The aesthetic appeal of a hearth is nearly universal. You can even fake the appeal of a fireplace in your house by installing a mantel on any wall. To anchor a sturdy mantel, you need one horizontal and two vertical supports fastened to the wall before putting the mantel in place. The horizontal support partially bears the weight of the mantel, and the vertical supports keep it steady.
Place the mantel against the wall where it will go and trace its outline on the wall with a pencil.
Turn the mantel around with the hollow back side facing you.
Measure across the upper horizontal portion of the mantel inside the back. This measurement is to determine the length for the upper, horizontal support. The horizontal space that you measure should be directly beneath an edge that will rest on the support. In many cases, this space is just under the top plate of the mantel.
Mark a 2-by-2-inch board to the length of the horizontal measurement and cut it straight across with a hand or circular saw.
Measure inside the back of the mantel again, this time vertically and just inside the left or right side of the mantel frame. Measure, mark and cut two boards to that length.
Measure down from the top of the mantel to the location where you took the horizontal measurement. If you measured just under the top plate of the mantel, measure the thickness of the top. This determines the location of the horizontal support.
Measure down the wall from the horizontal pencil line to the measurement for the horizontal support location, and mark the wall.
Place the horizontal support against the wall, aligning its upper edge with the pencil mark. Place a level on top of the board and adjust the board until the level’s bubble is centered.
Insert 2 1/2-inch masonry screws through the support and into the wall, spacing screws 6 inches apart left to right.
Measure the back of the mantel from either the left or right outer vertical edge straight across to the location where you measured for the the vertical supports.
Measure over from one of the vertical pencil lines on the wall to the vertical support location measurement, and mark the wall. Repeat on the opposite side to mark the other vertical support.
Place one vertical support board against the wall on the left. Align the left edge of the support with the pencil mark, adjust the board with a level for plumb or vertically straight, and fasten the support with screws as before. Repeat to fasten the other vertical support on the opposite side.
Spread silicone sealer across the top of the horizontal support that you fastened to the wall.
Move the mantel into position, slightly above the horizontal support. Lower the mantel onto the support.
Insert 2-inch finishing screws, spaced 16 inches apart, through the left side of the mantel and into the vertical support. Repeat on the right side of the mantel.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- 2-by-2-inch boards
- Hand or circular saw
- 2 1/2-inch wood screws
- Power drill with Phillips screwdriver bit
- Silicone sealer
- 2-inch finishing screws
- Disguise screws on the sides of the mantel with decorative molding, or fill the screw depressions with caulk and paint the mantel.
- Drill pilot holes through the supports before inserting the screws to help avoid splitting the wood.
- If you are mounting the supports and mantel on brick, use a hammer-style power drill and a masonry bit to drill pilot holes for the screws through the brick without cracking it.
- If the space behind the wall where you are mounting the mantel is mostly hollow, use expandable molly bolts instead of wood screws to mount the supports on the wall.
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