How to Modernize a Gas Fireplace With a Wooden Surround

Insert the legs of the surround into the upper mantle portion by sliding the dowels or pins into the mantel holes. Some surrounds have screws you must tighten to hold the dowels in place after inserting them.

Place the surround against the fireplace, centering it over the fire box opening. Lay a level on top of it top of it to determine if it is level. If need, insert wooden shims under the legs until the surround is perfectly level. Then trace the outline of the mantel on the wall using chalk or a pencil.

Lay the surround down on the floor face down and measure the inside width between the two legs. Measure the same distance on a 2-by-4 board and cut it to size using a handsaw.

Measure the vertical height of the legs and cut two more 2-by-4s to those lengths.

Hold the horizontal wood board up to the wall and align it under the pencil or chalk line. Drill pilot holes through the board and 1 inch into the wall using a drill and 1/2-inch bit. If the existing fireplace wall is brick, use a masonry drill bit. Create four holes equally spaced across the board.

Insert 2 1/2-inch-drywall or concrete screws through each hole using the drill.

Install the two vertical boards along the side of the pencil or chalk lines in the same manner.

Place the wooden surround over the fireplace aligning it on top of the horizontal board and over both vertical boards.

Insert 2-inch finishing screws along the top rear edge of the mantel portion every 16 inches. Insert additional screws along both sides of the surround where it meets the wall.