brick fireplace but the brick only extends 8" to the left and right of the fire box opening. Can this area be completely covered in wood? Hw do we go about adding any woodwork to such a small area without violating the building code dimensions? Thanks
mary jordan 07 Sep 2008, 20:01
Hi, We have just bought an antique fireplace mantle. The face is
original, the top shelf is not, and there is an added piece on each side to
add more depth when installed, or rather mounted on a well. We're
wondering if we should take off the added piece, and just put the face of
the mantle on the well, or keep the added depth. Not sure how the original
mantles were applied. Thank very much, Mary
D Kent 11 Oct 2008, 15:06
Our builder is installing a new fireplace but he put wood on top of the
stone firebox so he could frame outwards. I said that this isn't right
because there should be a minimum air gap between the stone firebox and the
wood. The builder thinks otherwise.. Who is right..? Can one put 2x4
wood blocks on top of a stone firebox..?
Thanks
Liz Sihtala 12 Aug 2009, 12:58
We were able to pick up a great fireplace insert for an excellent price.
Now we need to build a corner mantel/surround to frame it. We would like
to build up vertically to hide the venting and present a more built-in
look. Help! We need info on hearths, paints/ stone, plaster, etc. Is there
a film, book, advice column that would show step-by-step directions?
John Rydman 21 Feb 2010, 18:54
Tim;
We are re-doing our fireplace with granite & oak surrounding our fireplace insert. We want to install electrical outlets into the new mantle shelf. How do you recommend we proceed. Can the outlets be recessed in some manner that makes them less noticable and if so where do I purchase such an outlet? Thanks for any information you can offer. View all comments |



