Our Fireplace Mantel Installation (before and after)
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Ever wondered if you can add a wooden mantel to a stone fireplace? The answer is yes—and I’m going to show you exactly how to do it! Our original stone mantel felt a bit too cold and uninviting, so we swapped it out for a reclaimed wood beam.
The result? A warm, cozy focal point that completely transforms the space!
Upgrading your mantel isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a game-changer for the entire feel of your living room. And let me tell you, I’m absolutely loving our new wood mantel!
Let’s jump into the step-by-step process of installing a heavy wood mantel on a stone fireplace and break down how we picked the perfect one for our space.
Fireplace Mantel Makeover
While stone fireplace mantels do serve a purpose, they tend to lack character and often times blend in with the stone fireplace.
I decided to repurpose an old wooden beam from our property, originally from a city warehouse.
The beam’s authentic character was revealed with simple sanding and staining, transforming it into an impressive mantel.
A friend of mine, Jake McGovern of Paramount Wood Working, applied his magic and cabinetry skills to tailor-make this piece, resulting in a mantel that is both functional and rich in history.
You can read how Jake crafted this old beam into an amazing mantel by reading this post, our Southern Pine beam mantel.
Let’s take a look at how to anchor a mantel to a stone fireplace with rebar rods.
Step 1: Drill and Install Fireplace Anchors (rebar rods)
- Drill holes in stone fireplace. We drilled 1′ deep holes.
- Cut rebar rods to size, fill drill holes in stone with Fuz It liquid nails and install rebar rods into the stone (see image below for steps).
Be sure to wipe any liquid nail drips off your fireplace.
The key to attaching your wood mantel is to ensure the rebar rods are drilled in securely (to the stone fireplace) and reinforce with adhesive. Whether you have “uneven stone” or “even stone”, the fireplace mantel installation will be the same.
Step 2: Drill Fireplace Mantel Holes
- Drill holes in back of wood mantel to correspond with the rebar rods installed in the stone fireplace
- Fill holes in wood mantel with wood glue adhesive. We used Loctite Construction Adhesive inside the holes so the wood would adhere to the rebar rod
Step 3: Install Fireplace Wood Mantel
- Secure mantel onto the rebar rods and push wood mantel as close to stone as possible
- Use a level to ensure the solid wood mantel is straight
- We waited 48 hours before placing anything on top of mantel to ensure mantel was secure
Securing the wood mantle into the rebar rods was a bit of a challenge as the wood beam was very heavy topping out around 250 pounds.
They made it look really easy in this picture but having a 3rd person to guide the holes in the back is helpful.
This fireplace mantel installation idea will work when installing a floating mantel on a brick fireplace or any type of uneven stone. We do have a small gap behind the mantel but it’s hardly noticeable and let’s face it, when. you are dealing with uneven stone, there is no way around it!
Step 4: Level Fireplace Mantel
We used a laser level to ensure the wood mantel was level. Do not skip this step! The last thing you want is an uneven mantel.
Step 5: Install Fireplace Corbels (optional)
The last step is to add corbels. This is more of a personal preference. Our corbels do not serve as any type of support for the mantel, just a decorative element.
Jake crafted the custom corbels from the same beam and I absolutely love how they turned out!
We attached the wood corbels to the bottom of the mantel with 3″ heavy duty wood screws.
If you don’t have a laser level, be sure to make sure the corbels are flush and level with the wood mantel with a regular level.
What size fireplace corbels did you use?
Our corbels were custom made and 13″ long x 5.5″ wide, the are 9″ deep at the top (near the mantel) and 2.5″ deep at the bottom.
Step 6: Touchup
We filled the screw holes with a wood filler crayon in a similar color to the mantel.
Fireplace Mantel Before and After
As you can see below, the fireplace mantel is stunning and adds so much character to our stone fireplace.
Below is our fireplace before we removed the mantel. The stone was not that easy to remove but with a little persistence, it came off.
There was nothing wrong with it, it just lacked character and warmth.
I recently shared our Christmas holiday home tour and our new mantel looks magical dressed up for the holidays!
Click through this post, our holiday home Christmas tour to see all the details.
Here is another picture of our stone fireplace mantel from the day we moved into the house.
And the same view below with the new fireplace mantel.
You can see the full stone fireplace makeover by clicking this post, stone fireplace makeover.
Total Cost To Remove Mantel & Install Of Wood Mantel
The cost to install our fireplace mantel was $2200 but we already owned the wood beam.
The $2200 includes paying someone to remove the old stone mantel and compensating Jake for his work of crafting and installing the wood mantel.
3 Key Cost Factors:
- The cost will include the price of the wood itself, which can vary, especially if it’s a unique or reclaimed piece with a lot of history
- Preparing the beam, sanding, staining and for the skilled labor to install it safely and securely on your wall
- Hardware to mount the beam
I personally love wood mantels for stone fireplaces. While the initial price might be higher than that of a pre-made mantel, the custom wood beam offers a one-of-a-kind charm and durability that many find invaluable.
How To Install A Heavy Wood Mantel On Drywall
If you have ever asked yourself, how is a mantel attached to a wall, this installation post not only shows you how to install a mantel on brick or stone, but also to a wall.
To install a heavy mantel on a wall, locate the studs behind drywall and using lag bolts or screws will help you achieve a successful installation.
Whether you are using lag bolts, screws or rebar rods like we did, be sure to verify the weight capacity of whichever anchor system you choose. Rebar comes in a variety of sizes and depending on how deep your stone or brick is, will determine the size of rebar you need.
I never in a million years would have known that rebar rods could be drilled into the stone fireplace and serve as anchors for a very heavy solid wood mantel.
Replacing a fireplace mantel was stressful as it’s a project we had never tackled before. I am so glad I took a chance as the fireplace beam mantel looks amazing and totally warms up the cold stone.
What do you think? Do you like it better than the stone fireplace mantel?
If you missed any of the fireplace mantel installation posts, start by visiting the links below.
More Fireplace Makeover Posts
- how to remove a stone fireplace mantel
- repurposing a historic beam as a fireplace mantel (see how we stained the yellow pine wood and created a new fireplace mantel)
- how to install a heavy wood beam fireplace mantel
- DIY fireplace makeover with paint (see how we painted the stone fireplace at the ranch flip house)
- How to cover a 1970s stone fireplace with wood paneling (see how we covered our dated fireplace at our previous house with wood)
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Love it!
Oh wow, it turned out so nice! It really does look different than it did before. I never knew there was a laser level! That’s a nice touch to color in the holes to match the color of the mantel.
The old mantel looked fine, but the new one is FANTASTIC!
This mantel is so much better! Loved how you styled it too.
Wow it is beautiful! Very stunning, love the look!
Thanks so much Jen!!
BEAUTIFUL!!! TFS
What size of rebar was use?
How deep was the hole that they drilled into the stone and wall?
Please respond.
I love the new look.!!
I love the mantel and corbels in the first picture shown- what size is the Mantel and stain color – and what size corbels? Thank you, Jill jjvick1@me.com
How did you disguise the granite slab?
The new wood mantel covers most of it and a little gray paint mixed with white to paint over the old granite 🙂
Very nice work..and a good decision. Does look much ‘warmer’.
A friend and I cut two 5″ thick Cedar beams from a tree yesterday. They will be 5 ‘ long and about 10″ wide. They are for my two fireplaces.
The beams are quite heavy and I was thinking about hollowing them out from the back some to reduce their weight. I am also wondering, after seeing your project, whether I should use rebar, or get the pre-made bars with the rods..that screw into the fireplace. Mine are brick and mortar. I hope it turns out as well as yours did!
thank you! Good luck with your project
Mantel looks great , except to me the trim around the fireplace looks like primer to me. At first glance that is what my eye said. Too stark. But you did a beautiful job and you love it and that is what matters.
Have a great day.
Thank you!
This. Is. AMAZING!!!! I love this so much! It’s exactly what I’ve been wanting to do to our mantle. We have a teeny tiny mantle on a giant stone wall. I’ve picked up some beams from my grandfather’s 130-year-old barn but have been stuck. I think the corbels are exactly what I’ve been missing. Did you make them? If so, do you have a template/instructions on how to make them? If you purchased them, where did they come from? Thank you so much!!! What a fabulous inspiration!!!
Thank you! We actually had a family friend who is a cabinet maker , design and make the corbels. If you have extra beams, you could look for a local wood crafter to cut them and sand them for you. We had an extra beam so that’s what we did 🙂 You could google custom wood corbels , maybe wayfair?
Nope sorry, looks nice but the granite(who would ever remove expensive granite) coordinated with the stone trim. The new wood, only my opinion, would go better on more rustic fireplace.
What are the dimensions of these corbels? I am stuck trying to decide on the dimensions. This looks amazing. Thank you
Hi, the mantel is 70″ long, 11″ deep and 6″ high. The corbels are 12.5″ long and 9″ deep . Thank you 🙂
It`s turned out amazing, what a difference it has made, it,s fabulous,,
I love your wood mantel. Can you please provide the height and the depth. Thanks.
Hi, the mantel is 70″ long, 11″ deep and 6″ high. The corbels are 12.5″ long and 9″ deep . Thank you 🙂
Hi! Beautiful work! Can you tell me where you found your corbels? About what size did you go with? Thank you!
thank you! They were custom made and 13″ long x 5.5″ wide, the are 9″ deep at the top (near the mantel) and 2.5″ deep at the bottom.