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How to Build a DIY Brick Fireplace Hearth with a Shiplap Accent Wall & Rustic Wood Beam Mantle

April 28, 2020 / 1,948 Comments

A brick fireplace hearth has always been on the top of my wish list for our home. There is something about the hand built nature of a large brick fireplace hearth that holds that old time farmhouse charm that you just don’t see in today’s small, builder-grade, simple gas fireplace mantles. We have tried everything to update our builder-grade fireplace, from simply painting it white to adding a larger wood mantle and even adding a shiplap accent wall. While those updates definitely improved the look of our small and unimpressive fireplace, it just didn’t fulfill our dream of a beautiful and grand brick fireplace hearth. So we finally decided to completely tear out the existing fireplace mantle, start from scratch, and build our own completely custom dream fireplace! Take a look at this 3-part tutorial on how to build a DIY brick fireplace hearth, how to create a DIY shiplap accent wall above the fireplace, and how to install a large, rustic stained wood beam mantle.

Before & After Photos

The first photo shows our home when we first bought it, the next is after we painted the trim in our house white when we updated our whole home interior, the third photo shows this fireplace after we added DIY shiplap and a new wood mantle, and the last photo is the fireplace after finishing the DIY brick hearth and adding new shiplap and a larger wood mantle.

DIY Brick Fireplace Hearth with Shiplap and a Rustic Wood Mantle Tutorial

Part 1 | DIY Brick Fireplace Hearth

Tools, Materials & Measurements

Tools

  • Circular saw
  • Hammer
  • Mallet
  • Plastic mixing tub
  • Gloves
  • Safety glasses
  • Trowel
  • Level

Materials

  • Mortar mix
  • 190 – 2.5″ thick red clay bricks
  • 2″ metal support bar (the width of your fireplace insert opening)

Measurements

  • Brick fireplace surround – 76.5″ wide x 4″ deep x 50″ tall (floor to bottom of wood mantle)
  • Brick fireplace hearth – 76.5″ wide x 5.5″ tall x 21″ deep
  • Floor to ceiling – 9′

Step 1 – Moving the gas fireplace insert

To begin this DIY, we removed the black tile and existing white fireplace surround from the wall and cut open the drywall in order to raise the fireplace insert. Once the wall was open, we rebuilt the fireplace insert framing 6″ higher to provide the clearance to build the hearth up a total of two bricks plus mortar (about 5.5″). The gas must be disconnected to move the insert and reconnected it when finished. After reinstalling the fireplace insert we covered the framing with new drywall.

Next, we raised the fireplace vent on the exterior of the house. We had to cut a hole in our exterior siding to move the opening for the vent higher to match the raised fireplace insert. The vent had to be replaced because removing it destroys the vents structure. Finally, we replaced the siding on the house to cover the hole where the old vent was.

Step 2 – Cut half size bricks

You will need half size bricks throughout the fireplace project to create a staggered traditional brick pattern. To cut the half size bricks, use a circular saw with a concrete blade to create a break line across the top center of the brick. Snap the brick in half by tapping one side of the brick gently with a hammer.

You may lose some bricks in the process, but with a little practice we made several brick halves with no problem!

Step 3 – Measure and stencil horizontal guide lines on the wall

To make laying the brick easier, we stenciled horizontal lines across the wall at the height each brick would need to be to remain level and straight from edge to edge. The bricks are 2.5″ tall, and the lines are marked 3″ apart each. This helped guide us to make a 1/2″ thick layer of mortar as we laid the bricks. After each layer our bricks lined up from edge to edge with the next line, so we knew we had installed the bricks correctly. The first image below shows the guide lines, and the other images show the progress of the bricks in line with the guide lines.

Step 4 – Mix the mortar

Before you begin laying bricks you will need to mix your mortar. Mortar is messy and needs to be kept at the right consistency throughout the process.

We used SAKRETE 80 lb. Gray Type S Mortar Mix – a preblended mixture of sand and masonry cement or sand, lime and portland cement, found at Home Depot. Follow the manufacturer instructions for mixing mortar. Be sure you are working in a room with a temperature of between 50-100 degrees F when mixing and applying mortar.

Wet your mixing tub before mixing the mortar and water. Add about half the water necessary for the batch you’re making into the mixing tub, then add the mortar mix. Mix vigorously for about 5 minutes using your trowel. The consistency should be thick yet shape-able, similar to a very thick and wet sand you could build a sand castle from.

Test the consistency of the mortar with a technique called snapping the trowel, where you snap the trowel downward gently to remove excess mortar from the trowel. You will know you have the right consistency when the wet mortar hangs on a trowel held at a 90 degree angle without sliding off until you snap it.

Getting the right consistency took some trial and error for us. Practice until you get it right – having mortar with the right consistency is essential to laying the bricks properly. And if the mixture gets dry as your using it, use a spray bottle to wet it.

Step 5 – Lay brick the fireplace surround (the wall)

Bricking the wall is definitely a tedious process that requires patience, and practice. I recommend practicing the process of using the mortar and laying the bricks before beginning your fireplace hearth.

To lay the bricks, take a heap of mortar with your trowel and dump it where the next brick will be set. For your first layer of bricks you will add the mortar to the floor.

Using the trowel, make an indent along the center of your mortar piles to make the mortar spread towards the outer edges of the brick.

Add mortar to one edge of your first brick and place it in the row firmly. Tap it gently with a mallet if you need to move it tighter in place. Each brick thereafter will be placed the same way. Be sure the bricks are square with one another with an even and level amount of mortar under them and between them, using your horizontal stencil as a guide.

The mortar will naturally spread out and touch the wall, but we also added mortar to the back of the bricks along the edges if there were obvious gaps. This way the brick would seem flush with the wall with no gap or space between.

Step 6 – Brick over the fireplace insert opening

To brick over the fireplace insert, place a metal 2″ wide support bar across the top of the fireplace insert opening (approx 35″) and use a level to make sure its perfectly level, then place supports under the metal to hold it in place. We used leftover copper pipe but you can just cut wood to the correct height.

Follow the same steps as above to lay the mortar and brick across the fireplace insert opening. Be sure the first layer over the metal support is mortar so that when it hardens it supports the bricks above it.

Continue to lay bricks until you reach your top guide line, just below where your new wood beam mantle will be installed.

Once the mortar is completely set you can remove the metal support.

Step 7 – Lay the brick hearth (the floor)

Following all the same steps as above, lay bricks in front of the fireplace to create your hearth. We decided to do 4 bricks deep and 2 bricks in height to create out hearth. It is especially important that you pay close attention to laying these bricks as level as possible to create a level and flat fireplace hearth surface you can use later.

Allow the mortar to cure for 48-72 hours, in a temperature of 50-100 degrees F.

Step 7 – Fill in holes and gaps with mortar

As imperfect DIYer’s there were plenty of areas in our DIY brick hearth that did not have enough mortar and instead had large openings where the mortar should have been filled. Rather than mix up more mortar, the easy fix is to use a tube of mortar repair and squeeze it directly into the areas that need filling or fixing. Smash as much as you can in holes, gaps, and craters and then scrape away the excess.

The mortar repair is very easy to apply and matches the mortar perfectly when cured.

Head to Part 2 for the DIY Rustic Wood Beam Mantle Tutorial!

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