Built-In Bookcases Around Fireplaces in Austin Homes

Hold a four-foot level against the chimney breast before drawing a single shelf. Bungalows in Hyde Park and Clarksville were framed around a masonry chimney that rarely stayed plumb, and custom cabinets austin tx sourire espoir treats that first reading as the number every other measurement hangs from. A built-in bookcase on each side of the fireplace has to look square next to a wall that is not, and that is a job for custom cabinetry rather than stock boxes in Austin, TX.

Reading the wall before the drawing

Plaster over lath in a house from the 1930s or 1940s moves in waves. A crew checks plumb at three heights on each side of the opening and records the worst reading, then sets the finished cabinet to the room's high point and scribes the rest. The Balcones Fault runs through town, and the clay soils east of it swell and shrink with the seasons, so floors under older houses commonly slope toward the middle. Shims under the base and a scribe strip against the plaster take up the difference without bending the box.

Shelf span and sag

Books are heavy, and a shelf that looks stiff empty will bow within a year if the span is too long. Hardwood shelves in oak or maple hold a longer span than a plywood box shelf of the same thickness, and a hardwood edge glued to the front of plywood stiffens it further. Birch plywood is a common middle choice because the edge takes a face frame trim cleanly. A thicker shelf or a center divider keeps a long run from dipping under hardcovers.

Face frame and trim to the mantel

A face frame hides the gap between the cabinet and a crooked wall far better than frameless construction does. The frame stiles at the fireplace side are cut a little wide, then planed to follow the surround. Crown and base trim line up with the mantel shelf and the existing baseboard.

Gas, power and the firebox

Gas shutoffs, outlets and any thermostat wiring near the fireplace are located before the shop cuts a panel. Cabinet sides keep the required clearance from the firebox opening, and a combustible-clearance rule applies to the mantel as well, so the drawing marks the clearances next to each opening. An outlet that ends up behind a fixed shelf is a common mistake, and a notched back panel with a removable cover plate solves it for lamps and speakers.

Finish and fit

Stain on oak darkens near a fireplace over the years, so a sample board is left on the mantel for a few weeks when the color matters. Lacquer holds up to dusting and the occasional warm spell better than a wipe-on oil, and the doors beneath the shelves get soft close euro hinge hardware so the lower cabinets shut quietly. The pair is screwed into studs, never into plaster alone.