Wood Fireplace Mantels

Each wood mantel and shelf offered by Mantelstore.com is proudly hand-cut and assembled by our craftsmen, 100% made in the USA. And all of our mantel pieces are individually made to order and can be sized to perfectly fit your needs. Mantel installation is simple and requires few tools, making it perfect for the do-it-yourselfer. Each design is available in your choice of three woods: MDF, Birch, and Oak. Our craftsmen create our shelves with expert care, producing custom wood mantels at a very reasonable cost. Please read below to learn more about the wood species used for our products.

MDF: Our most affordable material offering, the discount priced MDF (an acronym meaning Medium Density Fiberboard) is made from natural wood fibers. The wood fibers are combined with resin, heated to a high temperature and then pressurized into standard board shapes and sizes. Unlike older-style particle or chip board MDF has a very mild reaction to moisture. This greatly reduces the chance of swelling or warping in areas of intense humidity. When cut it leaves a smooth edge, nothing jagged is left behind. MDF is a great low-cost alternative to solid wood. Its hard surface will resist dents and scratches. It gives a beautiful, smooth finish when painted. MDF is not suitable for staining. We highly recommend MDF as a mantel or fireplace shelf choice to anyone who desired a painted surface.

Birch: Our birch pieces are made of white birch with white pine moldings. They are 100% stain grade but of course can also be painted. Due to the grain figures and natural colorization of the birch wood we find that a darker stain often produces the most pleasant finish. Light finishes can be used as well though they will reveal more of the grain pattern and possible show slight variations between the birch body and pine trim. Birch wood is often compared to Maple but it is typically much less expensive due to it's rapid growth rate. When stained both Birch and Maple will have a very similar color appearance though you will find the birch to have a thicker grain.

Oak: Our top of the line wood offering, Oak fireplace mantels and shelves are made with clear red oak and solid oak moldings. It can of course be painted but it rarely is. Oak is most often chosen for the beauty of the wood itself; therefore you will almost always find it with a stained finish as opposed to being painted. Oak stains very easily and doesn't present the blotching issue that can be found in some varieties of maple. The surface if very porous and allows stains to penetrate the wood deeply. This in turn highlights accentuates the grain pattern, especially when using a darker stain. Oak is a slow growing wood. This helps give it a finer texture but also adds to its expense.