This cast stone mantel can be used around electric, gas or log burning fireplace inserts. Here is what you’ll need for the project: Affiliate links are used on this page. Home decor, DIY projects and easy recipes, Home » Home Decor » DIY Projects » How To Build A Fireplace Surround, DIY ProjectsLast updated: December 4, 2020 | by: Jenna Shaughnessy 4 comments. The lattice repeats on the side of the fireplace, too. Keep reading for all the details, but first let me tell you where I built the project to go. If you have a kreg-jig, pocket holes would work great to secure the sides. Then we added 1 x 4 pieces to the bottom of the vertical sides to create some depth. When the basic box is installed, the 1 x 8 board for the mantel sits directly on top. Fireplace Mantel Surrounds. We always do the perimeter boxes first and then full in with the little pieces. After the paint and the shiplap install it looked amazing. The fireplace surround is finished with pine face trim along with cove and crown molding for some added detail. Simple DIY fireplace surround with electrical fire insert. First part of a series detailing how I made a simple Shaker Style fireplace mantel and surround. Now you know how to build a DIY fireplace surround and how to build a fireplace mantel! Taking their ideas and wants I drew up my version of the DIY fireplace surround and mantel and sent it over. But now we’re here. If you want a fireplace that is. You can read all about over at their reveal blog post. I finished the walnut with satin General Finishes Arm-R-Seal using a brush and it turned out amazing! Here is a before and after…I’ll take the after! If a mantel isn’t in your plans, you can also use one of these mantel alternatives. We secured the MDF to the existing wood surround using our nail gun. The bottom piece was nail in place and then the side pieces. I did this using a combination of my jointer and planer. Some mantels extend all the way to the ceiling and include alcoves for … Decorative brackets: Consider adding even more style to your DIY floating shelf mantel. Now let’s move on to how to build a mantel. ornate appliques . The shiplap on top was finished with extra wood strips from my daughters room makeover. The sides came out perfectly smooth and painted like a dream!). We also only have ceilings just over 7 feet, so the height has to be proportional to that. Use a pocket hole jig to drill pocket holes in the ends of the supports and attach one at the top and bottom and one in the middle. ’ve worked hard building fireplace install appliques poor resolution. Cut the front, bottom, and sides to size and attach them with glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. The cove and crown molding will be installed once your fireplace surround DIY project is in the install phase to account for any wall variations. Use 6″ wide strips out of 3/4″ MDF to trim out the bottom of the pillar. We attached the side pieces first, then nailed the front piece in. Cut 3 inner pillar supports per pillar out of 1×3 furring strips. Learn how easy it is to build a simple fireplace surround and mantel from MDF to beef up an existing brick fireplace. Decorating Ideas for Fireplace Mantels and Walls Get traditional, modern and country decorating tips for filling your fireplace mantel. Come back with 150 grit to smooth everything out and you’re done sanding. Standard & Custom Sizes Available ... Our DIY fireplace offerings provide you with all the necessary pieces you’ll need to create the perfect outdoor fireplace. 12 DIY Fireplace Mantel Plans Live Edge Wood Mantel. 2. Doing it that way makes the cuts a lot quicker. These mantel and fireplace surround plans are for the intermediate to expert woodworker. I’ve never been a huge fan of our brick fireplace. Did you notice the little red hammer? If you want more detail you can add a routed profile to the trim. We attached some crown moulding the front using various YouTube tutorials to help us cut the mitered edges. When we took the old mantel shelf off we were left with a surface almost completely flush with the wall (one of the main reasons for this makeover). The lattice pieces are attached mostly with liquid nails but with a few nails in the corners just to make sure they would stay in place. Yours may need to be bigger or smaller, but that may help you figure out what you need. The steps are pretty straight forward and it’s really an easy build that anyone can do! Like what you see? Easy to install; a 2-person do-it-yourself project. I jumped at the opportunity to get involved and be able to give back to the local community. Do yourself a favor and make 8 of these to help you glue this joint. (we did not do the middle support as everything seemed sturdy enough, so it's optional). See my disclosure page for info on affiliate programs. Cove molding will cover the 1/2″ MDF sticking up in the front later and give your DIY fireplace surround a nice classy look. These DIY mantels will add character and dimension to a room, as well as give you a beautiful place to decorate and hang a Christmas stocking. To keep the character of the boards but be able to join them securely, you need to flatten the underside of the boards and get straight edges. the center of attention in the … I planed down 1×3 pine boards to 1/2″ thick but you could also use 1/2″ MDF if you don’t have access to a planer or 1/2″ pine. My kids love to help  and have kiddy versions of ALL our tools! The crown molding will cover this portion later. How to Build a Fireplace Mantel Choose and prepare the wood for the fireplace mantel Cut and join the miters for the mantel Attach the top and bottom to the fireplace mantel … When building a mantel you can get a continuous look on the corners by cutting the sides and the front with complimentary miters. In order for the electric fireplace to sit into the existing fireplace surround, we needed to build a box for it to sit in. We purchased pre-primed 1 x 4's and started by attaching the back board to the existing wall with wood screws. I used some homemade 45 degree clamping cauls to make this glue up a breeze. Cut 4 top support pieces to fit between the back support and the front. These pieces were cut at a 45 degree angle to create a clean, mitered edge. lift old fireplace door unit out. DIY Mantels. It was really lost on that wall with just some trim around it. Compare products, read reviews & get the best deals! Pearl mantels 412 shenandoah fireplace mantel shelf, Pearl mantels 412 shenandoah fireplace mantel shelf pearl mantels developed product installed home, . In the first part of my fireplace makeover tutorial, I shared how to tile over a brick fireplace. Today, I’m going to share how we built out our existing surround and DIYed a new mantel. Before we could tile the hearth, we covered the brick with ¼ inch MDF. Once the mantel is built, it's easy to figure out how far to build out the rest of the surround. The width of these pieces will vary depending on the dimensions of what you're working with. We were excited to tackle this as a DIY because it’s actually the third fireplace surround project that we’ve tackled. Attach with glue and brad nails. We measured them to fit what already existed since the built-ins on either side preventing us from going any wider. To build the side columns for the new surround, use MDF to construct two rectangular boxes with open backs. Our new fireplace is proportional, substantial and fits our space. How much wood will vary depending on the size of mantel and surround you choose to build. Then add 1 x 4 pieces to the bottom of the vertical sides to create some depth and act almost like a piece of base crown. Then add 1 x 4 pieces to the bottom of the vertical sides to create some depth and act almost like a piece of base crown. Using wood with some texture gives your fireplace mantel a lot of character. Note, if your crown molding is something other than 3″ tall when installed then you’ll need to adjust the trim and this piece. This will give your DIY fireplace surround a classic shaker look. Drill pocket holes on the back side of the front piece and connect the sides with 1-1/4″ pocket screws and glue. Shop Fireplace Mantels top brands at Lowe's Canada online store. Freestanding Mantel on Chalkboard Background // A Bowl Full Of Lemons DIY instructions to build a shaker style fireplace surround and mantel. The fireplace mantel is one of our favourite spots to style — it's such a cinch to switch up with the seasons. It makes sense that in order to create a cozy living room, you must make sure your fireplace is a main focal point. We attached the side pieces first, then nailed the front piece in. Finally, the walnut mantel rests on the MDF box beam and screws through the back of the top secure it to a 2×4 that is attached to the wall studs. When we were happy with the box, we attached a 1 x 8 pre-primed board to sit on top and form the actual mantel. Grey Fireplace Mantel. or you're a clumped-candle type, you'll love these flaming-hot ideas. We chose to build our mantel box before finishing the surround, so that we could visually see how far we wanted it to come out. Attach the pieces with 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws evenly spaced along the beam. I lightly sanded between each coat of primer to ensure that I was keeping the surface as smooth as possible. We attached the side pieces first, then nailed the front piece in. Give your home an elegant touch with the Pearl Mantels The Williamsburg Fireplace Mantel Surround. In the end, we pretty much built this entire fireplace mantel and surround from scratch. 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