Having a fireplace in your home, can make the room look cozy and inviting. However, just building a fireplace is not enough. You need to beautify it and make it look aesthetically appealing by building a fireplace surround and mantel. The decorative framework that surrounds the fireplace is called fireplace surround, and it is this that gives beauty to the fireplace. There are many different ideas for designing and building a fireplace surround, and what you choose will depend on the interiors of your home. For a brick fireplace, you can have a painted brick surround or a tile surround. This looks great in country and cottage style homes. For a more contemporary home, you can consider a stone fireplace surround or a surround built with crown molding. Here we are going to give you step by step instruction on building a fireplace surround.
How to Build a Fireplace Surround and Mantel
For building a fireplace mantel and surround, you will require some necessary hardware materials and tools. All these materials can be purchased from a home improvement store. Here we are using hardboard and crown molding for the fireplace surround plan. You can use heat-resistant tiles, as well as stones, to build a fireplace surround. Given below is a detailed step by step guide on building a fireplace surround. You can vary the size of the materials according to the size of your fireplace.
Things Required 4 x 8 foot sheet of ? inch medium density fiberboard 30 feet long ? x ? inch flat wood molding 30 feet long ? x ? inch Cyma Reversa wood molding 8 feet long 2 ? inch wood crown molding Super glue Drywall screws Construction adhesive 2 inch finishing nails Paintable latex caulk 1 can latex primer 1 can latex paint Tape rule Screwdriver Sanding block with 120-grit sandpaper Table saw Putty knife Paintbrushes Hammer Nail set Clamps Caulking gun Method To build this fireplace surround, first you need to measure the length, breadth and thickness of your existing fireplace. Once that is done, draw the design of your fireplace surround on a paper and consider how much the dimensions of your surround should be, so that it looks aesthetically appealing. For this project we have a surround that measures 51 inches in length and 65 inches in width. Moreover it consists of two supporting columns on either side of the fireplace surround, that are 7 ? inches wide. The beams are supported on top with a bridge beam that measures 12 ? inches. While building a fireplace surround, you have to remember to fit each sub assembly first and then install them separately. Doing this allows for a better finish. To start building this fireplace, first apply a single coat of primer over the fiberboard. Next, lightly sand over the edges and corners of the fiberboard so that you have smooth edges and the grains of the wood are polished. Now apply a coat of latex paint and leave it to dry for 24 hours. Cut the columns for the surround from the fiberboard and fit the front panel of each with a frame of ? inch flat wood trim and Cyma Reversa wood molding. Attach the bridge beam over it with the help of 2 ? inch long drywall screws. Next, use 3 ? inch long screws to attach the bridge beam to the wall. Fit the columns against the wall. Where the columns meet the walls, fill it with paintable latex caulk and paint a coat of paint over the entire fireplace surround. To make the fireplace mantel, glue together the crown molding over the fiberboard. Make sure that the crown molding is attached securely to the fiberboard. Finally, use construction adhesive to attach the fireplace mantel shelf over the top of the beam. Your fireplace surround is complete. This is how you build a fireplace surround with a mantel. If you want, you can also build a stone fireplace surround, although it is a more labor intensive project. The right fireplace surround will enhance the beauty of your fireplace and also the room.
