Reclaimed Maple Beam Mantel

Here’s a simple reclaimed mantel we put in a historic home in Phoenix. The customer came to the yard and picked out the beam that we cut this from. Below you’ll find pictures of how we made a french cleat for it in the shop and installed it in their home. This is my favorite way to float smaller mantels. It’s simple, strong, and hidden from view. There is no finish applied yet. The customer wanted to possibly leave it natural or apply their own. We did caulk it as well to keep any debris from falling in the cracks behind it. There are a few trade secrets I’m not showing in the pictures, but I can’t give away all my secrets, right? 🙂