Create a Rustic Mantel Shelf
A rustic mantel shelf can add charm and character to a fireplace surround in a country style home. Old barn wood, knotty pine planks or even a landscape timber can work to create a rustic shelf for the mantel. If the wood is not already distressed, you can help it along with a few tricks and techniques. Architectural salvage yards and farming salvage yards are good places to search for rustic looking wood. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Cut a landscape timber to fit the width of the fireplace surround. Landscape timbers are chunky and will fit in well with a rustic style. If one timber is too narrow for your mantel shelf, double the width by joining two together, side by side with straight brackets after you distress them.
2. Create a distressing tool by inserting different sized nails and screws into one side of a long, narrow wood board. There is no pattern for placing the nails and the screws; just add them at random. Vary the heights of the nails and the screws so that the gouges they create in the landscape timber will be different. You'll be holding the board with one hand, so remember to leave enough room on one end for grasping.
3. Grip the distressing board in one hand and strike the landscape timber with enough force to create gouges and scratches. The more you distress the timber, the more rustic it will look.
4. Strike the timber with a length of chain to create even more dents, nicks and gouges.
5. Sand the edges of the timber with a diamond file followed by sandpaper to make them look rounded and worn.
6. Stain the distressed timber to darken freshly gouged areas. Apply the stain in the direction of the wood grain. Apply the stain with a paint sponge heavier in some areas than others to further enhance the worn look of the timber. Remove the excess stain by wiping the timber with a rag.
7. Attach two wall brackets to the fireplace surround to support the distressed landscape timber. Plain wrought iron or wooden shelf brackets will work for the rustic design. Attach the brackets to the surround using the appropriate screws for the surround material. Use mortar anchors on a brick or concrete surround and wood screws on a wood surround. If the wall above the fireplace is drywall, make sure that you attach at least one bracket to a wall stud.
8. Place the rustic mantel on top of the wall brackets. Secure the wood to the bracket with wood screws.
Tags: landscape timber, timber with, fireplace surround, nails screws, Apply stain
