How to Mount a Mantel on Bricks

Center the mantel over the fireplace. If the mantel has legs, even out the gaps between each leg and the fireplace's edge. If the mantel does not have legs, make sure it extends past the fireplace's edges an even amount on each end.

Set a level on the mantel's top to make sure it does not lean. If an uneven mantel has legs, use a circular saw to trim a bit off the taller leg's bottom edge. Trace along the mantel's top and down its sides to mark its location on the brick wall. Set the mantel aside.

Step around to the mantel's backside and locate the gaps for the mounting boards. Some mantels come with mounting boards while others do not. If yours does not, measure the gaps' length and cut pieces of 1-by-2-inch board to the appropriate length with a circular saw.

Measure from the mantel's edge to the mounting board gap on both legs and the shelf. Transfer this measurement to the wall and draw a line to indicate the mounting board gaps' locations. Some manufacturer's tell you where to place the mounting boards on the wall, so read the manufacturer's directions.

Insert a tube of construction adhesive in a caulk gun and cut off the tip with a utility knife. Run two beads of adhesive down the back of the shelf's mounting board and position it on the wall, using the line you made in Step 4 as a guide. Place a level on the mounting board and adjust it as necessary. Finish securing it in place by hammering three to four masonry nails through the board and into the brick wall. Repeat this step with both side mounting boards.

Lift the mantel up to the fireplace and position it over the mounting boards. Hammer finishing nails through the mantel and into the mounting boards to hold the mantel in place.