Aging a mantel with stain depends on planning than real stain application. Needless to say, you can not physically era a mantel using stain, but you can give it the impact of aging. The stain will accentuate the planning you have completed into the mantel to give the whole surface a worn and antique look. Almost anyone can attain this effect with common household items and a few imagination. The mantel, nevertheless, must be free of any original finish before you begin the aging process.
Strip the first finish off the mantel using a chemical stripper, if applicable. Put on rubber gloves and then brush the stripper onto the finish. Permit the stripper to dissolve the first end for the time recommended by the manufacturer, then scrape it off using a drywall knife. Wipe off the residue with old rags. When the surface is dry, sand it using 200-grit sandpaper to smooth it out.
Distress the surface of the mantel using various household items to create dents, dings and scrapes. As an instance, make deep scratches in the surface using an old-style bottle. Put a handful of screws within a plastic bag and then throw them against the surface. Hammer dings and dents into the mantel with a hammer, then make a few deep surface holes using a hammer and a middle punch, and take the claw end of the hammer and then scrape it across the grain in several places.
Sand the surface lightly with 200-grit sandpaper. Only sand enough to eliminate any possible slivers or sharp edges.
Brush on a stain of your choice, but darker stains function better in this example. Gently wipe the stain off quickly using a clean rag. Attempt to maintain the rag on an even keel with the horizontal plane of the surface. This enables the stain to pool within the distressed places to accentuate the scrapes, dings and dents.