How to Build a Mantel Surround

Pieces Every Mantel Surround Requires

• Mantel surrounds typically have the same structure, but you’ll need a piece for the mantel shelf, two pieces for the “legs” that flank each side of the firebox and still more material to create two thin but supportive boxes to fill in surrounding space, support some of the mantel’s weight and allow the surround to slightly protrude from the wall.

Materials for Mantel Surrounds

• You can use several types and styles of parts for the structure’s construction. Let your desired mantel surround guide your choice. For example, for a rustic fireplace, you could use thick, polished branches for the legs, a slab of reclaimed wood for the mantel, and square-edged planks of reclaimed wood for the decorative moldings. For a more traditional mantel, use newel staircase posts for the legs and tiers of carved wooden moldings for all the other pieces.

Figuring Dimensions

• Before you buy materials for a mantel surround, figure out how much of those materials you’ll need. Plan for your mantel surround’s dimensions to work with the scale of the fireplace as well as how much of a focal point you want the surround to be. Go big for an attention-getting mantel surround, with a wide, thick shelf and several surrounding feet of layers of decorative molding. For a less obtrusive fireplace, only plan for moldings that extrude about a foot outside of your firebox in any direction, and keep your mantel’s size modest.

Construct the Mantel Before Attaching It

• Instead of attaching the mantel surround to the wall piece by piece, build the surround completely as its own unit. Dry fit the pieces around the fireplace to ensure you’ll like the results, and then connect them with wood glue and nails. First construct two tall, thin, bottomless, topless and backless boxes that will flank the fireplace, then attach the legs in front of the boxes, and, finally, attach the shelf to the top of the boxes and posts. When you do attach the completed mantel surround to the wall, use a French cleat behind the mantel, which uses interlocking 1-by-4 inch sections of wood to support heavier weights.