The word fireplace is strongly associated with flames, comfort and warmth of the house. The apartment owners cannot afford a real hearth in which firewood is burning. There is no need to spend money on a factory portal for a fireplace. Having studied the ideas and spending a little time, create an element of decor with your own hands.
Varieties of portals
Fireplaces are complex devices, they are responsible for choosing an option for buying or making it yourself.
At the design stage, it is determined:
- purpose - heating, decorative function, combined option;
- type of energy carrier - firewood, biofuel (ethanol), electricity, natural gas;
- type of allocation;
- the style of the portal;
- type of building material for manufacturing.
Functions and fuel
Devices that are designed for heating can burn wood, coal or gas.
In the conditions of city apartments, the installation of products of this kind is impossible. To remove deadly combustion products and corrosive smoke, a high-performance chimney is needed. Sanitary standards prohibit connecting the pipe to the general access hood. In addition, complaints from neighbors will surely be received, to whom the smoke will enter the house.
Electric fireplaces are equipped with heaters of 1.5-2.5 kW, capable of maintaining the temperature in a room with an area of 10-18 m2. Considering the cost of electricity, this heating method is extremely expensive. Devices turn on for a short time. Electric fireplaces combine the functions of a decorative element and heating.
To create the illusion of a flame, electric fireplaces are equipped with special bulbs.
Biofuel is obtained from the remains of rapeseed, coconut, soybeans. Ethanol is expensive on sale and it is not profitable for them to heat the room. Fireplaces serve as a decorative element.
Manufacturers add fragrances to biofuels with various odors. Special additives give the flame a natural color, and the sea salt produces a crackling effect.
Installation options
The choice of model depends on the tasks set, the size of the room, the desired style.
There are fireplaces:
- built-in - they are placed in specially designed niches and recesses, the facade of the portal does not protrude beyond the line of the wall;
- half-open - part of the structure is in a niche, and the front part protrudes into the room;
- corner models are suitable for small premises when it is necessary to economically treat the usable area;
- wall options do not have contact with the floor, the size and weight of such products are small;
- open fireplaces are usually located in the center of the room; they serve as a place around which a large company can gather.
For each option, a portal that is appropriate in design is selected.
Stylistic solutions
Often, fireplace portals are made in the form of the letters P or D.
The first option is associated with the French, Old German and English styles. Structures of similar shape are characteristic of minimalism and hi-tech.
In the directions of modern and country, they prefer designs similar in configuration to D.
Modern design trends distinguish at least 15 styles of interior decoration.Only professional designers with an academic architectural education are able to understand all the intricacies.
The basic requirements for how the fireplace portal should look in order to be combined with the general design are collected in a table.
| Style | Colors | Material | The form |
| Vanguard | A combination of contrasting shades, black, white, red | New, unconventional (laminate, glass, chrome steel) | Unusual with a minimum of decorative elements |
| Empire style | Blue, white, red, pink, gold | Solid wood, carved decorations, gilding | Massive |
| Art Deco | Contrasting: black and white, beige and chocolate, etc. | Expensive natural (wood, marble, stone) | Emphatically geometrically accurate |
| Baroque | The main one is gold, finishes brown and green, blue and gold, etc. | Stone wood with inlay, carving | Massive, voluminous |
| Country (rustic) | Natural, dim | Natural stone, wood | Emphatically simple, rough |
| Classicism | Pastel, cream, beige | Natural | Wide, massive, voluminous |
| Contemporary (close to hi-tech and minimalism) | Black, white, gray, pastel shades | Natural, but acceptable MDF, plastic, metal, glass | Clean lines, minimal decoration |
| Loft | Terracotta, grayscale | Brickwork or imitation | Massive or small version with legs |
| Minimalism | Main - white, shades of pastel and gray colors | Stone, brick | Lack of fillets and decoration, precise lines, right angles |
| Modern | Muted natural shades | Wood, tiles, glass in decoration, marble or stone "table top", nothing "cheap" in appearance | Any style to the rest of the furniture |
| Provence | Light shades | Natural or natural looking only | Massive with artificially aged finish |
| Scandinavian | Main - white, finishing in pastel colors | Plaster, ornaments in decoration, tiles, mirrors | Functional, without unnecessary details |
| High tech | Metallic, black, white, gray | Metal, glass, mirrors | Straight forms, the portal is installed in plain sight, minimum decor |
| Eclecticism | Natural, bright or muted | Artificially aged metal, brick, stone | The main element of the interior, a lot of decor |
| Eco style | Natural shades of white, brown, light blue, etc. | Natural wood, stone, plaster | It is desirable in the style of hand-made, flaws in the finish are possible, asymmetrical decor |
When buying, it is advisable to take into account the requirements given in the table, but it is necessary to focus on financial capabilities and existing design solutions.
A variety of options for interior items are on sale, but you can assemble a portal for an electric fireplace with your own hands.
Available materials
In apartments, most often they build portals for an electric fireplace with their own hands. In this case, any available material is suitable: wood, laminate, gypsum, artificial marble plates.
When choosing a material, they evaluate:
- existing work experience;
- availability of a tool;
- the complexity of processing finishing details.
Natural wood
Ready-made portals made from natural wood are expensive because they are most often handcrafted by experienced cabinetmakers.
Self-made framing will cost much less.
For work you will need:
- drill or screwdriver;
- hacksaw or electric jigsaw;
- screwdrivers, level, tape measure or ruler, construction pencil.
The parts are fastened together with furniture ties, self-tapping screws, spike joints. In the latter case, you will need wood glue.
Wood is a versatile material from which fireplace portals are assembled, suitable for most styles. Decorate the side and upper parts with carvings or get ready-made decor. Before final finishing, the wood is treated with fire retardants and antiseptic.The top coat is paint, decorative varnish or primer.
Drywall
A base is made of drywall, which is then decorated with decorative elements. This is the easiest option.
Before buying, the necessary materials are carefully calculated: a galvanized profile, the size of drywall sheets. Self-tapping screws are purchased with a margin. On average, you need 5 pieces to fix 1 running meter of the edge. fasteners.
The structure is lightweight, therefore installation on partitions is allowed.
If the fireplace serves to heat the room, they purchase GKLO plates - a fire-resistant finish. Outwardly, it differs from ordinary gypsum boards in a pinkish color.
The finishing is carried out with a plaster-based putty. Acrylic paints are used for painting.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane decor is used only in decorative fireplaces; it melts with strong heating. In hardware stores, they sell corner and center pieces, slabs that imitate columns and curbs. Polyurethane blanks are often similar to moldings. Purchase ready-made kits or select parts by size. The drawing, consisting of straight lines, allows you to accurately adjust the dimensions to the finished portal skeleton.
The mass of the material is small, therefore, special glue is used to attach it to the base-frame. Polyurethane can be painted. This finish is combined with ceramic tiles, natural and artificial stone.
It is necessary to accurately calculate the dimensions of the "firebox" and finishes, therefore it is better to first prepare polyurethane parts, and then build a base for their size.
Gypsum
A frame is built from gypsum tongue-and-groove blocks, which is then trimmed with any material you like. They purchase blocks that are used in construction for the construction of interior partitions. The thickness of such "bricks" is only 10 cm, so the portal will take up less space than when building from bricks. The blocks are lightweight and there is no need to build a foundation.
The tongue-and-groove blocks are fastened with a special glue on a gypsum basis.
Buy blocks and glue from the same manufacturer - they are the same color, which will facilitate the finishing.
After the glue has dried, they are finished with plaster putty, painted or fastened to the base of decorative elements.
Marble
On sale there are natural and artificial marble slabs, columns, countertops.
It will not work to make a marble portal for a fireplace with your own hands, which is complex in shape. It will require special equipment and professional skills of a stonecutter. For the home, they choose and purchase finished products.
Marble fireplaces are durable and easy to clean. Artificial material is in no way inferior to natural, it is easy to grind when scratches appear.
For self-construction, they purchase flat marble tiles, which are attached to a brick base.
Brick
The construction of brick portals in a multi-storey building should be treated with caution. The material is heavy, a massive structure may not withstand the overlap.
When selling or re-registering an apartment, the registration service will have claims, they may require the dismantling of the structure.
Finishing with ceramic tiles
Tiles as a finishing material are suitable for all types of fireplaces. The material is heat resistant. For hearths that heat up, a special adhesive is used when laying.
Different types of tiles imitate bricks or tiles, some are similar to natural stone. The range of colors is unlimited, the trade enterprises are ready to deliver the option they like even from foreign countries.
A rock
When working, you will need the skills of a masonry builder, therefore, only experienced professionals take on the finishing with natural stone.With such a device, problems similar to brick structures can arise.
Elements can have different shapes and colors.
Artificial stone is made from gypsum and cement compositions, plastic, acrylic composites.
Manufacturing sequence
A portal is built in several steps, each of which requires a careful approach.
Construction stages:
- choice of design solutions;
- design;
- calculation and purchase of materials;
- frame construction;
- decorative finishing.
The easiest option is to build a portal with a plasterboard base.
After choosing the appearance, they carefully measure the room, the length and height of the walls.
The fireplace should not look "toy" or take up most of the free space. Take into account the location of furniture and home appliances. For example, they provide for the possibility of placing a TV or music center.
Complex equipment is not placed above the fireplace-heater - ascending convection currents raise dust that gets inside the case and clogs the ventilation holes. Hot air adversely affects the electronic components of the circuits.
It is better to consider the construction sequence using the example of the construction of a drywall portal, which is trimmed with various materials.
Algorithm for mounting a wall portal:
- Furrows are made in the wall for bringing the power cord to the electric fireplace, and a place is being prepared for installing the outlet.
- Lay the wire, install the socket housing, seal the grooves with plaster or alabaster.
- Putty the wall at the place where the fireplace is installed.
- Marking of the attachment points of the frame guide elements is carried out.
- Galvanized profiles are attached to the wall and floor, on which the drywall will be attached. The distance between the guides should not exceed 50 cm - if necessary, install additional segments. For fastening to the wall, dowels are used, the profiles are connected to each other with self-tapping screws or rivets.
- The frame is sheathed with plasterboard. First, the inner lining is attached, then the outer walls.
- Install electrical fittings for a light bulb simulating a flame or a heater.
- Finish the plasterboard frame with the selected finishing material.
A do-it-yourself fireplace portal can become a unique interior decoration. For work, you do not need a complex tool and expensive components. The project is chosen from their ideas about design. Multifunctional designs, in addition to aesthetic pleasure, will make your stay in the room comfortable and enjoyable.
