How do I hang a limestone mantel from a brick fireplace?

13 years ago

We are putting a stone veneer on our brick fireplace that currently does not have a mantel. We want to attach a large flat limestone mantel, but can't figure out how to support it? Possibly drilling holes in the brick and the back of the mantel and using rebar to support it?

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Ironwood Builders

13 years ago

I think I understand..you want a limestone version of a floating shelf? Your idea of using rebar set into the brick and the limestone is not too shabby....I'd do it. I would be concerned if the depth of the limestone was more than three times it's thickness....so a 3" thick piece would be no deeper than 9"...dunno why...just a gut feeling. I would use epoxy to set both...and therein lies the issue...getting the holes to line up! Percussion bits are famous for wandering off the desired path. Successfully installing the limestone level would be challenging at the least. How thick is the veneer stone? Would it cover a 3" deep angle steel? I have an idea I'd like to run by an engineer friend of mine. Let me know how thick the veneer stone is.

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Comments (7)

PRO
Ironwood Builders
13 years ago
I'm waiting for feedback from my friend...but this is the gist of it. I laid it out with the limestone separate from the angle iron...but it will need to be snug.
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Marie Hebson's interiorsBYDESIGN Inc.
13 years ago
Another way of doing it is a "french cleat" system - I use this for very heavy mirrors, and items that need extra support.
PRO
Ironwood Builders
13 years ago
I woke up realizing the idea I had last night won't work. Relying on the brick veneer to support the cantilevered limestone is stupid. The entire construction assumes that the brick is secure enough to the framing to withstand the roll and weight of the limestone. It won't. I've taken down too many fireplaces to have thought that it would. Sorry for leading you astray! The idea might work if the screws I show going into the brick veneer hit framing. That would require removing the brick and finding the structural header that should be somewhere above the fire box...but that is at odds with your goal of simply skinning over the existing fireplace. Still waiting for feedback from my friend, but I can't imagine her saying it is a good idea. I'll keep thinking about this....
PRO
Fine Art Tileworks — Handmade Relief Tile
13 years ago
last modified: 13 years ago
Merrill — A snapshot of your existing fireplace would help...not sure if your brick goes all the way to the ceiling? The following sketch may or may not apply to your situation, but I'll send it anyway in case it helps spark an idea for secure mounting. (Disclaimer, I'm not an engineer.) Limestone weighs roughly 1 lb per 10 cubic inches which means a 2x8x72 mantel would weigh around 115 lbs. so don't scrimp on lag bolts, — I'd use one bolt every 16" if I were doing it.
PRO
Ironwood Builders
13 years ago
My engineer friend got back to me today and said my idea will work to support the limestone...no calculations of weight, but nice to have the feedback.
lacsmb
9 years ago
Hi, I know this is an old post, but can you tell me how you ended up attaching the mantel? We have limestone mantel that we want to use on an outdoor fireplace in the house we are building. It has not been built yet, so any insight into how to properly frame for it would be appreciated! It's 9"x6"x60", and it has a "cleat" cut on the back side that you can't see in the photo.