From far away -- gap just looks like a slit.

We used paintable caulking for places like that on our wall molding....should work for your fireplace mantle.

The gap is about 2" -- Caulk won't work. But thanks Grandmaof3.

Can you remove the mantle? (How is it attached?) and repair then replace?

Kirkhall -- no way on the removal. Way beyond my skills. Plus that space is the only bad spot. It is a wrap-around mantle and pretty big. Probably 9 Ft long with a 5 Ft wrap-around a corner.

The space is kinda over the fireplace too -- ugg.

If it's over your skill level to remove it, you need to call in a finish carpenter to repair it.

Green Designs -- well how would he repair it? Take the whole thing down?

C'mon .... there has got to be a way to fix this, patch it, plug it or something without removing the mantle.

He would start carefully removing pieces of wood and then replace them with unbroken pieces. If that couldn't be accomplished without removing the whole thing, yes, he would remove the whole thing and rebuild it. You're not going to "patch" that. The broken piece needs to be replaced. If the way the mantel was constructed makes more damage likely when attempting to remove it, then replacing the whole thing may be in order. But, that's unlikely, as a skilled carpenter could easily deal with this. Especially since this is to be painted. You don't need to overly worry about damage, as some wood filler and sanding can disguise the minor gouges from a cat's paw or nippers.

Thanks for the further explanation GreenDesigns. The piece isn't actually broken it is 'bumped up' out of position. Like something was on the hearth, picked up and hit the lower board pushing it upward. It is not even cracked, just bowed.

Anyway, I can't afford any outside help. I'll have to figure something out. First on the list is figuring out what a cat's paw is -- that sounds like a tool I need. Nippers, I am sure we have. Thanks !!

Do you know how it is attached? Often, the mantle is attached with screws (or nails) to a ledger board running "through" the middle of the interior of a hollow mantle. If that is the case, which seems plausible, as you have a board "pushed up", you may be able to unscrew the screws, pull off the mantle, replace the board that is out of place and then replace the mantle onto the ledger and screw it back securing it into place.

Otherwise, I'd try to take a thin metal object, slide it up and behind, and pull your board back into place. But, it seems that might cause some damage too. Might be "smaller" damage and more easily repaired/concealed.

Kirkhall, no screws anywhere in the mantle. It kinda looks to me that it was mounted on running boards within the hollow area. It is solid as heck too ... just shoddy finish work.

And ... this crooked board ain't gonna budge. First, it is displaced at a tight seam -- so when it got bumped upward it is still wedged against the next horizontal board. Plus, there is one nail upward and one downward holding it in its 'now' bad position (you can see these nails in the picture but not that one is up and one is down).

I think I am going to shim a piece of drywall in there and joint compound it in, smooth it out. Someday, when I get some bucks, I pull the whole damn thing down and replace it. That is my plan with the walls too which are paneled now.

Thanks all, I'll post a photo of my patch. It will be underneath and not viewable. LOL.

I'm good helpers -- you got me thinking and I came up with something.

I made a shim out of drywall. Attached it with joint compound and nails until it sets. I'll skim coat it and sand it. It will blend right in. Finish off with caulk like Grandma03 mentioned and it will look fine painted.

Thanks everyone!

Glad a little bit of my suggestion helped (paintable caulking).....I was going to suggest next to get a piece of quarter round or dowls to cover the gap....Glad you came up with a solution.. Show us a picture when done.