AMN Construction · Finish carpentry · Fireplace mantels and surrounds

Fireplace mantels, built clear of the fire.

A mantel is the shelf above a fireplace, and a surround is the frame around the opening. We build and install both, after confirming how far wood must stay from the firebox.

Email photographs and measurements 805 886 0988

In short

Clearances come first. Code and the fireplace maker set how close wood can be.
Proportion matters more than detail. The mantel should suit the firebox and the wall.
A heavy mantel needs solid fixing into framing or masonry, hidden from view.

MantelShelf and surround. Its distance from the firebox is set by code and the fireplace maker.
Firebox openingClearances around it are confirmed before anything is built.

A room in elevation: a mantel and surround around the firebox opening.

Step by step

How a coped corner is cut, frame by frame.

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How a coped corner is cut

Run the first piece inThe first length is cut square and pushed tight into the corner.
Miter the second pieceThe second length gets a 45° cut. The cut edge shows the outline of the molding.
Cope to the lineA coping saw follows that outline, back-cutting slightly, so only the face of the molding remains.
Fit the jointThe coped end overlaps the face of the first piece. Wood shrinks in dry weather. A miter opens; a cope stays closed.

Built by Tom. Fifty years of custom cabinets and finish carpentry, from Oregon and Hawaii to Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Westlake Village, and now from Goleta to Carpinteria. Meet the carpenter

What we do

What is included.

Mantel shelves, fixed to the wall with hidden supports.
Full surrounds: two legs at the sides and a header across the top, with a shelf above.
Beam mantels: a single solid or hollow-built timber, smooth or rough-sawn.
Scribing to brick, stone, tile or plaster, none of which is flat.
Paneling or cabinetry above and beside the fireplace, to tie the wall together.
Built in our small boutique shop in Carpinteria, then fitted and fastened on site.

How it goes

Step 1
You send photographs of the fireplace and wall, rough measurements, and the make of the fireplace if you know it.
Step 2
We measure on site and confirm the required clearances from code and the fireplace maker’s instructions.
Step 3
You approve the layout and finish, and the mantel is built in our small boutique shop in Carpinteria.
Step 4
Supports are fixed into framing or masonry, and the mantel is scribed to the wall and fastened.
Step 5
Joints are filled and the piece is finished, or left ready for the painter.

Yours to decide

Decide these first.

Shelf, surround or beam. A shelf is the simplest. A full surround frames the opening. A beam suits a rustic or Spanish-style house.
Paint or stain. Painted surrounds can use stable, smooth material. Stained work shows the grain and every joint.
Solid or hollow beam. A hollow-built beam is lighter, stays straighter and is easier to hang. A solid one has real weight and end grain.
Shelf height and depth. High enough to clear the heat, low enough to reach, deep enough for what you plan to set on it.
Whether a television goes above. Heat and viewing height both argue for checking this before the mantel is made.

How to tell good work

A mantel that sits centered on the firebox and level, even if the hearth is not.
Tight joints against brick or stone, scribed to the surface instead of filled with caulk.
No movement when you press down on the front edge of the shelf.
No visible brackets or fasteners unless they are part of the look.
Wood that stays clear of the opening by the distance the code and the maker require.

What moves the price

Type: a simple shelf costs least, a full surround with paneling above the most.
Material and finish: paint-grade costs less than stained hardwood or a large solid timber.
The wall. Fixing into stone or brick and scribing to a rough face takes longer than a flat wall.
Removal of an old mantel and repair of what is behind it.

Prices vary with the materials and the hours a job takes. Each job is custom and unique, so we price it once we have seen the room.

Our work

Fireplace mantels and surrounds, built and fitted.

Santa Barbara South Coast

Woodwork through a Spanish-style house

Tom built the woodwork through this house above the ocean: beams and plank ceilings, arched doors and windows, the kitchen cabinets, the mantels and the bath vanity. One hand in every room, which is why it reads as one house.

Ceiling beams and coffered ceilings · Door installation · Custom cabinetry

A living room with exposed wood beams, a plank ceiling, a wood mantel and arched wood-framed glass doors open to an ocean terrace — Beams, plank ceiling and arched doors to the terrace

A kitchen with stained wood frame-and-panel cabinets, wood-cased windows and a marble island — The kitchen

Tall wood-framed glass doors standing open between a beamed living room and a tiled terrace — Doors open to the terrace

A dining room with exposed beams, a wood mantel shelf and wood-framed glass doors facing the ocean — The dining room: beams, mantel and doors

Exposed wood beams and a plank ceiling above white plaster walls with arched openings — The beamed ceiling

A wood vanity with drawers and doors under a tiled counter with two basins, and wood-framed mirrors above — The bath vanity

Santa Barbara South Coast

Cabinetry in a log house

Tom built the knotty wood cabinetry and trim for this log house: a bookcase wall built between peeled log posts, a bar and desk with glass-fronted cabinets, bath vanities, a loft railing, mantels and wainscot.

Built-ins · Custom cabinetry · Bathroom vanities

A wall of knotty wood bookcases and base cabinets fitted between peeled log posts — The bookcase wall, built between log posts

Knotty wood cabinets with glass-fronted doors above a granite bar and a built-in desk — The bar and desk

A knotty wood bath vanity with drawers and a tall linen tower beside it — Bath vanity and linen tower

A log-walled living room with a plank ceiling, wood-cased doors and a kitchen of knotty wood cabinets beyond — The living room, toward the kitchen

A bedroom with a log mantel over a stone fireplace, wood wainscoting and a plank ceiling — A bedroom: log mantel and wainscot

A loft game room with a wood railing of square balusters and a plank ceiling — The loft and its railing

All finish carpentry projects

Questions

Fireplace mantels and surrounds: what owners ask.

How far does a wood mantel need to be from the fireplace opening?

The distance is set by the building code and by the fireplace maker, and it grows as the mantel sticks out farther. Gas inserts, wood-burning fireboxes and factory-built units each differ. We confirm the figures for your fireplace before anything is built.

How high should a mantel be above the fireplace?

High enough to meet the required clearance, then placed by eye. Above that minimum, the right height depends on the firebox size, the ceiling and what hangs above. We can tape the outline on your wall so you can see it before it is made.

How is a floating beam mantel attached to the wall?

With hidden steel rods or a ledger (a strip of wood bolted to the wall) that the beam slides over. The supports go into framing or masonry, not just the wall surface. A hollow-built beam is lighter and easier to hold than a solid timber.

Can I put a wood mantel over a gas fireplace?

Usually, yes. Gas fireplaces still throw heat upward, and each maker publishes how close wood may be to the opening. Some units need a noncombustible band above them. We check the installation manual for your model and build to it.

Where we do this

Built in our small boutique shop in Carpinteria where the piece is custom, and fitted on site in:

Carpinteria Summerland Montecito Santa Barbara Hope Ranch Goleta

All finish carpentry · see the projects

Inquiries

Have a room in mind? Send us the photographs.

Email photographs of the room and rough measurements to purchasing@amnbuild.com. Matt reads it himself. No forms.

Email Matt the photographs Or call Matt · 805 886 0988