Indoor & Outdoor Fireplaces, Plus Accessories

Is plywood a good thing to cover my brick fireplace or something else?

I am tired of the brick, and want the nice wood mantle. I don’t have the money for the pre-made mantle, so I will make my own piece by piece. Is plywood good as a backset to the casing and mantle?

I opinion is that unless you are a very experienced wood worker, you are not going to save much money by trying build a mantel and fireplace surround piecemeal from plywood. In the end you will not be happy with the result.

The problem with plywood is the edges. You will need a design that deals with the edges and the ugly laminations. This is not always easy for the inexperienced to do.

In order to cut the plywood to the sizes you need, you will need a table saw or some skill at using a straight edge and a handheld circular saw. You might be able to get the pieces of plywood cut at the lumber yard or home improvement but it has been my experience that they usually don’t make very precise cuts.

In the long run you will be much happier with a pre fabricated mantle and surround.

I have always attached mantles and surrounds to the brick using lead anchors and bolts to hold a series of 1 x 3’s to the brick and then nailing the finished mantle and surround to these pieces.

You need to be sure you know what your local code says about the amount of tile or other non flammable material that is required between the fireplace opening and the surround. In many places it is at least a 12″ width if not more.

I have seen a couple of fireplaces covered in marble or granite tiles. That is a much more DIY friendly method. You can rent tile saws and that makes is possible to be a very neat job.

Pearl Mantels Auburn Arched Wood Fireplace Mantel Shelf ...

Pearl Mantels Abingdon Wood Fireplace Mantel Shelf ...

Pearl Mantels Lindon Wood Fireplace Mantel Shelf ...

Multi Color Votive Wood Block Holder and Battery Operated, Flameless, Flickering Tealight Candles $40.00 When you need to replace the CR2032 batteries (after 120 hours of use (or 30 four hour uses), avoid spending $9 per battery in your local hardware or convenience store. We sell Lithium CR2032 replacement button batteries for $2.99 / five pack (that's less than 60 cents per battery.) Search on Amazon for B000RJODBQ....

Miniature White Painted Wood Fireplace Mantle $4.99 Miniature White Painted Wood Fireplace Mantle for the 1:12 scale miniature setting. Shown with the coordinating mantle clock... Which is available in my store separately but not included in this listing. This listing is for the fireplace mantle only and the fireplace comes in oak, black, mahogany & cherry.Measures: 4 5/8 in wide at the top and 4 1/4 wide at the base 7/8 wide and 3 7/8 in tall....

Dollhouse Miniature Black Painted Wood Fireplace Mantle $6.99 Miniature Black Painted Wood Fireplace Mantle for the 1:12 scale miniature setting. Shown with the coordinating mantle clock... Which is available in my store separately but not included in this listing. This listing is for the fireplace mantle only and the fireplace comes in oak, black, mahogany , white & cherry.Measures: 4 5/8 in wide at the top and 4 1/4 wide at the base 7/8 wide and 3 7/8 in t...

Dollhouse Miniature Grandfather Clock ...

Step-by-step to a Classic Fireplace Mantel $8.50 Whether there is a fire burning or not, there is something about a fireplace that gives a room warmth. The mantel we build around the fireplace becomes a focal point of decorating, bringing to all that surrounds a sense of elegance. In this new book Steve Penberthy and Gary Jones help the homeowner build a classic fireplace from stock materials and moldings and tools found in the most basic of wor...

Making A Fireplace, Correcting Badly Built Fireplaces $0.99 All designers, masons and do-it-yourselfers need to know this simple information. Maybe it will stop you from making a costly mistake or help you to correct a costly mistake, cheaply!Be sure to read the final chater!...