How to Sand and Restain Your Fire Place Mantle

Written by Lindsay Stidham
on Dec 28, 2009

To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.

Reviewed by
H.R. Helm
on Mar 02, 2022

2-8 hours
•
Beginner
•
25-250

Protective covering for your floor and any surrounding furniture

A sander, if you need to remove an older mantle

Sand paper, should you need to sand a surface of a newly purchased mantel

Standard paint brushes and foam brushes to apply your stain

Drill, hammer, nails, and appropriate hardware for installing your new mantel

Protective covering for your floor and any surrounding furniture

A sander, if you need to remove an older mantle

Sand paper, should you need to sand a surface of a newly purchased mantel

Standard paint brushes and foam brushes to apply your stain

Drill, hammer, nails, and appropriate hardware for installing your new mantel

A fireplace mantele can easily be given a new look with a painting or staining. It's a fairly easy process, and great results can be achieved by beginners.

Prepare Your Room

Begin by preparing your room. Sanding, and removing an old mantle can be messy, so make sure to cover your floor and anything else that may be affected with a protective covering.

Remove Your Mantel

If you are giving an old mantle a makeover, first you will need to carefully remove it from above the fireplace. If it is nailed in place, you can simply pry it loose, and the plaster should hold up. If it is screwed in, the screws will need to be removed.

Prepare Your Mantel

Now you are almost ready to get down to staining. A brand new purchased mantle will require little prep before painting, but an old mantle being prepared for a new look will need a little more TLC. The old mantle may need heavy sanding to remove old paint, which brings us to our next step:

Sanding the Mantel

Older mantles will have to be sanded before they can be stained or painted. New mantles can be purchased unfinished, so you may finish them as you desire. The sanding work may depend on the finished mantle itself. A painted mantle can be lightly sanded by hand. To remove a heavier finish a 220 grit is desirable.

Staining the Mantel

Choose your desired color and then test it on the inside of the mantle. Allow your test to dry so you can see your ultimate result. Once you've tested your color, paint your mantle following any manufacturer recommendations included with your stain color purchase. Work with a foam brush and paint from top to bottom. If you need to apply more than one coat of stain, be sure to allow the first coat to dry before adding additional color. Once the stain is dry apply polyurethane or tung oil to protect your finish.

Once your new mantle look is complete, the focal point of your room will have been given a facelift. Consider little clutter on top of the mantle when decorating for a clean looking finish.