subject: How To Build A Fireplace Mantel [print this page] A decorative electric fireplace inside the home never ceases to capture attention. Other than its ability to provide heat, its design and structure are what makes it all the more interesting. Though the simulated fire and music are what makes an electric fireplace attractive, its mantel is also an important element that makes it stand out from the rest of the furnishings inside the home. However, as purchasing a new mantel could be pretty expensive, making your own could save you more bucks that you could use for other things.
Before you make a mantel for your electric fireplace heater, it is essential to identify first what a mantel is and how it functions. Basically, mantel is the shelf-like structure sitting on the wall atop the fireplace hearth. This fixture is integrated in order to widen the space where the fireplace would be situated, and also serves as a decorative feature for the fireplace. Commonly, the mantel is available as a separate piece from the fireplace, but can also be bought already assembled with the fire feature.
Even though you can simply purchase the mantel of your electric fireplace heater, it would be much better to build or customize your own mantel to further improve the character of your fire feature. By doing your own mantel, you would be able to create a unique piece that would best represent your personality and style. Though this project might require more than a DIY ability, your efforts would surely pay off as this is a cheap way to get quality mantel without purchasing. To cap off your mantel project you should have the following materials: saw, nail gun, crown molding, wood glue, router, level, wooden boards and paint.
Measure the length and width of your fireplace along with the location where you would install your fireplace mantel. Ad 3/4 of an inch to your measurements as these additions would correspond to the thickness of the boards you are about to use. Make sure to use a level when marking to achieve straight lines. After doing the measurements, do your mantel design in accordance to your desired theme and scale down the dimensions of your mantel based from the measurements you did for your fireplace.
Create the legs of your fireplace mantel by using three boards in order to form a semi-box on the wall. Cut the side and front pieces of each leg and connect the three together by gluing and nailing them. Mount the legs on the wall by securing the sides of the box with nails. To decorate your mantel legs, install crown moldings around the sides of the legs.
Now that you have already installed the legs of your fireplace mantel, create the mantel shelf and top with the use of a frieze board and then nail and glue it an the top of the legs. Nail the mantel shelf into the wall, and install crown moldings around its sides. To achieve smoother edges, use a router to scrap of tiny particles on the edge of your mantel. Lastly, paint your homemade mantel according to your preferred color, but make sure that it would complement your home's color scheme to maintain design continuity.
