Fireplace Mantel: Creating A Decorative Feature For Your Fireplace
A decorative electric fireplace is always a site to behold in any interior space. Other than its ability to provide heat, its design and structure are what makes it all the more interesting. Although the simulated fire and music are what heightens the beauty of an electric fireplace, its mantel is also a contributing element that makes it unique. However, as purchasing a mantel can be a bit pricey, especially nowadays that you have to save money for other important things, it would be more preferable to create your own mantel.
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 a shelf-like fixture attached to the wall, sitting on top of the fireplace opening. This part is often incorporated to enhance the space where a fireplace would be placed and doubles as a decorative feature where a homeowner can place different objects such as photographs and figurines. Such piece is usually separate from the fireplace but can also be directly connected to the fire feature.
Though you can simply purchase the mantel of your electric fireplace heater, building your own custom mantel is a great way to enhance the character of your fire feature. By constructing your own mantel, you would be able to create a unique fixture based from your chosen concept or theme. Though this is not an easy project to do, it would surely be worth the effort as it is way cheaper than a pre-made mantel. To start your mantel project, be sure to have the following tools: 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. Be sure to add at 3/4 of an inch to the measurements you made so as to properly accommodate the thickness of the boards that you will use. Don’t forget to use a level when marking the location of your mantel in order to avoid squiggly lines. After measuring the fireplace and fireplace location, create your mantel design by following your personal concept and indicate the dimensions of your mantel according to the measurements you’ve acquired from the fireplace.
Make the legs of your fireplace mantel by making an incomplete box from three boards, which you would eventually mount on the wall. Cut the side and front pieces of each leg and connect the three together by gluing and nailing them. Attach the box to the wall by securing the sides of the legs to the wall with nails. To accentuate the look of your mantel legs, install pieces of crown moldings around the side of the legs.
Now that your fireplace mantel legs are already in place, the next thing to do is to create the top and shelf of the mantel from a frieze board, and then secure it at the top of the mantel legs. To ensure the strength of the mantel top and shelf, nail it to the wall and then install crown moldings around its sides to accentuate it. To achieve smoother edges, use a router to scrap of tiny particles on the edge of your mantel. Finally, paint the mantel with your desired color but be sure that your chosen hue would complement your home’s color scheme.
Your fireplace mantel could significantly influence the overall appearance of your electric fireplace heater. Hence, if you want to achieve a decorative electric fireplace, it is about time to change your mantel into something that would suit your interior design needs. However, instead of purchasing a new mantel, you can do one yourself in order to cut down on your expenses.
- Wyatt Fisk
