what do I need?

Question

I just bought a townhouse with a wood burning fireplace. I want to build a mantel for it but I do not know what type of material i need.

Answer 1

Certainly all valid answers so far, and they pretty much clue you as to this being a personal choice.

Beyond that I'll add my two cents. Without knowing at all the substance of the walls that surrounds the fireplace, I'll assume framed drywall?? If not, your choice of materials for the Mantle can be the same as.... but installed differently if the wall is faced in Brick, etc.

It also might depend in some degree, to the weight you intend for the mantle itself, and anything you consider displaying on it.

One answer stated a Mantle Kit. Most often, in a contemporary sense at least, we might pictiure a Mantle as kind of a "Free Floating" structure, apparently with no visible supports. That can be accomplished in a Kit or construction, designed to make the supports invisible, but attached in a stable way, to the Butted wall.

You might want a Mantle Wider than the Fireplace, even as far out as you can go? A more traditional look, might allow or suggest Beams attached at some perimeter measurement, that in fact support the Mantle structure.

Something very Rustic could be a 2 x whatever in OLD barn Wood, etc. OR as stylized as Driftwood, OR as sleek and Modern as a thick, glass shelf.

In any case the task need not be labor intensive, but certainly can be from mild to wild, creative to plain, etc.,,,at your choice.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

You need to look around and see what you like. There are many choices out there. What do you like? Old wood (like barn wood), Nice, light colored wood (like pine, birch, cypress), Dark wood (like mahogany). Maybe go to the hardware store where they have stain samples on different wood and see if you like any of them. If you want something modern (contemporary), what you could do is 'stack' build a mantle and put mouldings around it to hide the stack lines. What I mean to 'stack' is to cut out several pieces the length and width you want. Then stack each piece (glue and nail, or screw) on top of each other until you get desired thickness. Then put mouldings on it and finish it to your likings.
Or, if you can find a lumber yard, you can go and see if they will cut you a 'slab' of something you like. That's what I did. I found where they had cypress wood (light colored and very pretty when fresh cut). I took home a 10" wide x 4" thick x 12' long piece of beautiful wood. I cut the slab to 5 1/2' long and finished it with natural stain / polyurethane before the wood had a chance to start turning dark. It turned out beautiful!
Good luck!

Answer 3

Go to your local building supply and you can purchase a mantel kit. Or you can purchase plans that will give you a list of suppliesneeded.

Answer 4

You can build it out of anything really. If you want to go easy, you can build it out of poplar boards you can find at Lowe's or some such place.