How to fit an oak mantel beam comes down to three things, in this order: confirm how high it can go above your fire or stove, work out what your chimney breast is made of, then mark, drill and fix it level. The first one is not about looks. Height above a log burner or fire is set by the appliance maker, so it comes before you pick a line on the wall.

We make solid oak mantel beams to order, and each one comes with pre-drilled mounting holes and concealed fixings suitable for solid walls. We cannot see your wall or your appliance. Where this guide gives a rule it is a general one, and your installer and the manufacturer's instructions come first.

What you need

  • A long spirit level
  • A pencil, a tape measure and masking tape
  • A cable, pipe and stud detector
  • A drill, with masonry bits for brick or block
  • The fixings supplied with your beam, and extra plugs or cavity fixings if your wall needs them
  • A second person. A solid oak beam is heavy and awkward to hold level on your own.
  • A dust sheet for the hearth and floor

Step 1: Confirm the clearances above your fire or stove

If the beam goes above a log burner, multi-fuel stove, gas fire or open fire, ask your installer to confirm the manufacturer's required distance from the appliance to combustible materials. Oak is timber and it burns. The distance depends on the appliance, the flue and the type of hearth, so it is not a number we can give you, and it is not one to guess.

Use your appliance manual and your installer, not a figure from a product page, ours included. For a beam with corbels, such as our solid oak mantel beam with corbels, allow for the beam and the corbels together.

If you only have an electric fire, a decorative fireplace or no fire at all, check the fire's own instructions for any minimum clearance above it before you decide.

Step 2: Work out what your chimney breast is made of

What the wall is made of decides which fixings you can use. Look for these clues:

  • Brick or block, plastered over. Hard, cold to touch and a dull sound when you tap it. This is the easiest case. The fixings supplied with our beams are suitable for solid walls.
  • Plasterboard on a frame (a stud wall, or a chimney breast that has been boxed in). A hollow sound when you tap it. It will not take the same fixings as brick.
  • Anything else. Stone, lath and plaster, or a faux breast built around a modern flue. Ask a fitter.

If you cannot tell, drill one small test hole in a spot that will be hidden by the beam and look at the dust. Red, grey or gritty powder points to masonry. White or paper-lined powder points to plasterboard.

For other wall types, our product page says to check fixing suitability before installation. That is the right approach.

Step 3: Check for pipes, cables and the flue

Scan the wall around where the beam will go. Chimney breasts often have a flue, and there may be cables for a socket or switch running through them. Keep your drill away from them.

  • Use the detector, and test it on a known stud or cable first.
  • Treat the area around sockets and switches with extra care.
  • Do not drill into or near a flue. If you do not know where it runs, ask your installer.

Step 4: Mark the height and position

Decide the height from Step 1, then measure from the hearth or floor. Hold the beam against the wall at that height with your helper, and put the spirit level on top. Adjust until the bubble sits in the middle.

Before you mark anything, stand back. Tape a strip of masking tape along the line where the bottom of the beam will go and look at it from across the room. A beam can be perfectly level and still look wrong against a sloping ceiling or a crooked chimney breast, so check it against what your eye will compare it with.

Our guide to oak mantel beam sizes covers how to choose the length and depth before you order.

Mark the fixing points through the pre-drilled mounting holes, or measure their positions and transfer them to the wall. Follow any instructions that came with your beam.

Step 5: Drill and fix

  • Drill at your marks with the bit size that matches your plug.
  • Go slowly, and keep the drill straight so the fixing sits true.
  • Push in the plugs for a solid wall, or fit cavity fixings for plasterboard.
  • Fit the beam with your helper holding it, and tighten the fixings a little at a time so the beam draws up evenly.

If the wall is plasterboard, use a stud if there is one in the right place, or fixings made for hollow walls and rated for the weight. Plain plastic plugs in plasterboard alone are rarely enough. If you are not sure, stop and ask a fitter.

Step 6: Check it and leave it alone for a few days

Put the level on top again. Press down on the beam. It should not move. If it does, take it off and look at what the fixings are holding on to.

Oak is a natural material. Grain, small knots and hairline cracks can change as a beam settles in a warm room. That is normal in solid timber and not a fault.

Questions people ask

Can you fit a mantel beam above a log burner?

Often yes, as long as the beam stays outside the appliance manufacturer's required distance to combustible materials. Your stove installer can confirm the number. Do not rely on a general rule, and do not move the beam lower than the installer says because it looks better.

Do I need a fitter to fit an oak mantel beam?

Not for a solid wall if you are happy to drill and fix a heavy beam level with a second person. Call a fitter if the wall is not solid, if a flue or pipes make the position unclear, or if you are fitting above a live fire and want the clearances checked on site.

What fixings do you use to fit a mantel beam to a brick wall?

Our beams arrive with pre-drilled mounting holes and concealed fixings suitable for solid walls. Use a masonry bit and the right plug for your wall, and follow the instructions that come with your beam.

How do you fix a floating mantel to plasterboard?

Find a stud where you can and screw into it. Where you cannot, use cavity fixings made for hollow walls and check the weight they are rated for. For a heavy beam on a boxed-in chimney breast, ask a fitter.

Can I put a TV above a mantel beam?

That is a heat and fixing question as well as a looks one. Ask your installer how much heat comes off the appliance at that height, and fix the TV to the wall rather than resting it on the beam.

Ready to choose a beam? Browse our solid oak mantel beams, or look at a solid oak fireplace surround if you want a complete frame around the opening. If you are also planning an alcove shelf, see how to install floating shelves.