Home Interior: How To Build a Mantel

in addition to the existent even out is that Jesse built this mantel How To Build a Mantel

The mantel tutorial I've been promising is finally here! Ya'll know I don't do likewise much woods working on this blog, in addition to the existent even out is that Jesse built this mantel, piece I watched in addition to learned, in addition to and then I did what I do best: I painted it. However, I learned hence much piece ~~watching~~ helping Jesse, that it totally made me desire to construct stuff. That's the matter most materials that scares you...once you lot endeavour it, you lot realize it isn't that scary subsequently all.

So, this is the even out of how Jesse built the mantel. And how I soaked upward every infinitesimal similar an eager, unskilled sponge.
Even Geppetto had to start somewhere, people.

When, I get-go started this beast of a project, I knew it would never live consummate without a mantel. You may call upward that I was dealing amongst this petty naked jewel of a 1970's fireplace.

I looked everywhere, thinking for certain I could but honor a inexpensive soundless beautiful mantel.

That = pipage dream.

And in addition to then I looked online for mantel tutorials, in addition to at that spot weren't rattling many of those either. I was hence frustrated.

So, I convinced Jesse it would live fun to construct one.
I don't think he believed me 1 bit, in addition to would've much rather spent his Dominicus line-fishing or golfing, but I think he enjoyed it nonetheless. Plus, non a 24-hour interval has passed since it was built that he hasn't stopped to pet the mantel for a moment.

It cost us a fraction of the cost of those fancy mantels (we exclusively had to purchase a few pieces of woods which cost us most $20-$30 total), in addition to the entire projection exclusively took a few hours to complete.

We used basic tools in addition to supplies to construct this mantle, most of which nosotros already had from previous projects.

Here is a consummate listing of what you'll need.

Supplies:

1. iv Pieces of Wood:
We used soft pino because it was actually affordable.
Start amongst iii pieces of equal length woods (pre-cut is easiest!) for the front, back, in addition to bottom of your mantle. The forepart in addition to dorsum should live the exact same dimensions, in addition to the bottom should exclusively live equally wide/thick equally you lot desire the pall to appear deep.
Get a larger slice of woods (height & width) for the pall top hence that it extends beyond the pall box on the sides in addition to front. You'll also demand 1 brusque slice the same peak equally the forepart & dorsum hence that you lot tin john cutting it to cap the terminate on both sides of the mantle.
2. 1 Piece of Decorative Trim:
We constitute a 4" slice of decorative cut (moulding) amongst several curves that nosotros idea would hold off squeamish attached underneath the pall top to supply unopen to extra detail.
3. Jig Saw:
We used a jigsaw to cutting our pino boards, which worked but fine. A tabular array saw would live fifty-fifty easier in addition to supply the most precise cuts. You could also usage a handsaw, but (Jesse says) acquire laid to sweat.
4. Mitre box:
We used a mitre box to cutting angles to connect the decorative cut on the forepart in addition to sides of the mantle.
5. Wood Screws:
We used woods screws to screw the pieces of pino together.
6. Bolts:
We used bolts to do a gratis floating mountain on the fireplace wall.
7. Drill:
We used a drill to drill holes inward the dorsum of the finished pall for gratis floating mountain in addition to into the surface where nosotros wanted to hang the mantle.
8. Dremel:
You'll demand a dremel (or other precision rotary cutting tool) to cutting the terminate off of bolts.
9. Liquid Nails:
We used Liquid Nails to secure the mountain in addition to gum the decorative cut to the pall forepart in addition to side.
10. Caulk:
I used caulk to fill upward inward whatsoever gaps betwixt the woods pieces earlier painting.
11. Primer & Paint:
You'll demand primer to brand certain your pigment adheres. I painted my mantel amongst semi gloss pigment (more details at terminate of post).

Once nosotros had the necessary supplies, here's how nosotros built it.

We constitute it cheapest/easiest to usage these pino risers in addition to unopen to leftover fighting wood. This pino is neat because it's inexpensive in addition to looks neat when painted. However, amongst pine, brand certain to pre-drill the holes that you lot intend on screwing because it volition frequently cleft or suspension if you lot endeavour to boom it or screw it inward directly.

We learned this the difficult way. And that's when my trusty wood filler came inward handy.

Assemble your wooden pall starting amongst the forepart in addition to dorsum (identical pieces) to the top & bottom. Screw the pieces together. Remember, you're basically making a large hollow woods box. You but offset it a petty hence that the top extends beyond the forepart board...this basically but makes it hold off similar a mantel.

Here's a closeup side thought to exhibit you lot how far nosotros offset the forepart piece. You are essentially creating a petty ledge.

Next, you'll attach the 2 sides in addition to the bottom to destination the box.

In the below picture, you lot tin john view that the pall is at nowadays sitting upright. We used fighting woods from an one-time wooden shelf for the sides in addition to bottom, hence if you lot don't direct keep whatsoever one-time woods around, you lot tin john purchase an extra pino board.

Also, since Jesse built me a mantel, nosotros volition but smiling understandingly at the fact that he used my adjacent dresser projection equally a tabular array to saw materials on inward the spider garage. :)

Anyways, here's a side shot of the mantle. Attach the bottom, in addition to mensurate in addition to cutting your terminate pieces to unopen inward the mantle.

By at nowadays it should actually live starting to hold off similar a mantel. The adjacent purpose is adding unopen to decorating cut below the ledge in addition to on the sides to actually fancy it up.
We but bought 1 large slice of decorative cut in addition to used a mitre box to cutting the necessary angles.

Back when nosotros did this project, nosotros bought this mitre box kit (affiliate link) amongst clamps in addition to a saw for $12. It's pretty basic, but totally gets the task done when cutting angles.

You'll demand to mensurate your cut an inch longer than you lot think, because cutting it at a 45 flat angle volition convey it dorsum inward an inch hence that it tin john perfectly run across the side pieces, which you lot volition demand to cutting the same way. Treat the cut similar a puzzle. Line it upward inward your caput in addition to slice them together a few times to brand certain you lot cutting the angles the right direction.

You may desire to do using your mitre box on unopen to junk cut first..not because it's difficult to use, but because if you lot are doing it for the get-go time, it powerfulness accept a pair do runs to figure out your angles.

So, you'll demand 1 long slice for the forepart (that volition live glued below the ledge) in addition to 2 brusque pieces, 1 for each side.

Here is a side thought to exhibit you lot how the angles volition business up. You volition live glueing the cut upward underneath the ledge.

To gum the cut onto the mantle, I used Liquid Nails (affiliate link). Once the pall is completely assembled, at that spot volition live tons of tiny gaps betwixt your wood. If you lot are paradigm it white, you'll desire to caulk all of the gaps to acquire inward hold off seamless. I used DAP paintable acrylic latex caulk (affiliate link). Both tin john live seen below.

You tin john also fill upward whatsoever seams or gaps inward the corners of your decorative cut amongst woods filler. Our cuts amongst the mitre box weren't perfect, hence I but filled the gaps amongst this woods filler in addition to sanded it to fit the grooves of the trim. Once painted, you'll never know. Oh, in addition to definitely don't skip the caulk...it makes a huge departure inward how professional person it looks.

The below pic is subsequently I had used woods filler in addition to caulk to brand the entire matter seamless.

To hang the mantle, Jesse used a gratis floating pall mountain technique (found here) that you lot tin john brand yourself amongst a few bolts in addition to unopen to liquid nails. In a nutshell, you lot just drill holes into the surface where you're mounting the mantle, screw inward heavy duty bolts, cutting the heads off the bolts in addition to embrace them inward liquid nails, in addition to and then slide on the mantle. You volition demand to pre-drill holes inward the pall spaced in addition to aligned to the bolts coming from the surface where the pall is to live mounted.

Side note: Ignore the other 85 holes nosotros drilled when nosotros mounted our television on the mantle. It worked great, but I ended upward non liking it. Oops. Sorry rocks.

I hung the pall earlier I painted it because Jesse was most to leave of absence of town for the weekend, in addition to this daughter needed her mantel hung. You volition likely desire to pigment your mantel earlier you lot hang it. :)

But, regardless of where you pigment it, here's how I painted my mantle. It's similar to the method I used on all of our trim in addition to most of the furniture I painted.

It's a actually elementary process. I primed the woods using Zinsser primer (affiliate link) in addition to and then painted it amongst Behr Ultra White inward a semi-gloss finish. I used a paintbrush to apply the pigment in addition to a modest foam roller to polish the brushstrokes.

And that, my friends, is how nosotros made our mantel!

Thanks hence much for stopping past times today. I'm hence so glad you're here! For related posts, you lot tin john banking company check out the following:

How I stacked a bazillion logs.

2 years of horrible decorating decisions. It happens.

A scary one-time post that gives you lot a decent tour of the upstairs.

And the updated version of that tour.

'Til adjacent time!!