Installing Wood Wall Mantels
Put the mantel together by putting the main shelf on the floor, upside down. Next bolt on each leg with the hardware included with your mantel.
We suggest that a hanger board be fabricated using a scrap 1 x 4 cut at a 45-degree angle. The hanger board measurement should be taken from the floor or the hearth where the mantel
legs will sit to the bottom edge of the hanger board. Use screws, lag bolts, ect., (depending what your wall is built out of) to mount the hanger board to the wall. When mounted correctly, the mantel will simply hang on the hanger board and the legs will touch the floor or the hearth.
Once mounted, if the mantel doesn't seem to fit snug to the wall, you may put a small shim of paper, cardboard, ect., to fill the gap where the 2 halves of the hanger board meet.
You may also cut a piece of wood that runs the length of the mantel shelf or 2 blocks that will be placed at either end of the mantel shelf.
Use the same measuring and fastening process mentioned above.
Set the mantel on the length of wood or blocks.
Use finishing nails on back side of legs (right underneath the back overhang of the shelf) to fasten to length of wood or blocks.
*Scribe Molding: Once your mantel is installed, put the molding inside the opening legs and slide it back until it touches your surround. It is meant to hide the gap between the leg and the surround on the inside. You may attach it using small finishing nails or glue.