Attaching mantel

[grim_d]

Hi all,

I am tarting up our living room and I've removed the horrific top from our fire surround which id like to replace with a nice peice of wood I've happened upon.

I'm just not quite sure how to attach it in a concealed manner. The previous one was screwed through from the top and the holes filled in but im not so keen on that as im not painting the wood.

I'm not afraid of plenty of grab adhesive bit I do like some mechanical fixings too, just incase anyone were to lean on it, which kinda rules out a French cleat too.

I suppose the traditional way would be the brackets that get hidden under plaster but theres no studs where I need them and to be honest I don't want to get the filler out again.

I've thought too about some of those floating shelf fixings. Not sure how great they would be here but at the moment it looks like them and some grab adhesive is the route im taking.

Im sure you gents will come up with sone good ideas.

View attachment 117389

 

[Toleman]

Your fire place is on a hollow wall? I used threaded bar in the back of mine and just got a accurate set of holes drilled in the brick and banged it in.

 

[grim_d]

It's a sandstone wall that I imagine has has battens and board put on it at some point, rest of the house is lath and plaster.

The actual fire surround is a home made plasterboard effort! Old houses, lots of fun.

It's hollow directly above and to the sides of where I want to fix it, I dont know what's going on behind it and have no intention of finding out at this point! Just tarting things up until we get around to redoing the fireplace.

 

[123hotchef]

threaded bar is what i used too

 

[Dodge20]

You could always use some floating shelf brackets like these

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Is the surround wood, if so dowel into that

Subject to the surround being securely fixed

 

[grim_d]

Is the surround wood, if so dowel into that

Subject to the surround being securely fixed

It seems to be a wood frame clad in plasterboard, there's a peice of t+g at the top which seems reasonably solid.

I might try something like that, make up a jig and get a length of dowel.

The surround is solid enough that it didn't really move when I removed the old mantel with brute force because I couldn't find the screws!

 

[angellonewolf]

dowels as above

try these makes fitting them easy

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conmetall-COX969410-Dowel-marker-10mm/dp/B00BZH4XKA

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Don't have access to a biscuit jointer do you, if you could get at least two in each end would be easiest

 

[Wendelspanswick]

What is the mantle sitting on? If it's a brickwork fireplace the traditional method was to fit screws to the underside of the mantle with the heads proud and then tamp it down into mortar on the brickwork.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Gravity toggles for the plasterboard side of things? Although you might still be able to see the 'fireside' ends of things.

 

[hunter27]

I use these quite a bit for almost invisible fixings http://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-p...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COK27ZeJ8tUCFeyGUQodod4EHg drill the stepped hole from the top, then cut a plug from a bit of scrap of the same wood if you have a any and glue in over as long a screw as you need. line up the grain and when dry sand off the surplus plug.

 

[grim_d]

dowels as above

try these makes fitting them easy

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conmetall-COX969410-Dowel-marker-10mm/dp/B00BZH4XKA

I can turn some of them easy, looks a good option so far.

Don't have access to a biscuit jointer do you, if you could get at least two in each end would be easiest

Unfortunately I do not, similar idea to dowels I guess though.

What is the mantle sitting on? If it's a brickwork fireplace the traditional method was to fit screws to the underside of the mantle with the heads proud and then tamp it down into mortar on the brickwork.

Wood frame clad with plasterboard, thats a good idea to keep in mind though for future.

I use these quite a bit for almost invisible fixings http://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-p...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COK27ZeJ8tUCFeyGUQodod4EHg drill the stepped hole from the top, then cut a plug from a bit of scrap of the same wood if you have a any and glue in over as long a screw as you need. line up the grain and when dry sand off the surplus plug.

I really like those, unfortunately I don't have any scrap of this wood. Or anything remotely similar.

 

[grim_d]

I was going to suggest the same thing...

And, you have loads of identical wood - cut out the plugs from the back/underside of the original bit.

Haha you are absolutely right.

 

[grim_d]

Well I went back and forth about the best way to go here. As I was scribing the mantel to the wall it occurred to me I would have to fill the gap at the top of the surround anyway so I just used some L brackets and cut a pocket into the mantel then a pocket into the plasterboard on the surround. Screwed into the wood frame. A good helping of grab adhesive underneath and its plenty solid. It certainly wont fall off.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Your fire place is on a hollow wall? I used threaded bar in the back of mine and just got a accurate set of holes drilled in the brick and banged it in.

That was my first thought.