Modern Rustic Fireplace Makeover: How to Build a Wood Mantle

Progress on my Modern Rustic Fireplace Makeover is moving along! I knew that once I finally started the project I would be able to tackle it in no time. So far I installed and painted the Shiplap accent wall, started building the surround columns, and of course built and installed my new Rustic Wood Mantle.

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So want to know how I built and installed this mantle? Well I’m here to share step by step of what I did, and it was pretty easy to say the least!

How to Build a Wood Mantle

To get started you’ll need to gather your supplies. Here’s what I used:

Supplies To Build:

• 1″ x 6″ x 8′ wood board, you’ll want to fine the most clean and straight piece as this is the front and focus of the mantle.
• 1″ x 8″ x 6′ wood board, for the top
• 1″ x 2″ x 8′ wood strip
• Nail gun & Compressor
• Wood Glue
• Wood Filler
• Wood Stain
• Polyurethane Sealer

Step 1:

Using the 1″ x 6″ x 8′ wood board I cut the front board to size, which was 72″ long. Then I cut 2 side pieces at 7″ long. I also cut small strips from the 1″ x 2″ x 8′ wood strip to use at cleats to help support the mantle as well as not to have to put any nail holes in the front piece.

As you can see above I added the cleats to the back side of the front board. Then I glued & nailed the side boards to this cleat.

Step 2:

Next, I made 2 more cleats for the top of the mantle to sit on. I then glued and nailed them to the backside of the front board.

Step 3:

I then cut the top board and set it into place. It fit almost perfectly, and then again glue and nail.

At this point the frame of the mantle was complete so I placed it on my existing brick mantle to see how it fit. As you can see below I started building my wood side columns to make sure it all went together, but nothing was fastened down yet.

Step 4:

Once, I had my mantle in place I realized there would be a small gap underneath. So, I went ahead and added a 1″ x 2″ x 8′ wood strip.

Step 5:

Now that the mantle was built I patched the nail holes along with any other blemishes. I then sanded down the wood really good. I also gave all the edges a slight soft curve, so it wouldn’t be too sharp.

Once it was completely prepped I moved on to stain. I ended up mixing 70% Minwax Golden Oat with 30% Minwax Weathered Oak. I wanted a warm color with grey overtones to match the wood accents in my kitchen.

Step 6:

After the stain dried for a day I wasted no time and sealed it. I used my Super Finish Max HVLP Sprayer from HomeRight. It really makes the job so much faster. For the sealer I used Minwax Water Based Oil-Modified Polyurethane, and I gave it 2 coats. (make sure to follow the instructions on the can)

Shop HomeRight Products here!

Then I let everything dry for a day or two. But while that happened I moved on to prepping my brick mantle for installation.

How to Install a Wood Mantle into Brick

Here’s step by step on how to install your wood mantle into existing brick. First gather the following supplies.

Supplies To Install:

• Tapcon Drill Bit
• Tapcon Screws
• Plastic Anchors
• Drill gun
• Hammer
• Level
• 1″ x 2″ x 6′ wood strip
• 1″ x 4″ x 6′ wood strip

Step 7/8:

To get started I drilled holes into the brick with a brick/concrete drill bit. I then hammered in plastic anchors.

Step 9/10:

Next, I attached 1″ thick wood strips along the top of the brick with concrete screws into the anchors. You could always mount the mantle directly to the brick, but I wanted to raise the mantle slightly to have more room when it came time to tile the surround. That’s where the blue tape comes into place (see below).

Step 11:

Finally, I attached my mantle by nailing it to the wood strips. Here’s the after, with my completed shiplap.

Shop Modern Rustic Fireplace decor here!

Stay tuned for more of my Modern Rustic Fireplace Makeover, or catch up below:

• How to Steam Clean Your Fireplace
• How to Prep and Paint a Fireplace
• Inspiration for Modern Rustic Fireplace Makeover
• How to Add a Fireplace Shiplap Accent Wall
• How to Build a Wood Mantle

Enjoy!