A fireplace mantle is a beautiful accent piece for any room. One of the most popular mantels to build is a floating mantel which is also sometimes referred to as a lazy susan mantel or a center-island fireplace.
A fireplace mantel is a piece of wood framed around the opening of the fireplace. It can be built on three sides, from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, or it can only be built on two sides, wall to wall and floor to ceiling. The mantel is designed to protect the fireplace from damage.
How to build a simple fireplace mantel
A fireplace mantel is the perfect way to add beauty and style to your home. Whether you have a brick fireplace or one made of stone, wood or even glass, a mantel is an excellent way to enhance the look of your fireplace.
Build a mantel on a brick fireplace
To build a mantel on your brick fireplace, you’ll need to lay out the bricks so that they are level with each other and are flush with the top of the fireplace opening. You can use mortar between each brick or use mortarless construction where you just set them in place and secure them with grout.
Install wooden shelves
If you want extra storage space above your mantel, install wooden shelves above it instead of trying to create built-in storage in between the bricks. This will give you more flexibility when decorating around it since you won’t be limited by the width of your shelves or how much space they take up.
Building a fireplace mantel is a great way to dress up your fireplace and make it the focal point of your living room. First, you’ll need to decide on the style of mantel that best suits your space.
Mantels come in many different shapes and sizes, from simple box styles to more ornate designs with columns and crown molding. You should also consider how much wall space you have available above the fireplace opening, as well as its height from floor to ceiling.
Once you’ve decided on the style of mantel you want, measure the dimensions of your fireplace opening, including any decorative trimwork around it (such as corbels). Measurements will vary based on each project, but most fireplaces are around 4 feet wide by 3 feet high.
If you’re building a mantel for a brick or stone fireplace wall, make sure that you leave enough room between the wall and mantel frame so that it can be sealed properly when finished. If you do not leave enough space between these two surfaces, moisture can build up inside your home causing damage over time.
A fireplace mantel is a piece of woodwork that is designed to support the firebox and surround on a brick or stone fireplace. The idea behind a fireplace mantel is to provide a clean, finished look to the structure. In order to do this, it must be built so that it is level and sturdy.
A simple fireplace mantel can be built using common tools and materials such as wood and nails.
Step 1 – Measurements
Measure your fireplace opening from top to bottom and side to side to get an accurate measurement of how much wood you will need for your mantel.
Step 2 – Cut Your Wood
Measure out the length of wood you will need using a tape measure and mark it with a pencil. Use your circular saw or jigsaw to cut along your pencil line so that you have one long piece of wood for each side of your mantel. Cut these pieces about an inch shorter than the actual height of your fireplace opening so that they can fit tightly against each other when they are attached together at the top edge with nails (see Step 4).
Step 3 – Assemble Your Mantel Shelf
Attach one piece of wood flush against one end of another piece so that their edges overlap by about one-half inch (1 cm
A fireplace mantel is the perfect way to add a touch of class to your fireplace. A mantel can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, and is an excellent way to showcase your favorite decorative items. It’s also a great way to add some color and style to your home without making any major changes.
Here are some tips for building a mantel:
Measure carefully. Before you start cutting wood, measure the height of your fireplace opening several times over. Measure each side of the opening separately, too. This will ensure that the mantel fits perfectly when it’s finished. If you have other measurements that you need to take into account (such as how far back from the edge of the fireplace opening), do so now before cutting any wood.
Cut materials to size. Once you know how much material you’ll need, cut all pieces according to their sizes in relation to one another. Be sure not to cut any pieces too short — if there’s any chance that they might be too short once assembled, leave them longer than necessary and trim them later on if necessary — otherwise you risk wasting valuable materials!
Assemble pieces together securely but loosely enough so they can still move around easily while working on them later
A mantel is a decorative structure above a fireplace that is often built with wood, stone or brick. A mantel is typically supported by corbels or decorative brackets. The word comes from the Latin word “mantellum”, meaning “a cloak”.
The term mantel first appeared in the early 17th century as the word for a wooden shelf behind a fireplace. In modern usage, it has become an architectural element in its own right.
The most common types of mantel are:
-A stone mantle (or fire-place mantle) is a type of architectural element that sits directly above a fireplace, often covering its entire width. It can be made from any kind of material, but it is most commonly made from stone or marble due to their durability and beauty. A wooden mantel may be finished with decorative carving or painted in a variety of different colors, but this isn’t as common as marble or stone because it’s more fragile and can easily be damaged by heat and cold. Steel mantels are also available now which can be made to look like wood, but they have all the durability of metal without being too heavy or brittle like some other materials.
-A glass surround or glass box surrounds the firebox opening and holds
A floating mantel is a great way to add a focal point to your fireplace. It can be as simple as a single piece of wood or as complex as you want it to be. In this article we will show you how to build a floating mantel for your brick fireplace that can be customized to fit any décor.
You can use almost any type of wood for your floating mantel, but pine is probably the easiest to work with. You can also choose from many different stains and finishes to give the look you want.
Before getting started, make sure that your brickwork is level and stable. This will help ensure that your mantel stays in place once it is installed on top of it.
Step 1 – Measure and cut the lumber
Measure out each length of lumber so that it fits snugly between the bricks on both sides of the fireplace opening. Cut them using a circular saw or other power tool that has a blade specifically designed for cutting through bricks without damaging them (this is important).
In this video, I will show you how to build a floating mantel on a brick fireplace.
I have built several floating mantels in my day and I am going to walk you through the process of building one today.
Here are the tools that I used for this project:
Table Saw – Dewalt DW745 Table Saw with 32″ Fence System
Miter Saw – Dewalt DWS780 12-1/2″ Miter Saw with Laser Guide System and Rolling Stand
Drill/Driver – Dewalt DCK277C2 20V MAX Lithium Ion Brushless 3-Speed Hammer Drill/Driver Kit with Job Site Bag
Level – Stanley 3-Foot Fiberglass Leveling Rods (3-Pack)
Building a floating mantel is not as difficult as it sounds. The key is to choose a design that complements the architecture of your home and works with the size of your fireplace opening.
1. Create a template for the top of the mantel by tracing a cardboard box on the wall above your fireplace opening. Make sure to measure from the bottom edge up to the top of your mantel shelf.
2. Measure down from this mark to find where you want your mantel shelf to end—the bottom should be about level with the top of your hearth, which will vary depending on what type of flooring you have installed. Mark this point on both sides of the box shape you’ve made with tape or chalk, then cut out two rectangles from plywood about 1-inch larger than those dimensions (so if you’re going for 30 inches wide by 36 inches high, use 31 inches by 37 inches).
3. Attach one piece of plywood onto each side of the box shape using wood glue and screws so that it hangs over about 2 inches on all sides. Then add another strip of wood across each end so that these pieces are flush with those already attached; this creates a ledge where you can rest
Building a floating mantel is a fairly easy DIY project that can be done in a weekend. The great thing about this type of mantel is it’s modern look, but it doesn’t actually require any new materials. All you’ll need is some wood trim and paint.
Here are the steps to building a floating mantel:
1. Measure the width of your fireplace from side to side, roughly 16 inches apart. Cut two pieces of wood trim to this length using a circular saw or table saw. The wood should be about 1 inch wide by 3/4 inch thick.
2. Secure these two pieces of trim onto each side of your fireplace with nails or screws so they form an “L” shape above your fireplace opening (see photo). Make sure these pieces fit snugly against the walls so there’s no gap between them and the wall — so if there’s any gap, add another piece of wood trim between each piece that’s too wide to fill the gap between them and the wall.
Mantels are an integral part of the fireplace. They can be simple or elaborate, but they should always fit in with the rest of the room.
Building a mantel is not difficult if you know how to do it properly. The first thing you need to do is measure the height and width of your fireplace opening. Then, measure out from each side of the opening so that you can get a measurement for each brick on both sides (for example 12″ from each side will give you 24″ total). You can use this information to purchase your bricks and mortar.
You’ll need to cut some wood for your mantel frame. In order to keep everything level, make sure that all of your wood is cut at exactly the same length. Once you’ve got everything cut out, attach your frame together using screws and glue or nails (depending on what type of wood you’re using). Make sure that all pieces are flush with one another before moving forward with other steps in this process.
Once your frame is constructed, it’s time to build a mantel shelf inside of it by attaching some plywood strips across its entire length (make sure that these are attached securely). Now add some mortar along the inside edge where these two pieces meet up.