Mantles vs Shelves: What’s the Difference?
Many people need clarification on mantles and shelves. Sometimes, people use the terms synonymously. While you can use the same wood size and design for both, the terms “mantle” and “shelf” are distinct. A mantle is a wall shelf, but a wall shelf may not be a mantle.
A live edge floating shelf or wall mounted wood shelf is a flat and rectangular structure fixed to a wall where you can display anything from books, picture frames, figurines, and anything in between that the shelf can hold. On the other hand, a mantle is also a shelf but is only placed above a fireplace. One cannot call a shelf a mantle without a fireplace underneath it.
What Is a Live Edge Mantle and Shelf?
Mantles and shelves are made with different materials, including wood. Live edge in the wood industry means that the wood used in construction has natural and untouched edges. The edges are never altered, smoothed, or touched by hand or machine tools. Thus, it retains its natural appeal as the tree retains a part of itself in the design.
A live edge mantle and live edge shelves have at least one side of the wood unaltered by hand tools or any woodworking machinery. It maintains the wood’s grains, knots, and even burrs and burls in the design.
What Is the Best Live Edge Wood for Mantles and Shelves?
There are many solid wood types that you can consider. Woods that are strong and carry a sizable weight are often preferred for shelves and mantles. Both hardwoods and softwoods can be used for this purpose. While it is better to use hardwood for commercial shelving, softwoods like cedar and pine are great options too!
Hardwoods such as oak, ash, and hickory are also beautiful choices. For fireplace mantles, the
most popular option is walnut because it is heavier and more durable. Its dark brown color
further matches the fire-burning beauty of any fireplace.
Recommended Thickness of Live Edge Mantles and Shelves
A live edge mantle is typically around 3.5 to 4 inches thick. Some would go for as much as 7 inches in thickness to carry more weight. It should also be 12 inches longer than the fireplace. However, with different room sizes and interiors, the fireplace mantle face height still depends on the final plan.
As for shelf size, they should be at least 2 inches thick. Since live edge slab shelves are usually floating, the mounting hardware is wider than usual. So, it is better to have a thicker live edge wood shelf to keep these bars and brackets out of view when mounting to a wall stud.
FAQs
What is the best distance between a mantle and a fireplace?
Building codes have rules regarding the height distance between a mantle and a fireplace. Usually, you should place the mantle above the fireplace opening about 12 inches up. More space between the two may damage the mantle because of the heat.
How to care for live edge mantles/shelves?
You should maintain live edge wood slab to prevent damage, whether it's a traditional live edge mantle or wall mounted shelves. Only use natural cleaning products. Also, using microfiber cloth when dusting is advisable because they are plush and soft. It won’t scratch the surface of the mantle and shelves.
Where to Buy Live Edge Mantles/Shelves
Traditional live edge wood can be expensive, given how large and rare it is. While some local sawmills and regular lumber stores may sell live edge solid wood, you can only sometimes guarantee their quality and availability.
Your best bet to purchase wonderful wood for mantles, shelves, countertops, or live edge furniture is in specialty stores such as Alderfer Lumber Company Inc. We sell properly dried live edge wood of all kinds and sizes. These woods are sustainably sourced, processed, and treated to ensure decades
You can check our inventory of live edge wood or contact us to see our updated stocks.
