Funky Chunky Furniture 4x6 Solid Oak Rustic Mantel Shelf, English Oak, 100cm

This arrived well packaged and with wall fitments and was about half the price of similar items at our local fireplace shop. I ordered the 120cm length which had 2 x metal reinforced keyhole slots recessed in the back and came with bolts and wall plugs (our friend ordered the 90 cm one and that came screws, rather than bolts, which were rather small and we replaced them) . It's cut from natural solid oak and as such is quite heavy, has a fine natural split or 2 and slight variations in grain colour. I measured the centres of the recessed keyholes, the centre of my fireplace and used a spirit level to mark the wall for the wall plugs. Take your time measuring and re-check the position. I usually drill a pilot hole with small masonry drill, re-check measurements, then gradually go up in drill size. The wall bolts were slowly tightened with a 10mm spanner with the bolt heads left protruding about 10mm before offering up the mantle piece. It would probably be easier with 2 people lifting it but mine went up first time and it really sets off our fireplace.

it's stunning. It's a great quality chunk of solid oak, packed with character. We ordered the rustic English oak mantel and we couldn't be happier. The graining looks great, the edges have been chamfered (softened) so no sharp corners and all of the natural character of the wood has been left alone and simply looks great.It's so simple to fit as well, it's like hanging a very heavy photo, once you've installed the fixings into the wall (ours were three bolts) simply hang the mantel off of them. The mantel itself has cut outs at the back with metal plates that will 'float' the mantel off of the fixings.It took me about an hour to install, but that's more to do with me measuring everything, double checking and drawing it out to ensure it was centered and level. I installed this on my own but if you have a second pair of hands to help you lift it, it will make life a lot easier!The wood arrived slightly damp, but will naturally dry out with the heating on. I won't light the fire until I feel it has dried out as I don't want to cause cracking (often resulting from rapid drying) but aside from this natural effect (not a quality issue) we have no complaints what so ever.

This is the third of these we've bought from Funky Chunky via Amazon. They've all been different as they are natural oak, with different markings and cracks on them reflecting the natural beauty of the wood. We've used them as fireplace mantles and above a range cooker. The fittings are very good - for the 1.5m there are four slotted fittings fitted into the back of the beam which then hang on the screws you put in the wall - each of the beams we've had feels really securely fixed. A great product at a fair price.

I liked the price. I bought it in preparation for our new fireplace going in. Now that I'm ready to put it up a few months later I'm not so happy. There is a compression mark, which looks like a result of a packaging strap. It's easily visible and looks unnatural. The finish has degraded and now looks very patchy. Needs sanding and re finishing really. Numerous long cracks have developed, which I expected anyway but it's worth noting. I wouldn't say that the finish is high quality, you can easily see the marks left by the sanding process, should have used a finer grit really. Overall its OK for the money, my biggest gripe is the strap mark.

The poor delivery driver was a bit miffed, he ended up lugging this a couple hundred metres down the road. It's a real quality piece of wood and has the weight to prove it! I was a bit daunted by putting this up - it's really quite heavy for delicate maneuvering. It's really simple to install as long as you can use a measuring tape you can put this up. I was a bit surprised by the size of fixings supplied - I had to pop out to buy a bigger masonry bit. Also worth noting that the screws were actually bolts so need a socket set or spanner to tighten.

This is a beautiful piece of wood, but omg we needed patience to install. The openings at the back for the hidden fixings were not aligned and therefore the shelf looked wonky at first! Husband had to sort it out using a level, drilling more holes in the wall and no small amount of expletives in between. ANyway now its sorted it looks fabulous. Love it, beautiful quality wood, very happy. Delivery was as promised and packaged well. Just another quick point-its very heavy.

Really pleased with this mantle. I went for the smokey finish, which still looks really natural, just a bit darker. It took about 30 minutes to put up, which was a lot quicker than expected! It comes with the fittings, however since I was going into plasterboard I opted for some longer plugs and screws, which worked well. I also covered the back of the shelf with grab adhesive for some extra support - this thing is super heavy! Delivery was quick, and the item was packaged well - thanks!!

Pretty quick deliveryWell packagedWhen got product felt like it was a steal as pretty solid bit of oak, once fitted and all sealed.After couple uses have noticed pretty big splits in the wood 🙄 I'll let it relax and then don't know if I'll try reseal it.I am happy but not happy as it's split and was quite a few pennies, didn't go cheap as didn't want this to happen but still split. But is a good focal point