Help - mantles

[Brian D Anderson]

So it looks like my neighbors are going to commission me to build them a mantle. It's probably coming soon because her quote was "I need someplace to hang the stockings for Christmas".

Having never made a mantle before, I'm reaching out to see if you guys have any tips, tricks recommendations . . . etc.

I'll be going over this weekend to talk about design and choice of woods, so I don't yet have a clear idea of what we're looking at.

I'm kind of wondering how to attach it, among other things.

To help out, I actually found a picture of the fireplace. This was taken before my new neighbors moved in, so you can ignore the furniture and TV. Also, please excuse the picture quality . . . it's a candle lit picture . . . long exposure (we went over and hung out when our street was without power). Anyway . . .

http://www.jfreitasphotography.com/Temp/mantle.jpg

So yeah, who's made a mantle before??

Thanks,

-Brian

[Paul Girouard]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov120085.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Aug320082-1.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Oct2320071.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Sept17200714.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/sept17008-1.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/sept17019.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/UnsavedProject.jpg



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/UnsavedProject.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/apr293.jpg

Highly unlikely they'll be hanging stockings on it this year , UNLESS it's a very simple mantal.

Good luck.

This one gets installed this weekend,

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov162008Boonstra.jpg

[Dale Osowski]

You could go with a simple beam type.

[dave rollins]

Brian
Along with Paul's super looking fireplace pics here are a few sites that might give you some ideas and some have plans available.
http://newyankee.com/getproduct.php?913

http://myhomeideas.com go under room details to fireplace & mantels- 81 photos

http://mantelsdirect.com

http://binkyswoodworking.com/FirePlace.htm shows a mantel build and the plans are available on PlansNow

http://accentbuildingproducts.com go under the mantels tab

Hope this gives you some ideas

Dave

[Prashun Patel]

THere's a great book available in the BORG's from the Creative Homeowner series: "Decorating with Architectural Details".

Lots of good pix/ideas and basic designs for mantles and built ins.

Most mantles I've seen start with a basic box and are then embellished with trim. It hangs from a ledger.

Because their brickwork goes full length and height, I wouldn't make a 3-legged mantle with a surround. I'd just make a ledge with perhaps some corbels (bought from Vandykes or the like)

[Brian D Anderson]

THere's a great book available in the BORG's from the Creative Homeowner series: "Decorating with Architectural Details".

Lots of good pix/ideas and basic designs for mantles and built ins.

Most mantles I've seen start with a basic box and are then embellished with trim. It hangs from a ledger.

Because their brickwork goes full length and height, I wouldn't make a 3-legged mantle with a surround. I'd just make a ledge with perhaps some corbels (bought from Vandykes or the like)

Thanks for the pic's and replies. I wasn't sure what designs would look good with the existing brickwork there. How would you attach a simple ledge with corbels? Attach the corbels to the brick and the the ledge to the corbels?

I guess the whole mounting is going to puzzle me the most, regardless of the design.

-Brian

[whit richardson]

Nice mantles.... I'm assuming you built all those (I'm new around here).

There is also a guy who has a book on building mantles that may help in making the all the proper measurements etc., attaching although Pauls pic shows how cleats are often used to attach them. If you search Amazon for mantles, woodworking you'd probably find it.

[Paul Girouard]

Yes I built them all , and more.

Thanks for the kind words.

You could just bolt on a sub-mantel that your "real" mantel slides onto.

Rent a Hilti or masonry bit a bore some holes in the mortar joints then use lead shields in those holes , or wood dowels thats what you screw your sub mantel pieces to.

You could also add some construction adhesive to the sub mantel / cleating along with the dowel and / or the lead shield.

[Prashun Patel]

You'll need lead anchors and a masonry bit and possibly a hammer drill. PRACTICE on test bricks so you don't crack the real ones. Lag a ledger (2x4ish) to the bricks. The mantel then goes around the ledger and you attach it to the ledger from the top.

As for corbels - if yr gonna use them, they're decorative - not structural. Since they'll likely be solid, you'll have to put a big ugly lag screw through them if you want to attach them to the BACK. IMHO, it's better to screw thru the bottom of the mantel into the tops of the corbels before attaching the mantel, so the corbels won't really be attached directly to the wall at all.

They'll still improve the stability of the mantel though, because they'll distribute any torque on mantel over a larger sfc on the wall.

[Craig D Peltier]

For columns I have bolted an caulked a 2x width of choice to the bricks. You dont have to have a hammer drill for bricks, there pretty easy to drill.Nice if your drill has hammerering ability though. Make sure you shim out the 2x so its dead level. Then screwing and caulking another to it until you reach you desired thickness. Making sure the 2xs were as flat an not twisted as I could. Then you can add the finish pieces over that. Either via piece by piece or a pre made shop covering ( like a shell).
For the mantle I usually make sure the columns stick out far enough to support them at least 2/3rds. Plus with some trims under the mantle spanning the width in between the columns helps with some support. So the mantle is nailed from the top an glued to the columns.
I disagree on not having enough time, you have plenty of time to do this.
I havent any experience with corbels. You could always bolt a finished wood to the bricks under the mantle and nail/screw/glue the corbel to that and from the top of mantle nail it in as well.

[scott spencer]

I've built just one mantel Brian, and refaced the hearth and brick while I was at it. I screwed cleats to the wall studs and nailed the mantel parts to the cleats, much like in Paul's pics.

Paul - you've got some great looking mantels there!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/FP1.jpg

[Mike Vermeil]

Here's a link to a mantel I posted on here a couple years ago:

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=22954

[Paul Girouard]

Thanks Scott.

Here's the french cleat method, seems to work well after a little trial and odd on the exact placement of the cleats.

After leveling / scribing and fitting the cleats where installed.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov222008Boonstras.jpg



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov222008Boonstras1.jpg


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/Nov222008Boonstras2.jpg


One thing on your mantel Scott is you have the breast plate( the horizontal piece right above the fire box awfully close, and also quite projected.

As a rule of thumb the higher you go up the further you can come out. With the gas inserts each fire place comes with a chart providing that info. They do it based on BTW output of the fireplace / stove / insert.

With a pure fireplace I'm not sure IF there is a true "rule of thumb " BUT IMO yours is way to close , I'd say 16" away no more than 2" out with a true fireplace , then start your "step outs" at that point / elevation.

So be careful with that aspect, IE keep the fires small.

You did a nice job on that one from a WW point of view.