Warming Trends

It’s a catchall, a home for picture frames and, at this time of year, for stockings to hang.

But the fireplace mantel hasn’t always been decoration. For centuries, builders put above fireplaces a wood or stone shelf that served a useful purpose. Because the fireplace was where meals were cooked, food was put on the mantel to stay warm. Large overhanging mantels helped direct heat away from the ceiling and into the main part of the room.

As the stove and furnace became more commonplace, mantels evolved into decorative pieces.

“There’s not much room to put a roast chicken on one nowadays,” says contractor Eddie Sanchez of Santa Ana. “The way most tract homes and condos are built, there’s usually just a simple, narrow piece of wood up there for a mantel, if anything at all.”

Fireplaces still hold an almost symbolic place in the home. No longer needed for warmth or cooking, they nevertheless connote hospitality, generosity and romance.

Paintings depict loving families and friends clustered around a fireplace. And some of the best love scenes--in films and real life--have taken place in front of a fire.

Although the fireplace is one of the focal points in a room, it can be a boring black hole when not in use.

“A lot of people will redo a room with new carpet and paint and just leave the old fireplace mantel up, thinking that it’s almost irreplaceable,” Sanchez says. Although a mantel can look imposing and permanent, in most cases it’s hollow.

“You can really add character to a room by doing the fireplace and mantel right,” Sanchez says.

A fireplace that seems to blend into the wall can be changed into one that’s the center of attention by adding a new mantel or a mantel treatment--an assembly of matching wood panels and pillars that surround the fireplace to give it a full, distinctive look.

Most home centers and hardwood retailers sell mantels. They have to be ordered, because fireplace size can vary greatly.

“They’re cut and made to order based on the size you want,” says Eric Prochnow of House of Moulding in Santa Ana. “I often advise customers to look through the home magazines, search for a mantel they like, and we’ll try and match it.” Mantel dealers also have design books of styles.

“You can get just about anything you want based on your tastes and your budget. One of the biggest problems is people aren’t sure what they want,” Prochnow says.

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For most, the answer is simple, classic styles.

“If you have a real creative flair, you may be thinking of getting a mantel with hand-carved cherubs, vines and lion heads,” says interior designer Carrie Cassidy of Yorba Linda. “But people looking to buy your house eventually may not appreciate your taste. You can always go with a classic design then individualize your mantel with what you put on it and the accessories around it.”

Prices for a new mantel range from $50 to $5,000, plus installation. A quality shelf mantel built to fit a medium-sized fireplace is about $200 to $750, depending on the craftsmanship and wood. It can take two to four weeks to build a mantel.

“A shelf mantel generally supports about 150 pounds, while a mantel with legs can hold up to 250 pounds,” Prochnow says.

Dealers can show do-it-yourselfers how the pieces go together.

Once you’ve brought home your new mantel, the next question is, “What do I do with it?”

First, remove the old one.

“If there’s a shoe or finish molding across the back against the wall, pull that off and you should notice a gap between the mantel and the wall,” Sanchez says. “That will give you enough room to get a pry bar in there to pull the mantel off. If there’s no molding, there’s probably a bead of caulking where the wood meets the wall, and you can poke through it with a sharp blade.”

Mantels are usually attached with finishing nails to a 2 by 2 thin strip of wood (furring strip) bolted to the wall. When using a pry bar or crowbar to prise off the mantel, be careful not to damage the wall above where your new mantel will be.

If you’re doing the job yourself, check local building codes. The National Fire Protection Assn. recommends that no combustible material, such as woodwork, be closer than 6 inches from the fireplace opening, and structures such as mantels that extend above the fireplace should be at least 12 inches from the top.

If the old furring strip is in good condition and is the right height for your new mantel, you can reuse it. If not, attach a new strip by bolting it into wall studs, or with lag screws and shields if it’s going to be attached to masonry. Use a level to make sure the mantel won’t tilt.

Once you fit in the mantel and nail it in place, you may notice a gap between the wall and wood. “It’s probably not you; it’s they way your home was built,” Sanchez says. “It’s not uncommon to find walls that are bowed and crooked. The trick is to find a way to hide these mistakes.”

A minor gap can be hidden with a fresh bead of a silicone-based, paintable caulk. For larger crevices, finish molding may be needed. Once the mantel is in place, additional panels or legs can be hammered in and the unit painted or stained.

Kathy Bryant contributed to this story.