100yr old AZ Barnwood Mantel Project

We don't meddle in barnwood and distressed looks very often so when we do, we make it count by using authentic 100yr old barnwood reclaimed from a ranch in Camp Verde, Arizona. Its not nearly as common to find quality Arizona barnwood and this was a special find because it was a roofing cross beam that had still been weathered mostly by sunlight but very little moisture which meant no rot or bugs.

Our friends at Northwest Woodworks helped us cut the beam to size using his Makita beam saw and he also fabbed up some steel brackets while we were doing demo and prepping the uneven red brick backing by patching concrete filler and attaching a wood backing to level it and provide consistent solid surface for mounting.