Mounting A Heavy Mantle To A Wall

The existing mantel was 3 feet wide and went to the outside fireplace wall so we couldn t remove it as it would have destroyed the integrity of the stone wall.

Mounting a heavy mantle to a wall.

The challenge is to mount a fireplace mantel to the wall without putting screws or nails through the fireplace mantel wood. Attach the template board to the wall using 2 screws on the outermost studs. Because of the weight you may need someone to help you lift the mantle from the floor and hold it in place. Turn the mantel face down and measure the distance from the mantel s top edge to the gap in the.

I will share soon how i disguised the old mantel slab gap. To sum it up here are the quick steps to take if you are trying to figure out how to install a mantel. Hold the mantle up against the wall where you intend to install it. Place a level on the.

Mount the fireplace mantel. Push the mantel against the wall using the drawn lines. Hold the mantel above the fireplace at the height you wish to mount it at least 6 inches away from the firebox. Drill holes half of height of your beam.

Drill 1 2 holes across the back of the mantle to accept the lag bolts. The mantel should fit around the cleats which hold it in position. Make sure to measure and mark accurately so that the mantle holes will align perfectly with the lag bolts. These screws should be roughly 16 inches apart fasten the mantel to the cleats along the top shelf and along the two.

Once the mantel was hung i seriously couldn t believe how different the fireplace looked. By using a method that distributes the weight and pressure on to the studs behind the wall instead of the wall. Learn this clever way to attach the mantel to the wall without using screws or nails. Step 3 trace the shelf of the mantle against the wall leaving a pencil line on the wall to mark the height of the mantle.

Drill mantel holes mark on the rear of the mantel where the lag bolts will hit. Our beam was 6 tall so nate drilled down 3 determine desired height of your mantel. Then use the drill to insert screws through the mantel and into the cleats. A heavy log mantel needs plenty of support to stay in place once you ve installed it.

Remove the old mantel add support by drilling holes for lag shields then install lag bolts into the brick measure carefully and drill corresponding holes for the wood mantel push the wooden. The solution is a french cleat.