In every business firm I have lived in in that location has been a fireplace, whether that be wood burning or gas. Having a fireplace in a habitation tends to create a sense of nostalgia and ambiance for virtually people and having an older home means a fireplace was a must. Our fireplace has really been transformed since we moved in, I gave it a whitewash treatment earlier we even officially moved in. Notwithstanding, information technology ever felt like it was missing a mantel and I especially miss the mantel at Christmastime. It is only not the aforementioned to me to accept the stockings laying on the hearth and would much rather see them hang. I have always pictured a solid wood mantel over the fireplace and when I had the opportunity to work with Osborne Wood Products I jumped at the run a risk to finish this project.

Looking straight on at a floor to ceiling brick fireplace that has been whitewashed with a gas fireplace insert and a green wreath hanging on the fireplace

Disclosure: I was provided the walnut corbels for this project from Osborne Wood Products, the thoughts and opinions included in this postal service are completely my ain. This post contains chapter links for your convenience, this but means that if you brand a purchase after clicking on a link I will make a small commission at no additional cost to yous, see my full disclosure and privacy policy for more information.

Materials Needed to Install a Mantel On a Brick Fireplace

  • Solid piece of wood for the mantel (we found ours at a surplus edifice textile store local to the states)
  • Corbels (depending on your mantel these could exist structural or just for decor purposes)
  • Drill with a masonry bit
  • 10″ x 3/8″ lag bolts (we used 5 of these)
  • Condom mallet
  • Multi-tool or Sawzall with a metal cutting blade
  • Tape measure
  • Level
  • 3/eight″ Ratchet
  • Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil (this is what I used to seal the mantel and corbels)

The offset step was to find the corbel design that I liked the best. I wanted something simple with clean lines and not something that had a lot of grapheme so that they wouldn't clash with the farmhouse await. In searching on Osborne Wood Products website I loved these corbels that had some small item and wouldn't look out of place. And they had so many options of wood types to choose from! Justin and I decided to go with the walnut because this is a hardwood and at the time nosotros weren't sure if they were going to be more decorative or functional.

A white fireplace hearth with 2 corbels sitting side by side, one laying on it's side

Adjacent, I had to figure out where I would discover a chunk of wood for the mantel as these aren't normally something that tin can observe readily at most home comeback stores. And another business organisation was cost as it tin can be expensive to purchase solid woods slabs. I had already planned a trip to Building Textile Resources which is a local store that aims to provide edifice materials, doors, windows, and other unique items at affordable prices. They have a great selection of unique woods that you unremarkably cannot notice at the local box store. If you lot live in NW Oregon (specifically Sherwood, Oregon) I would definitely check them out.

I happened to exist heading to their shop that day to look at wood to employ for home decor signs that I brand and ended up finding this large slab of wood for only $19! I took a flick, wrote down the measurements and left that day with my other supplies. I admit that I am terrible when information technology comes to measuring to run across if things volition fit in the area I picture in my mind so I knew I couldn't just purchase it that twenty-four hours. I showed Justin the picture, gave him the measurements and we realized it would work! So we went the next mean solar day and it was however there and it came domicile with us! I knew for just $19 nosotros would be dizzy non to use it if the dimensions would piece of work.

A man standing next to a solid piece of wood that will become a fireplace mantel

The next pace was to sand the woods down as it was a little rough in places. I started with an 80 fibroid grit sandpaper on my Ryobi orbital sander and and then finished with a 120 fine grit. The walnut corbels were and so pretty when they arrived that I didn't want to change their look past staining them and thought I would leave the mantel wood piece it'southward original color too as I couldn't brand a determination if information technology needed stain or just a protective coat of polyurethane.

How to Install a Solid Wood Floating Mantel on a Brick Fireplace

Ok, now for the actual installation of the mantel. So a fiddling back story most our fireplace. The original fireplace is actually simply near to the top of that gas fireplace insert. The brick that you see is actually a facade that was built out of 2x4s and plywood and then brick was attached to the front of the plywood. We know this because we know the family of the previous owners and have been told some of the histories of the home.

First, you will want to pre-drill where the lag bolts volition go in.  This needs to exist done with a masonry bit every bit other bits will be eaten and dulled by the brick if yous tried to use them. Justin measured the mantel and wanted it centered on the brick and and then measured the bolts evenly to fit the mantel for enough support.

A whitewash brick fireplace up close with a mans hand guiding a drill into the brick

He then went to the local hardware store and establish five large lag bolts that were x″ x 3/8″ that would hold the weight of the mantel. Originally the thought was that the corbels would get more decorative than functional just and then we realized that they would help to add support for the mantel.

A close up from the side of lag bolts sticking out of a brick fireplace with the lag bolt heads still intact

Once the lag bolts were bolted in Justin cutting off the heads of the bolts with a multi-tool (this can also be done with a Sawzall) while holding the bolt with a clamp to keep the vibration to a minimum.

A side view of lag bolts sticking out of a brick fireplace with the heads of the bolts cut off

Once all the heads of the bolts were cut off we had to measure on the back of the mantel and mark the spots that the bolts would need to slide into. This side would be against the brick and so Justin pre-drilled into the forest and so that the bolts would exist able to snuggly fit onto the bolts. I didn't get whatever pictures of this part equally I was helping with the installation.

We lifted the solid woods piece up and I helped Justin guide the holes in the mantel dorsum on the bolts, we had to make sure we were guiding it on evenly as the holes were drilled just big enough for the bolts so that it wouldn't motion once installed. Justin used a prophylactic mallet to go the mantel in identify so that it was flush against the brick. The rubber mallet will act equally a hammer just won't dent the woods. And unfortunately, I don't accept any pictures of the mantel in place before we started installation on the corbels

Over again these corbels I chose from Osborne Wood are solid walnut, they are heavy and oh so pretty! Justin started installing the corbels earlier I had the chance to take pictures then I volition exercise my all-time to explicate it to you lot.

The corbels come with an attachment already on the back for hanging only we ended up not attaching the corbels from the back. Justin decided that in order to have the corbels flush confronting the solid wood he would adhere screws through the top of the mantel. He countersank into the wood using 3″ long deck screws and so the corbels hung in place, suspended from the mantel and non actually fastened to the brick.

A look at the back of a corbel with hangers attached
A close up of a solid wood mantel from the top with 3 screw holes against a white brick fireplace

Once the installation was complete I needed to decide if I wanted to stain the forest or apply some type of finish. I loved the expect of the natural wood simply felt I needed to seal it just to protect the wood from stains. Below is a motion-picture show before I applied any type of sealer:

A straight on view of a fireplace with a solid wood mantel with corbels attached
A close up picture of solid walnut corbels under a solid wood mantelpiece
A close up picture of solid walnut corbels under a solid wood mantelpiece

I ended up choosing to go with Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil which I take used in the past. This is a workout oil that helps revive dried out forest. The solid forest piece was very dry and one-time then I knew this conditioning oil would exist a slap-up alternative to stain. And the oil ended upward giving the corbels and the solid wood mantelpiece a more cohesive look.

As you tin can see from the last look that the hemp oil does darken the wood but not so much that I didn't like the manner it turned out. I love this mantel and accept been changing out the decor every couple weeks and I can't expect for Christmas when the stockings tin can properly hang.

A straight look at a fireplace mantel on a brick fireplace with a green wreath hanging on the fireplace
A straight look at a fireplace mantel on a brick fireplace with a green wreath hanging on the fireplace