Is the mantel shelf I installed too short?

guitar548

Hi,

I just installed a mantel shelf and I am thinking it is too short. What do you think? Should it extend out more on the sides? I still need to stick the slate around it but I want to wait and see if I should work on the mantel some more before I do that. Is there is a rule about mantels being a certain length compared to the fireplace?

Thanks for your help!

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gregzoll

To me it looks fine.

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sdsester

Could stand to be wider on the bottom so it came the width of the fireplace but I would not sweat it!

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Two Knots

I think it's too low and needs to be raised up ten to twelve inches.

retro

Took a look at mine. The bottom of my mantel extends 2 inches past the fire place opening. (it came with the house I did not build it)

gregzoll

Look right above it, there is a HDMI cable & electrical outlet. That would be why it is lower, so that they can hang a tv above it.

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Two Knots

oh, yes I see, I'm not a fan of tv's over fireplaces, especially stone
fireplaces, maybe that's why I didn't notice it. We have a stone fireplace
it's very bumpy, so it's hard to imagine a tv laying flat on the stone.

To the original poster, is there another place for the tv in the room?

gregzoll

It does not hang on the stone, but on a bracket. Some pwople want it that way, since their room layout may be screwed up, but also want the best of both, since they have the fireplace.

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mommywoman

I heard once a long time ago that the mantle should be 18" above the fireplace for safety reasons. I did that with mine and I think it looks surprising good. I would make the mantle a little wider.

Two Knots

Could you first build the fireplace, then build the mantle ( a little wider)
and then scribe the mantle to the stone?
That is the way we did our stone fireplace...this way you can experiment
with the height (by using 2 x 4's ) to see the desired height before
scribing the mantle.
On our stone FP the hearth is 11" high and the mantle is 24" above the
opening.
Your hearth is floor level, so you could go higher with the mantle
and still have room for the tv.