I wish to replace the mantle on our fireplace. The current one is rough sawn and very difficult to clean due to the roughness. The mantle and fireplace extend across the entire width of the room, approximately 12 feet. Replacing it with one board is not practical; I am not sure I could scribe the wall on each end to get a perfect fit.
Hopefully, someone has replaced a mantle and has design suggestions. As an example, I was thinking about three separate sections, perhaps separated with a contrasting color wood? The contrasting wood might even be raised above the primary wood to give an architectural look to it.
I though about using a veneer but only if I could install the substrate and glue the veneer in place. All veneer I used previously was on a thin substrate and veneered on both sides. Would 3/4 inch mdf be suitable for a one sided application like this?
The wood will probably be QSWO. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.