Buying Fireplace Mantels

Fireplace mantels are perfect for displaying your prized ornaments, Christmas and birthday cards and even photo frames. A fireplace can serve as a great centre piece to your living room so it’s only natural that you would want to surround it with a handful of your favourite things. Of course buying fireplace mantels does require some research and a good idea of your own personal needs. This article is going to help you make the best possible decision whenever you decide to purchase your mantel by explaining the various different types, their costs and where you can get them from too.

Fireplace mantels come in various different styles and there are a whole range of different materials they can be made out of. Many people automatically think of wooden mantels because these are commonly featured in catalogues and on TV. Wood fireplace mantels are the most affordable of all the other materials, what’s more they can blend in really well into most homes and if properly finished can really stand out. If you opt for wood you will be faced with purchasing either a painted or stained piece. Stained mantels can cost significantly more but painted mantels usually come in a wider selection of colours. This really comes in handy when looking for one which will complement your existing furniture.

Cast stone fireplace mantels are my personal favourite. These are incredibly durable and if properly maintained will last a very long time, not just years but decades. These aren’t used as prominently as wood mantels because they are generally a much more expensive alternative and people don’t want to stretch their budget that far. Of course one musn’t overlook one of the most obvious benefits of using stone mantels, the material absorbs very heat very well and will remain cool even after the fire has been on for several hours. This is an important safety characteristic which you cannot ignore.

Fireplace Mantel prices vary depending on the type of material they use. Wood mantels, being the cheapest can be purchased for $200-$1500 depending on style and the brand name. JC Penny offer a beautiful Audubon Park Wood Fireplace mantel for $599, this product is visually stunning; the manufacturers have really paid attention to detail. If you’re looking for a mantel which offers a lot of space to hang up greeting cards and picture frames this model is definitely worth you consideration.

The majority of quality stone mantels on the market today fall above the $1000 mark. That’s not to say you cannot find a decent piece for cheaper but there is a trend for these mantels to be fairly pricey. I personally love the ThinCast Stone mantel shelf from Balmer Mantels; its creamy white stone veneer simply exudes class and at $521 is probably as good a quality piece as you will find for the price. If you’re considering buying a fireplace mantel in the not too distant future I would seriously advise you wait until your local home retailer or an online store has a sale on. Sometimes the larger retailers can cut the asking price of these pieces by up to 50%.