A fireplace is already a pleasant addition to the house but you can make it even more attractive with some additions. A mantel hanging above it would do just that especially if it is well made.
Fortunately for you, mantels are not that hard to build or even expensive. With the right materials, tools, and know-how, you can have one set up above your fireplace within a week.
1. Materials, Tools, and Cutting Guide
You will need 1 board that is 61 inches long and has dimensions of 1x12x6 inches. This will form the top of your mantel. Also, you will need 2 1x8x8 boards at 61 inches long for the front panel, 2 11×7 inch boards for the side panels, and 1 59 inch board for the bottom panel.
For the supports below the mantel, you will a board at 2x4x8 inches. You will also need 3/16 inch x 3-1/4 inch concrete anchors to mount the mantel to the wall.
As for tools, you will only need a hand saw, sandpaper, wood glue, wood fill and polyurethane coating. The wood dye you will use also determines the look of the mantel. Choose dark brown for a faux look while lighter tones give either a rustic or reclaimed look depending on the wood you are using for this project.
2. Preparation
In order to give the illusion that you’ve used one massive block of wood for the mantel, you will need to cut the top, front, side, and bottom panels at a 45-degree angle at all sides. This allows them to easily lock into each other upon assembly which should make fitting and finishing easier for you later on.
At this point, you could also sand down the surface and the edges of your panel pieces using sandpaper. For the supports below the mantel, you will have to cut the 2x4x8 board into two sets of blocks. The first blocks at the top will be 7 inches, the middle blocks at 5 inches, and the bottom most blocks, at 3 inches.
3. Assembly
Apply a decent amount of wood glue at the edges of each panel to connect. Since glue has a tendency to slip up while drying, it would be best to do this part piece by piece to minimize mistakes.
At the same time, hold the connecting panels down with a clamp and give the glue at least 3 hours to dry. You must also do this for your bottom supports before attaching them to the mantel.
4. Finishing
Once your mantel piece is complete, you will then mix the wood fill with your dye of choice. Apply this mixture generously on all edges of the mantel as well as the surface. Not only will it seal off the edges but will “age” your wood giving off that rustic, faux, or reclaimed effect.
After the aging process is complete, you can then apply your polyurethane coating to give the mantel a layer of protection. Once done, all that is left to do is to install the concrete anchors above your fire place and mount the mantel on it.
Please Share This Article 🙂
