How To Install a Fireplace Mantle

Not everyone can be a fine carpenter, but you can make your fireplace a thing of beauty if you follow basic principles of the craft.

Step 1: Mount any plinth blocks or decorative motifs and moldings you choose. Nail the mantle shelf into the breastplate and on top of the columns.
TIP: Consider fireplace inserts that are designed to be attractive replacements for a real fire.
Step 2: Countersink all nail heads and fill holes. Then sand, prime, and paint or stain your new mantel.
FACT: The United States Fire Association reports that creosote buildup in chimneys accounts for 36 percent of residential home fires.
Step 3: Screw the boxes onto the brace backing you built onto the fireplace front with the screw gun, being careful to use the level to make sure everything is square.
Step 4: Build the vertical and horizontal base boxes from the 1-inch pine or hardwood, choosing the depth you want. Then nail or screw them together.
TIP: The mantle is usually 60 inches from the floor.
Step 5: Attach the brace to the wall that the mantle boxes will be moored to, pre-drilling holes in the masonry. Anchor it with the 10-inch masonry screws.
Step 6: Cut out the breastplate – the rectangular piece that fits over the firebox – to reach as high as the mantle shelf and as wide as the outside of the columns. Secure it with the 2-inch masonry screws.
Step 7: Use the level to sketch the fireplace outline around the firebox. Measure to mark the line on the stone or brick for the mantle ledge and columns or legs.

How to Sabotage Your Ex's Happy Valentine's Day