Step-by-step instructions on how to make a fireplace yourself

The fireplace in the house is still a symbol of coziness, luxury and comfort. Therefore, manufacturers create models and designs that can fit into any interior - from classic to modern. Some of them are intended only for decorating the room - these are apartment copies, others can be used to heat the room and cook food over an open fire.

Types of fireplaces

Fireplaces differ in several ways:

• depending on the fuel used;
• by installation method;
• by the type of firebox;
• by appointment.

You can create a cozy atmosphere even in an urban high-rise building without spending a lot of effort on purchasing a decorative model. Another thing is to fold the fireplace with your own hands out of brick so that it does not smoke, it flares up well, is economical in fuel consumption, safe and, most importantly, fits well into the interior.

By installation method

A brick fireplace can be corner or wall-mounted. It is important to decoratively highlight the masonry to emphasize the old style. All structural elements are in the room and protrude beyond the wall outline. The advantage of such models is the possibility of installation after building a house. The disadvantage is that after decorative repairs, you will have to raise the floor and install a heat-resistant coating so that it does not catch fire by accident. A wall-mounted fireplace looks good in a large area.

All types of finishes are available for wall models - stone, mosaic, ceramic tiles, artificial stone, plaster.

The built-in model is planned at the stage of building the house, since all parts of the structure are hidden in the wall. The firebox remains open. The upper part of the wall is a hidden chimney. It will be difficult to execute such a model after building a house: for this you will have to break down walls and lay out a chimney, which can be difficult in terms of labor costs.

Island fireplaces are usually located in the center of the room. In this case, the area of ​​the room should take into account the dimensions of the model. By its design, this product can have any shape - square, round, bowl-shaped. If the fireplace is not decorative, a heat-resistant coating is installed on the floor, and an extractor hood is mounted at the top, which is connected to the chimney. Due to the fact that too much oxygen in the room is consumed during combustion, ventilation or fresh air supply must be provided. In this case, it is better to install models of fireplaces with a closed firebox, but with ventilation.

Island fireplaces come in different designs, including suspended ones that do not touch the floor.

By appointment

The purpose of the fireplace can be direct - heating, cooking over an open fire, or decorative - to stylize the room.

For real fireplaces and home stoves, you need to build a chimney. Decorative models are powered by electricity. The fiery tongues in them are not real, but they imitate an open flame well.

A brick fireplace can be built on the street for summer outdoor recreation, in a private house. The stove is used for baking bread - the firebox is at the bottom, and the cooking compartment is at the top.

In an apartment environment, a working wood-burning fireplace can be part of the layout in elite buildings, where all safety rules for using the structure are taken into account.

By the design of the firebox

The design of the firebox can be different:

• One-sided, in which the fire is visible from one side.
• Double-sided - the fire is visible from both sides.
• Three-sided assumes a closed firebox. These fireplaces are most often decorative.
• Corner - with a corner protruding forward.

Each design has advantages and disadvantages. For example, with a double-sided open-type firebox, the fuel will burn faster, and accordingly the oxygen consumption in the room will increase, therefore, such a complex model must be built according to all the rules.

By type of firebox

The firebox at the working fireplace can be open or closed. When the option is closed, the risk of burning coal or wood getting into the room is minimal, but it is difficult to cook anything with the door closed.

When the firebox is open, the flame can be accessed from one side. At the same time, the efficiency is high, since all the heat goes into the room and heats it up well. The construction of fireplaces with an open hearth is more difficult and you need to equip additional protection against the ingress of burning coals on the floor.

When the combustion chamber is closed, a heat-resistant glass door is installed on the front panel of the fireplace. If desired, it can be pushed aside and the firebox will become open. The combustion is regulated by additional levers, so the intensity of the flame can be reduced or increased.

There are more advantages for fireplaces with a closed combustion chamber:

• efficiency with fuel consumption;
• safety;
• easier installation;
• high efficiency.

In addition, a closed firebox can be turned into an open one at any time.

By style

There is a fireplace for every interior that will emphasize the style:

• Classic - with columns and forged guard rails. Material - marble or natural stone, as well as metal figured elements.
• Country - a rustic version of the fireplace, which has compartments for drying and storing firewood.
• Modern - structures with a minimum amount of decoration, less massive and noticeable. Often built into the wall.
• Hi-Tech with unusual shapes and design solutions, made of modern materials, most often gray or black.

Before buying a fashionable model, it is recommended to study well how the fireplace will work, since in some cases the emphasis on form and design is bad for the performance characteristics.

By type of combustible fuel

An important point in the construction of a fireplace is the type of fuel. It is necessary that it is always available and inexpensive.

• On the wood. Here it is important to correctly calculate and lay out the chimney so that good draft supports combustion, and smoke does not enter the room. Carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide is the biggest hazard of an improperly stacked fireplace.
• Gas fireplaces. They work from a line or a cylinder. There are models where a small cylinder is built in - they can be moved to another place and warm the room. For such a device, a chimney is also needed to remove the combustion products.
• Electric models are heating devices stylized as a fireplace. Suitable for an apartment, since the construction of a chimney is not required. The appearance of fire is obtained using light fabric and air currents.
• Biofireplaces run on fuel that does not emit harmful substances when burned. It can be pure alcohol or bioethanol. The advantage of the models is that they create a picture of a living fire, while additionally heating the room, they do not require connection to the chimney.

Bio fireplaces are ideal for home conditions in terms of safety, quick installation and low cost of fuel. There is enough air for combustion, which is supplied by ventilation.

How the fireplace works

The principle of operation of the fireplace consists in the entry of cold air into the firebox from below, after which it heats up during the combustion of fuel and rises up the chimney, simultaneously giving off heat to the room, warming up the external structures.

It is important to correctly calculate the height and width of the chimney, correlate it with the size of the furnace, so that the draft removes combustion products well.

There are dampers in the chimney design. If you need to send more heat into the room, the damper is pushed in, less hot air goes into the chimney. When lighting a fireplace, on the contrary, create an increased air flow in order to start the combustion process.

In order to prevent backdraft and smoke from entering the room, the chimney is regularly cleaned in ordinary fireplaces. For electric, biofireplaces and false fireplaces, this procedure is not required.

Preparation for construction

Fireplace laying can be done by hand. The first step is to choose a place. In order not to create drafts, you cannot equip a fireplace on the same wall where the windows are located, and also build it opposite the front door. The floor must be stable to support the weight of the structure.

Dimensional Drawings

It is necessary to calculate the dimensions of the fireplace so that the firebox is 1/50 of the size of the room. If you make it more, the efficiency will decrease, if it is less, the smoke will enter the room.

The cross-sectional area of ​​the chimney should be 10 times less than the area of ​​the firebox. Height from 4 to 5 meters. Rules to be foreseen in advance:

• When installed, the doors leave a gap between the metal and the brick, as the metal expands when heated. It is necessary to lay an asbestos layer.
• The fuel chamber on the rear wall must be tilted up and back.

The inside of the fuel chamber does not need plastering.

Materials and tools

The following materials must be prepared:

• Fireclay or heat-resistant bricks for laying out the firebox of the highest quality without cracks and chips. The chimney is also laid out of brick or installed metal.
• Ceramic bricks for external cladding.
• Cast iron for the combustion chamber. You can buy a ready-made firebox and cover it with bricks.
• Heat-resistant glass door.
• Fireplace grates for cutting off hot air and directing it into the room.
• Firebox grate.

You will need clay, cement, sand and crushed stone. You can purchase a ready-made mixture for laying ovens with your own hands. Tools - a trowel for spreading mortar on a brick, a tape measure.

Masonry mortar, if a ready-made mixture is purchased, is made according to the instructions on the package. If you cook it yourself, you need to achieve the consistency of sour cream so that later the solution does not crack when moisture evaporates.

Foundation arrangement procedure

The weight of a medium-sized structure will be at least 1000 kg, therefore a separate foundation is equipped for the fireplace, which will protect it from deformations and displacements.

Foundation components:

• cushion of compacted rubble;
• concrete slab;
• welded metal corners for laying bricks or blocks;
• vertical waterproofing on the sides;
• two layers of roofing material over the masonry of the foundation blocks.

The brick is preliminarily immersed in water so that it absorbs the liquid and does not take it away from the clay solution.

Wood-burning brick fireplaces for a house must have a sheet of metal under them to protect the floor from fire.

You need to check the horizontality of the rows using a level.

Step-by-step instructions for building a fireplace with your own hands

On the foundation, after all fire safety requirements have been met, the fireplace body is laid out:

1. Three rows of solid bricks under the base.
2. Rows 4 and 5 form an ash pan - an opening for burnt ash. It can be retractable with a metal insert or stationary, then you will have to clean it with a broom.
3. 6 - 7 row - the bottom of the fireplace. It is made of refractory bricks.
4. Up to 13 rows of the firebox wall.At this stage, the door is installed if the type of closed firebox is selected. To do this, you need an oven metal tape, with which the door is fixed and fixed with screws to the brick walls. To protect the metal from bricks, a layer of basalt cardboard is laid between them.
5. A smoke collector is formed from the 14th row. The walls and the chimney are laid out especially tightly and evenly, controlling the quality of the solution. The vertical is strictly controlled by the level. The slightest deviation can lead to smoke.

After laying the chimney, it is covered with a layer of asbestos-based fireproof insulation to protect walls, roofs and ceilings, especially if they are wooden.

Fireplace decoration

At the stage of finishing, you can:

• leave the brickwork open;
• plaster or cover with finishing material;
• paint.

For painting the fireplace, only refractory materials are used that do not crack or change color under the influence of heat. These are used for heating radiators.

The finish can be made from mosaics, ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, which in appearance resembles natural stone. All finishing materials must be heat resistant.