How to Create a Mantel With No Firebox

Materials

• Before beginning, select the material that best suits your needs. Consider the style and furnishings of the room where the mantel will be displayed. A heavy wood mantel, for example, would clash with a room furnished primarily with contemporary or modern furniture, while a room filled with antiques would be a mismatch with a glass mantel. Wood is probably the easiest option for do-it-yourselfers building a mantel; consider using cherry, mahogany, oak, ash, maple, birch, pine or poplar. Bronze and aluminum, limestone and man-made cast stone, and various marbles are other options but require professional fabrication.

Shelf or Surround

• Again looking at the room, determine whether the mantel will consist of a single shelf or a complete surround. Even without a firebox, a surround adds architectural interest; the interior can be designed to mimic a working fireplace using trompe l'oeil painted scenes, a mirror or a television displaying a DVD picture of burning logs. Rustic timber mantels and surrounds are an easy option; simple plain wood designs can be enhanced with edging details added with a router.

Size and Space

• When measuring for a shelf mantel alone, figure the length of the piece and the width and depth of the proposed shelf.

  When measuring for a surround you will want to have an idea of what the interior of the space will be filled with; having a rough sketch of the project helps. Work in the room where the mantel will be installed. Begin with the length of the shelf, then measure from the top of the shelf to the floor. Measure the depth of the proposed shelf from the wall and at the bottom measure out from the back of the surround to the front edge of the proposed leg. Measure the width of the legs of the surround and the opening between them.

Installation

• One advantage of a mantel that is not part of a working fireplace is that it can be removed, stored and set up again. In spaces where the mantel is not intended to be a permanent fixture, mantel shelves and surrounds can be securely attached to a piece of plywood, which is then attached to a wall. Mantel surrounds should be fixed to wall studs using finishing nails along the legs and shelf. When attaching mantels to brick or stone walls, use masonry nails or an epoxy.