Update Your Fireplace with our Most Popular Cast Stone Mantels

It may seem odd, but many people start thinking about their fireplaces during the summer time. That’s because they want to have their fireplace ready to enjoy when the cool and chilly winter months arrive. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about updating your fireplace mantel with a beautiful, elegant Cast Stone Mantel.

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Choosing the Right Mantel Shelf for Your Fireplace

Mantel Shelves highlight the beauty of your fireplace. In addition to being available in custom lengths, shelf mantels are also available in several styles, such as, wood and cast stone. Mantel shelves are used in several ways, whether it’s to revamp an existing fireplace or highlight a newly constructed fireplace. Our standard shelves are often our most popular, but we understand that sometimes a standard shelf mantel just won’t do the trick.

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

How to Measure When Ordering a Fireplace Mantel

You will notice there are several steps associated with measuring for your mantel - the height, width, and depth. For your mantel to best fit within your home or office, you will need the facing and opening measurements for both the mantel and firebox cavity. Facing height, widths, and depths are the overall lengths of your mantel as a whole. Opening height, width, and depth measurements, however, measure the firebox area. Remember, all measurements should be recorded in inches.

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Outdoor Patio Heaters: Free-Standing or Hanging

It’s the time of the year when sitting outside under the stars with family and friends seems like the perfect way to wind down after a long, hot summer day. Sometimes, though, an unseasonably chilly evening or the looming threat of a brisk fall can abruptly end your stargazing adventures.

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Top Trends in Fireplace Mantels

Classic styles are almost always the most popular and are available in a wide variety of materials to suit most any home. Wood fireplace mantels offer great looks depending on the type of wood, the grain of the wood, and can be painted or stained to your specific color needs. These mantels are available in either mantel shelf or full mantel surround styles.

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Fire Pit Art – Beautiful & Artistic Designs

As the days get longer, we find ourselves spending more and more time outdoors and well into the evenings. This is where outdoor fire pits have become the staple for outdoor enjoyment. Not just visually appealing and relaxing but also functional, these pits create the perfect mood for an entertaining evening with family or friends.

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Update Your Fireplace Surround Facing with a Fresh Look

When you look around your home, does your fireplace look a little uninviting? Let us help you reestablish it as the focal point of your room. An easy update to most fireplace mantels is to add new fireplace surround facing material. “Surround facing” is the material which is between the edge of your firebox and the inside legs and bottom of your mantel surround. Facings are typically brick, granite, marble or other natural stone material. Many older homes may still have the unfinished brick which the chimney was made from.

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Buschbeck Outdoor Fireplace Grill Kits are a Hit for Summer

To create a unique and inviting retreat, consider a Buschbeck Outdoor Fireplace. These beautiful pieces have a modern appeal and can help you create the perfect spot to sit and relax after a long day. Not only can you enjoy the soothing flames, but dinner can simmer over the fire on the grill accessory while you rest in your favorite lounge chair.

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Customizing Your Perfect Outdoor Fireplace

We recently featured the Perfect Outdoor Fireplace Kit in one of our blog postings a few weeks back. However, this time I’d like to go into a little more detail about its construction by first sharing a new Perfect Outdoor Fireplace Assembly Video. This great, informative, step-by-step assembly video shows just how easy it is to construct your own outdoor fireplace with just the assistance of one other person. Additionally, I wanted to remind everyone that while these outdoor fireplaces look great on their own, they are also fully customizable. You can add stone, rock, brick, decorative cement elements etc, to make a stunning, one-of-a-kind fireplace.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Outdoor Fire Pit Tables: Multi-Functional Fireplaces

Every space needs a focal point, and our exquisite collection of Classic Stone Outdoor Fire Pit Tables is a great place to start. These fire pit tables are built by hand and made of a composite limestone. This material is weather resistant and looks like natural stone, but at a fraction of the cost. Each unit is offered in a variety of honed composite limestone finishes, colors and a natural texture capturing the true essence of real stone. When seeing it in person, its unique color and veins are simply breathtaking.

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire Pits: 2 Outdoor Living Inspirations

Winter’s chill is finally fading and the smell of spring is in the air. It’s time to start thinking about transitioning from our indoor living spaces to their outdoor counterparts. There’s nothing like being outside to help rejuvenate and relax. But when evening comes and temperatures dip just below your comfort level, wouldn’t it be nice to have something to keep you warm and extend the amount of time you can spend outdoors? Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are the perfect way to bring heat and visual appeal to your outdoor living spaces.

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Cast Stone Mantels: Give Your Fireplace a Makeover

A home’s fireplace is often described by designers as the “central focal-point of any room.” It can command attention simply by its sheer size, but also by the simplicity or ornateness of the fireplace mantel. But what is your fireplace mantel saying right now? Is it slightly dated looking or dirty and stained from years of use, or has your current style changed and you are just looking for something new?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Classic Stone Mantels – Great Style, Affordable, Sized-to-Fit!

Because each Classic Stone Mantel is lightweight, preparation and installation is much easier and much less costly than traditional solid stone mantels. Our stone mantels are fire resistant and allow for zero clearance from combustible material (no space required between firebox and mantel) making it the perfect choice for gas, wood or electric fireplaces.

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Fireplace Mantel Shelves for Special Situations

One of the most popular products on MantelsDirect.com is the Fireplace Mantel Shelf. Many folks will order a standard fireplace shelf (fixed size), but many more have situations where a standard shelf will just not work. Fortunately, we are able to create custom lengths (D) and heights (H), as well as special shapes including the 'L' and 'U' Wrap Around Shelves to meet situational challenges.

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Rick Morse | Read More

Mantels for Every Style

Unlike decorative accents such as picture frames or small vases, mantels are major assets and are often the primary showpiece of a room. Because of this, it is important to choose a mantel that fits in with your decor but also makes the right statement. With over 100 mantels and mantel shelf designs, plus a variety of finishes and custom sizing, Mantels Direct is sure to have the perfect fireplace mantel for your home.

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Enjoy Friends and Family around a Outdoor Fireplace or Fire Pit

The warmth and ambiance of a fire is natural draw for people to gather. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit can serve as terrific focal point for enjoying the company of family and friends. It can instantly create a draw for a space that did not previously have an anchor. Outdoor fireplaces serve multiple functions from warmth, ambiance to cooking memorable meals.

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Four Styles of Cast Stone Fireplace Mantels

In April, we discussed three advantages of a cast stone fireplace mantel. It is simple to install, is available in a variety of colors and stone finishes, and comes in styles to complement any decor. Today, we're going to share the four style series in our cast stone fireplace mantels collection. Each series in the cast stone mantels collection carries a unique style and personality and has numerous options to make it your own.

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

Customer Project: 6 Steps to a Perfect Outdoor Fireplace

We recently posted an article about the ease of adding an outdoor fireplace to your living space by using a Perfect Outdoor Fireplace Kit. Since that post, a customer sent us several before, during, and after pictures of their outdoor fireplace project that we wanted to share with you. The outdoor fireplace kit used in for the project shown below is the Perfect Outdoor Fireplace BBQ Edition Kit, which comes with a removable grill grate.

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

3 Places You’d Never Expect to See Our Fireplace Mantels

Mantels Direct takes pride in offering fireplace mantels to fit all styles, needs and budgets. For this week's post, we compiled a short list of some of the most creative spaces to install our fireplace mantels and shelves.

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More

What is Supplemental Heating, and How Does It Affect Me?

When the cold winter months roll around, how much do you usually pay in utility bills to heat your home? No matter where you live, supplemental heating is a clever way to increase your home's energy efficiency and reduce those monthly bills. If you think about how much time you spend in each room, you may find that you spend more time in some rooms than others. Supplemental, or zone, heating allows you to keep the thermostat turned down and supplement the heat in the rooms that you use most with electric fireplaces and stoves, gel fireplaces, or gas fireplaces.

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Matt Dorrance | Read More