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A floor-to-ceiling shiplap fireplace bump-out for an electric insert, with a solid-beam mantle and TV mounting built into the framing. Two stud walls and a lot of trim discipline.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back wall verticals Or 1" less than YOUR ceiling height. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 95" | — | ☐ |
| Back wall horizontals Or desired width minus 3". | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 57" | — | ☐ |
| Front wall verticals Match the back wall. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 95" | — | ☐ |
| Front wall horizontals | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 57" | — | ☐ |
| Insert opening uprights Desired opening-top height minus 1-1/2" — follow your insert's spec. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 28 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Insert opening header Your insert's opening width. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 33" | — | ☐ |
| Upper verticals (TV bay) Measure and cut to fit; spaced to your TV bracket. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 62" | — | ☐ |
| Mantle blocking | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 24" | — | ☐ |
| Depth blocks (sides) Or your chosen bump-out depth. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 12" | — | ☐ |
| Mantle | 1 | 3 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 54" | 4x6 beam | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft Vertical framing and blocking. | 8 each | ☐ |
| 2x4, 10 ft The 57" horizontal members cut from these. | 6 each | ☐ |
| Shiplap boards, ~56 sq ft 12-foot lengths waste least. Primed MDF shiplap is cheapest; pine takes stain. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x3 trim boards, 8 ft | 8 each | ☐ |
| Quarter round or shoe moulding, 3/4" Only if the ceiling gap needs covering. | 6 linear ft | ☐ |
| 4x6 beam, 54" The mantle. A real timber, not a hollow box — hence the lag screws. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Lag screws, 6" Mantle mounting, driven from behind. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive | 100 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4", 18 ga | 500 each | ☐ |
| Wood filler | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Paint | 1 quart | ☐ |
| Electric fireplace insert, 36" As shown: 36" wide x 17" tall unit in a 33" x 16" opening. Buy FIRST; frame to ITS manual. Not included in the cost estimate. | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver, Pencil, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, 2x4, 10 ft, Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Measure your ceiling; the framing height is that MINUS 1" — the tip-up clearance. Build the back wall (two verticals, three horizontals) with 2-1/2" screws.
Build the front wall the same, plus the insert opening: set the center horizontal at your insert's opening-top height, frame the opening to the insert manual's dimensions, and place the upper stud bay to match your TV bracket's bolt pattern. The bracket and the insert manual are the real drawings for this wall.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Level. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the back frame to the wall studs through its horizontals with 2-1/2" screws, dead level — shim as needed; every shiplap course references this frame.
Add the 12" side depth blocks (they set the bump-out depth), then screw the front wall frame to the blocks. You now have a hollow stud tower; knock on it and enjoy how permanent it already sounds.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #9 x 2-1/2", star drive
Install the 24" blocking for the mantle (and center-mount TV bracket, if using one) with their bottoms RESTING ON a horizontal 2x4 — that's the load path that takes a solid-timber mantle's weight to the floor instead of hanging it on fasteners.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Jigsaw, Level, Pencil. Materials: Shiplap boards, ~56 sq ft, 4x6 beam, 54", Lag screws, 6", Brad nails, 1-1/4", 18 ga
Start the first course at the floor, LEVELED (floors lie; the level doesn't), and work up with 1-1/4" brads, two per stud. At the insert opening, hold each board in place, trace the opening from behind, and jigsaw it out.
When the courses reach mantle height: install the 4x6 now, lagged from BEHIND through the framing with the 6" lags, while the wall above is still open. This is the plan's easiest-way warning — front-mounting a solid beam later is a much harder job.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Random Orbit Sander, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x3 trim boards, 8 ft, Quarter round or shoe moulding, 3/4", Brad nails, 1-1/4", 18 ga, Wood filler, Paint
The corner-matching sequence: (1) top and bottom SIDE trim, cut to fit; (2) top and bottom FRONT trim; (3) vertical SIDE trim — its front face must land flush with the plane of the front shiplap; (4) vertical FRONT trim, corners meeting the sides exactly. Quarter round covers any ceiling gap.
Fill every hole, let dry, sand at 120, dust off, paint. The trim order is what makes the corners look mitered without a single miter.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Level
Mount and TEST the TV — cables, power, everything — while the insert bay is still open, because the insert removes your last access to the cavity. Then slide in the fireplace insert per its manual. It pulls back out if you ever need the framing again; the TV wiring doesn't, which is why it went first.
Tools: Level, Tape Measure
A sloped ceiling changes only the front wall framing — its verticals become different lengths and the top plate follows the slope. Get that frame right and everything else stays cut-to-fit over it, exactly as before.