Boards Used for Fireplace Surrounds

Hanger Board

• Hanger board is a very useful type of board for quickly creating a wood fireplace surround at low costs. The hanger boards are strips of wood that are installed around the fireplace, typically screwed into the studs to provide maximum support. The actual mantel pieces, on the other hand, are attached to the hanger boards in large pieces, allowing for a fast installation process coupled with stability.

Backerboards

• Backerboard is a unique product design to support additional layers. There may be wood pulp and fiber in some types of backerboard, but other kinds are based on cement instead and are called boards only because of their general shape or use. These boards are helpful if you want to tile around your fireplace but the hearth masonry does not extend out far enough for your liking. You can use backerboard as support for the tile for a larger surrounded.

Hardwoods

• Hardwoods are boards that have been carved specifically for use in a fireplace surround. These woods are often lacquered heavily and made from solid components with room for mantel shelving. Sometimes the surround is made of other materials, like stone, and only the mantelpiece is made from a carved hardwood board. Hardwoods this thick can be expensive, making this one of the more expensive types of surrounds.

Paneling

• Wood paneling is from thinner boards or boards with veneers of hardwoods that can be installed around fireplaces. Paneling is useful for old-fashioned, large surrounds where the paneling can be extended along the walls or above the fireplace.