Lexington Hearth Grist Mill Concrete Faux Wood Mantel Shelf

Deep weathered woodgrain with tool marks, checks and character knots

The Lexington Hearth Grist Mill is a wall-mounted, non-combustible cast mantel shelf reproducing a weathered mill timber. Its character is in the surface rather than the silhouette: deep weathered woodgrain, tool marks, saw marks, checks and splits, and character knots.

Non-combustible is what lets a television go above the fireplace

Cast in Burncrete and certified to ASTM E136, the standard test at 750 degrees Celsius. In Lexington's words the non-combustible option "allows for closer placement to heat sources, making it an excellent choice for safely mounting a TV above the fireplace." A wood mantel sits at whatever clearance your fireplace manufacturer sets, and that clearance is often what pushes a television too high to watch. Your fireplace manual still governs the height.

It is the lightest of the rustic cast beams

52 pounds at 48 inches, against 62 for the Hayloft and 63 for the Flat Sawn Beam at the same length. That matters more than it sounds: a cast mantel is a two-person lift whatever the figure, but the lighter the beam the more forgiving the bracket fixing, and on an older stud wall that is the difference between straightforward and a job for a contractor.

It weighs 52 pounds at 48 inches, 69 at 60 inches and 86 at 72 inches, so fix the bracket into framing

The bracket carries the whole weight, so it has to reach structural framing rather than drywall anchors. Bracket, hardware, touch-up kit and manual all ship with it.

Hand-painted, so no two are identical, and custom colors are available

It is offered in five standard colors. Lexington casts and paints each one by hand and states that there will be minor variances in color, weight and final dimensions. That is the nature of the product, not a defect. They will also produce custom colors and lengths on request, so contact us before ordering if the standard range does not suit. Order a Bluegrass color sample first either way: what you pay for it is credited back when you buy the mantel.

Best for rustic and transitional rooms, and for a first cast mantel on an untested wall

The Grist Mill gives you weathered timber character at the lowest weight in the rustic range, which makes it the safest choice when you are not certain what is behind the drywall. It suits farmhouse and lodge interiors and sits comfortably in a transitional room where a hand-hewn profile would be too much. Three lengths cover most openings. For heavier, more pronounced hewn character, the Hayloft Beam is the step up.

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including ceramic fiber and crystalline silica dust, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer. Do not drill, saw, sand, or machine Fiber, Burncrete, or Media products, as this generates these airborne dusts. Avoid inhaling dust; use a dust mask or other safeguards for personal protection. For more information, visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.