The Homestead 72" Shelf or Mantel Shelf Unfinished

We had been intending to build a mantle for our fireplace for years. Stumbled over this piece and decided to give it a try - color and style seemed perfect. Installation was easy, but had to add some hardware - had it on our masonry wall in less time than it took to unpack. Construction and finish are good, and the price was right.

After shopping around at the overpriced fireplace stores and local woodworking shops, my search for a reasonably priced mantel led me to search the internet where I came across fireplacemantels.com.I bought the unfinished model due to my desire to stain it the same color as my bar cabinets that will eventually complement my unfinished to finished basement. I haven't actually tried to hang the mantel yet, as I'm still finishing the framed fireplace, but [...] looks to have been a smart purchase for around [$]. However, if you're someone looking for a unique show piece made of solid hardwood, then this probably isn't the mantel for you. Mine will be used primarily for decoration as I will be hanging a flat screen over it. Although, if you have the time to sand, stain and put a few coats of polyurethane on it, you're probably saving yourself a few hundred bucks compared to what I've seen at some of the specialty and retail stores. Plus, once it's finished and hung, your friends won't notice the difference.

- Mantel well made, smooth finish. Still had sanding dust residue on it out of the box. - Mounting bar was warped, I will need to replace it before mounting. Not sure yet if they will ship me a new one free of charge. Good thing I have a table saw. - I have not yet stained it, so I cannot comment on how it will take stain. - Made from Asian wood with not too much irregular graining.

The suport could be a little stronger but worked out well. I like the fit and finish. A great product at a very good value.

If you're not mounting this mantel on a flat wall, or even, flat brick or stone, some modifications will need to take place. It's a descent piece of wood for the price. It ships fast, but the lack of directions I find abysmal. Someone who is not an experienced do it yourselfer, will have trouble on am uneven or undulating stone surface. Further, the bracket that holds the mantel piece is just plane old wood. A 1 x cut at a 45 degree angle. So those of you expecting angle iron or something stronger, you'll be quite surprised when it arrives. I hope this helps somebody,

I have been looking at mantel shelves for years and finally made the plunge. Upon arrival, I was very pleased with appearance of shelf. Directions were included but very vague. I used included anchor bar to attach shelf to wall but found that it does not fully support the shelf so that it is level. I tried using shims like others have suggested but I think that I will need to drill down from the top with some fastener screws to have a better fit. Perhaps even use a different anchor bar on the wall like another customer suggested. I am still happy with my purchase yet just disappointed that most things seem to not work or install as they should. Oh well. This will require some more work. It looks sloppy right now. I would recommend this to a friend who had some time and knowledge of tools and assembly.

The hanging assembly included with this mantel shelf is poorly engineered. The shelf would not sit flush to the wall. We ended up ripping out the useless hanger board, mounting a 2x4 to the wall and then drilling the shelf into the 2x4. Sure was a lot of unexpected hassle and definitely not worth the price because of that. Had the hanger board method worked as described in the installation instructions, I would be a satisfied customer.

No matter what we do, we cannot get this Mantel to set level. We wanted it to set antique oil lamps on it. At this point they all look like they will fall to the floor at any time... Do not purchase this Mantel

I liked 99% of the mantle but the bottom peice was damaged and poor quality. We got the unfinished version to stain ourselves and quickly noticed there would be no way to cover up the frayed ply on the bottom peice. The top was scratched as well. We liked the mantle enough that we reordered and are hoping to get a perfect one next time, but in the meantime have had to ship back the old one, reorder another one, and wait an extra week to get it which has pushed back our fireplace project. It would have been great to get one shipped overnight since this was not our fault, but we were told there ""was no way"" the manager would pay for expedited delivery. Not a good experience so far...

Received the package and a dent was present on the wood in the middle of the shelf. We will paint it and hope it will work out, however the hassle of returning the shelf outweighs the blemish. Just another reason I am nervous about buying online. Have not installed it yet but seems pretty easy. Nice shelf however very disappointed by the blemish that is prominently visible. It is in the worst place possible.