Before you start shopping for fireplace mantels and surroundings, you need to know the measurements of your hearth, fireplace facing, and a few other key elements. With those figures in hand, you can find a fireplace mantel or mantel and surround that will suit the scale of your fireplace and the look of your room. Determine What to Measure. If you're replacing your current mantel and / or surround, then you should measure that. If you are installing a new mantel or surround around a fireplace that has none, then you will need to make different measurements.
Measuring an Existing Mantel and Surround
Shelf Width – Measure the total width of the top of the mantel at the widest part.
Shelf Depth – Measure the depth of the mantel from the front edge to the wall.
Total Height – Measure the height of the mantel from the top of the hearth to the top of the shelf.
Total Width – Measure the entire width of the fireplace surround from end to end (if you have a surround). If you do not have a surround, measure the total width of the facing.
Projection Depth – Measure the depth of the side of the surround from the outer edge to the wall.
Opening Width – Measure the width of the fireplace opening.
Opening Height – Measure the height of the fireplace opening from the floor or the top of the heart surface to the top of the opening.
Side Distances – Measure from the edge of the heart or surrounding to the nearest light fixture, window, corner, or door on each side.
Measuring for a New Mantel and Surround
If you have a fireplace without a shelf or surround, then you would follow these measurements. These measurements assume you have a facing, which is a decorative material like brick or stone surrounding the fireplace opening. If you do not have a facing, skip those measurements. If you do not have a heart, which is a raised decorative surface on the floor beneeth the fireplace opening, then measure from the floor and skip the hearth measurements.
Facing Height – Measure the height of the facing from the top of the heart to the top of the facing.
Total Facing Width – Measure the total width of the facing from end to end.
Facing Width – Measure the width of the facing on one side of the fireplace opening.
Facing Depth – If the facing projects out from the wall, measure the distance from the outer edge to the wall.
Opening Width – Measure the width of the fireplace opening.
Opening Height – Measure the height of the opening from the floor of the fireplace, which is at the same level as the hearth, or the floor of the room if you have no hearth.
Hearth Height – Measure the height of the hearth from the floor to the top of the surface.
Hearth Depth – Measure the depth of the hearth from the front edge to the wall.
Hearth Width – Measure the width of the hearth from end to end.
Side Distances – Measure from the edge of the facing to the nearest light fixture, door, corner, or window on each side.
If you do not currently have a fireplace mantel and surround, please check your local building codes or fire safety department for the minimum distance from the fireplace opening to the mantel and surround.