cqaigy2
Super Member
Wow, that is really nice looking! Are you sure you want a mantle? Maybe you could tack it up see how it looks before making it permanent.
Drilling Stone for Fireplace Mantle
- Thread starter Maknwine
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CalG
Super Member
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Drill your holes in the stone based on "centering" any given stone in the present work. i.e, don't place the drilling at an edge etc.
Epoxy in a threaded "stud:, then drill and bolt the mantle piece to suit.
You Work with stone, you can't force it.
High temp epoxy is not required!
Epoxy in a threaded "stud:, then drill and bolt the mantle piece to suit.
You Work with stone, you can't force it.
High temp epoxy is not required!
CurlyDave
Elite Member
That looks to me like stone veneer. It may be either natural or cultured stone. If it is veneer, it is not structural. You need to drill through the stone, but make your attachments into a stud wall behind the veneer.
Look on the outside of the building. If there are any areas where there is siding opposite rock it is veneer.
Look on the outside of the building. If there are any areas where there is siding opposite rock it is veneer.
forgeblast
Elite Member
It looks like natural stone, but like others said it may be a veneer, is there a way for you to drill through the mortar only, and see if you can find a stud? That is what we did.
If you can line up a few studs by drilling only the mortar then you would not crack the stone. The mortar is easy to fix but if you crack one of the stones then thats going to make a long day much longer.
If you can line up a few studs by drilling only the mortar then you would not crack the stone. The mortar is easy to fix but if you crack one of the stones then thats going to make a long day much longer.
OP
Maknwine
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The stone wall doesn't go through to the outside of house. The outside is brick. Does that make this a veneer? The stones are very real and very large/heavy. There scattered stones in the yard that I'm sure were just leftovers.
crazyal
Super Member
Rent yourself an SDS hammer drill and try to get one with a variable speed trigger. Play around with those extra rocks to get a feel for where you can safely drill and try to go slow without putting too much pressure for the first few holes until you get a feel for it. Drilling in rock is not that bad. But it's a little hard to keep the bit from wandering a bit when first starting the hole. Unlike a steel bit the carbide stone bits don't really dull so you can practice to your hearts content before drilling into your stonework.
MotorSeven
Elite Member
With the width & weight of that mantle, I'm with Beezfun on putting two 90 degree support legs on it. You can make them out of slabwood, or fab up something in iron.
forgeblast
Elite Member
Yep its veneer, just a surface decoration not a structural component. So Practice drilling on an outside rock to see what it does if it splits then you need to go through the mortar.
With my mantle the uprights (mine are cast concrete that match our stone the local brickyard had them) really dont hold its the lag bolts that go into the studs that do all the holding.
With my mantle the uprights (mine are cast concrete that match our stone the local brickyard had them) really dont hold its the lag bolts that go into the studs that do all the holding.
