Mantel Heights - Advice wanted

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Hills Hoard

Hills Hoard

Minister of Fire
Mar 19, 2013
700
Melbourne, Australia
Hi, I have an insert in a brick wall and want to build a mantel above it. Just wondering if people can advise on best the height? I have researched and found figures range from 54 inches to 70. or about 1.3 m to 1.7m.

This is the only pic o have right now.

fire.jpg
 
I just talked to the owner of the shop making our mantel. Had same question. He said it really varies , most are around 5 feet. He said different clearances, styles, etc...can be variables but not one set height.
 
Is the 5 feet from the floor or the top of the hearth? Either way, I think i have narrowed it down to about 5 feet or 1.5 m from the floor.

Thanks for your help.
 
The mantel clearance will be determined by the insert. This should be listed in the insert installation manual. It will vary depending on the insert make and model. In very general terms the more flush the insert the lower the mantel clearance usually is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hills Hoard
Typically a flush or nearly flush insert wants 24" to the mantel. If the insert projects they want 30-36" from the stove top. The further the mantel projects into the room, the higher it needs to be. All inserts require different clearances, you really need the owners manual..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hills Hoard
webby3650 said:
Typically a flush or nearly flush insert wants 24" to the mantel. If the insert projects they want 30-36" from the stove top. The further the mantel projects into the room, the higher it needs to be. All inserts require different clearances, you really need the owners manual..
Click to expand...


It might be dumb luck, but the height I have chosen is exectly 24" (60cm) from the top of the insert. The insert is quite flush against the wall too. Also the mantel is only 22 cm deep. A nice length of red gum. I am planning on treating with linseed oil. is this a bad idea?
 
What height above the insert does the manual call for?
 
Close enough to 24" to call it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: webby3650
We tend to forget the other half of the world, from South America to Africa to Australia and New Zealand.
 
Good to have you all aboard!
 
Here is the end result. Thanks everyone for your advice. FYI. I went with 600 MM above the top of the insert.


mantel 2.jpg

mantel 1.jpg
 

Attachments

  • mantel 1.jpg
    mantel 1.jpg
    57.4 KB · Views: 133
Last edited:
webby3650 said:
Not as far as clearances are concerned. It will however greatly reduce the lifespan of the tv. Probably the worst place ever for a tv!
Click to expand...

Strongly disagree.

Most (all?) inserts have blowers that blow air out into the room. This air is warm, and rises. It depends on how strong your blower is, how big your room is and how high the ceiling, but many combinations (like mine) lead to cool air falling from above the insert completing a room cycle of airflow. This makes above the insert the best place for a TV. Measure and see - YMMV. A tissue ribbon can be useful for subtle airflow detection.
 
That's an interesting observation on convection. With our (now gone) fireplace the masonry behind the wall heated up the wall notably. If you put your hand on it after the fire had been burning for hours it was warm. This was with an uninsulated liner in the chimney. Best place is debatable. I prefer the screen to be a bit lower. It's easier on the neck.
 
Apprentice_GM said:
Strongly disagree.

Most (all?) inserts have blowers that blow air out into the room. This air is warm, and rises. It depends on how strong your blower is, how big your room is and how high the ceiling, but many combinations (like mine) lead to cool air falling from above the insert completing a room cycle of airflow. This makes above the insert the best place for a TV. Measure and see - YMMV. A tissue ribbon can be useful for subtle airflow detection.
Click to expand...


begreen said:
That's an interesting observation on convection. With our (now gone) fireplace the masonry behind the wall heated up the wall notably. If you put your hand on it after the fire had been burning for hours it was warm. This was with an uninsulated liner in the chimney. Best place is debatable. I prefer the screen to be a bit lower. It's easier on the neck.
Click to expand...


Interesting points. I was unsure of how much the mantel would heat up where it is. Monitored it all weekend and it actually stays quite cool. I was surprised. Thats the great thing about this forum. If it hadn't of worked for me, I still would have posted results so everyone else could learn from my mistakes. haha
 
Last house tour I went on the TV was either over the fireplace mantle or to the side of the fireplace. Either way isn't optimum for TV viewing, with either the neck craning up to see it, or a bad angle for viewing from the side. Of course, they all had media rooms, lol.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

U
Hearth
Replies
2
Views
298
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Ukcat
U
M
Install advice - multiple flues (?) and clearances for freestanding wood stove in existing fireplace
Replies
1
Views
1K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
bigealta
bigealta
S
Offset Liner
Replies
10
Views
824
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Stigander
S
F
Questions for the correct ZC fireplace
Replies
9
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
Fredjmillard
F
A
looking for installation advice on Jotul F 3
Replies
13
Views
1K
Jotul
begreen
begreen
Top Bottom
Back