Mantle Complete

And finally, the mantle is complete.

I started with this design over a year ago:

And here is the near complete mantle.

Masonry anchors were used to attach wood blocking to the brick. There is blocking at the top and bottom of each column, at each end of the cross-piece, and four blocks equally spaced behind the mantle. Four anchors/screws were used per block.  This will prevent the block from wiggling when the pieces are attached. The individual mantle pieces fit over the blocking and were nailed to it. A nail set was used to recess nail heads.  Drywall compound was used to fill the indentation, sanded, and then painted. The mantle was shimmed to ensure it was level.  The crown molding hid the shims completely. Clear caulk was used between the back of the mantle and the brick to prevent loss of small items.

Now that it's done, I will probably add a tile surround to the opening and get a square screen.