Turn your fireplace into an accent piece by building a custom oak mantel.
Building and installing an oak mantel is an inexpensive way to change the look of your room. The fireplace is often the focal point of a room, so by installing an attractive mantel you can make your entire room more appealing. Constructing a basic oak mantel is a project that the average homeowner can complete in a few hours. Once the basic mantel has been framed you may customize it to suit your particular aesthetic. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Hold a 78-inch length of 1-by-10-inch oak flat against the wall above your fireplace. Make pencil marks approximately every 8 inches along the top and bottom edges of the board to serve as guides for pre-drilling holes. If the wall above your fireplace is brick, be sure the pencil marks are aligned with the mortar joints between the bricks.
2. Pre-drill holes through the 1-by-10-inch oak board using the pencil marks you just made as guides and an electric drill. Hold the board flat against the wall above the fireplace so the bottom edge is about 60 inches off the floor.
3. Center the board over the fireplace and drive 3-inch masonry screws through the pre-drilled holes into the mortar joints between the bricks in the wall. This board will serve as the breastplate for your mantle.
4. Cut a 78-inch length of 2-by-6-inch oak using a circular saw. Position this board flat on it widest edge along the top edge of the breastplate you just installed and align the edges. The back edge of the board should be flush with the wall.
5. Install a 2-by-6-inch piece of oak by driving 3-inch wood screws down through the board into the breastplate below. The 2-by-6-inch board will serve as the shelf for your mantel.
6. Cut a 78-inch length of unfinished oak crown molding using a circular saw. The style and width of molding you select is up to you. Choose something that fits in with the existing decor of your room or select something ornate to turn your fireplace mantel into an accent piece.
7. Apply a bead of wood glue along the back of a section of oak crown molding and press it flat against the breastplate. Adjust the piece of crown molding so the top edge is flush with the underside of the 2-by-6-inch shelf.
8. Secure the crown molding in place by driving nails from a nail gun through the molding and into the breastplate.
9. Fill all nail and screw holes in the breastplate, shelf and crown molding with wood filler. Once the filler has dried completely, sand all the wooden surfaces smooth using fine-grain sandpaper.
10. Stain your completed oak mantel. Apply thin coats of stain using a paintbrush and wipe away the excess between coats. Once the stain has dried you may choose to brush on a coat of clear varnish or polyurethane to protect the finish from minor damage.
Tags: crown molding, your fireplace, 78-inch length, flat against, pencil marks, wall above, above your