Need fireplace finishing advice

[anonymous1977]

Hello all - the fireplace company can finish the front of my fireplace with cultured stone. It will cost about $50/sq ft installed for about 16 sq ft (they don't reduce the cost for the fireplace opening). So this will run me about $900. Is this a good finish or should I go for real stone? Also since this is a corner fireplace they do not have any material to cover the sheetrock on the top. Any recommendations for the top as a DIY project or maybe even use someone? The picture should clear up what I mean by the top.

 

[DAKSY]

One option is to run a sheetrock wall all the way to the ceiling.
You will eliminate the need for dusting that top shelf
& you will have a location to mount a TV.
Above your stonework, you can mount a
shelf type mantel...

 

[anonymous1977]

We want to do a half wall fireplace because the small room will look too overimposed with a full structure. If I go with half can you recommend how to go about a shelf type mantel?

 

[clancey]

What are you going to have in that fireplace? gas or wood or something like electric for display? clancey

 

[anonymous1977]

What are you going to have in that fireplace? gas or wood or something like electric for display? clancey

It's a gas fireplace direct vented.

 

[clancey]

That's nice and going to be pretty when finished and they are so easy with their thermostats as well--you set it and leave it--so easy...my girlfriend has one and she loves it....clancey

 

[anonymous1977]

I just need to know what to do for the top.

 

[clancey]

How about a solid piece of marble that you can have cut to the shape of the top of your small gas heater..I believe stone places do this type of work...clancey

 

[anonymous1977]

It may work.

 

[DAKSY]

We want to do a half wall fireplace because the small room will look too overimposed with a full structure. If I go with half can you recommend how to go about a shelf type mantel?

Here's one vendor...

Mantel Shelves | Custom Fireplace Mantel Designs | Mantels Direct

 

[DAKSY]

What will be the actual dimension for the top?
A nice piece of Birch Plywood will probably give
you a nice look if the dimensions work...

 

[anonymous1977]

Sorry I was traveling and just saw this. The hypotenuse of the triangle will be about 50.25 inches. So the two equal sides will be about 36 inches each. How would I go about with the birch?

 

[anonymous1977]

I had earlier talked to them. They don't do corner ones.

 

[DAKSY]

The 50.25 hypotenuse will need to be laid out on the 8 foot length

 

[clancey]

All this figuring for what--just get a piece of marble and have a stone cutter cut it to proper size and how beautiful and smooth it will be as well...clancey

 

[anonymous1977]

Of course. Is it a fairly simple DIY project to install on top?

 

[clancey]

It might be very pretty too and you need to get the height factor of it just right for the convenience of what you might use it for its small but I can picture things to do with the space for your room is small-seeing some of your couch in the picture...It could be a cozy little corner spot.. If you have more space in your home somewhere else you might look at that and check into maybe a wood stove or something in that order---if you could financially do any of this and it it would be possible for you...Some of those stoves are just beautiful and i like those Bari stoves for the ambiance of it all-----love them... lol..Good luck on your new shelving design...heck make it a double shelf--lol clancey