Many owners of their own homes dream of a real fireplace. It is very pleasant to sit near him on winter evenings, watching the game of flame. It is worth building a fireplace quite expensive. Therefore, many owners of private houses decide on its construction with their own hands.
To create a fireplace that will meet all the standards and requirements, will be beautiful and durable, you need to consider the technique of this work. How to build a fireplace will be discussed in detail below.
Preparatory work
When considering how to build a corner fireplace or any other yourself, you first need to learn about the features of preparation for this process. It is necessary to solve a number of issues on which the durability of the structure and its correct application will depend in the future.
First of all, you need to create a construction plan. Here you need to specify the place where the fireplace will be located. You should also determine in advance how it will look. There are different types of designs that can harmoniously fit into an existing interior. Then you will need to purchase all the necessary tools and the optimal amount of materials.
The fireplace requires foundation pouring. The procedure is carried out in summer or autumn. It is necessary that the air temperature is from 15 to 25 º. Also on the street and indoors should not be damp. Therefore, the work is not carried out in the rainy season.
When studying how to build a fireplace in a house, you need to consider the features of its location in the room. The design can be built into the wall or be attached to it. There are also separate fireplaces. When choosing a place, you need to consider that there will not be so much heat from it. Most of it will stand out in front of the fuel chamber. Therefore, there must be enough space in front of the structure so that the owners of the house can sit next to them if they wish.
The best solution is to build a fireplace on the wall opposite the entrance. Opposite the windows they don’t build it (there will be a draft). You can embed the structure in a corner. The fireplace is not placed near the steps and in the way of drafts. The chimney is taken out to the street only if the climate in the area is mild.
Varieties
Before you learn how to build a fireplace with your own hands, you need to consider their existing types. They differ in configuration and design style. The choice depends on the style of the interior and the taste preferences of the owners of the house.
The fireplace can be Provencal (rustic). It is made in country style. This design is most often finished with stone. Such a fireplace is suitable for the style of Provence, country, ethno.
Classic English design style differs only in appearance from the previous look. It has a laconic square shape. This is a fairly large structure. However, the design is selected elegant.
Alpine fireplace is a hearth. You can sit around him in a big company. This type of design is suitable only for non-residential premises. Ideal for summer cottages.
The Dutch fireplace is a rather complex view. They do it with their own hands quite rarely. If the room is decorated in a modern style, then the fireplace should be appropriate. It may have an unusual shape.
The fireplace mini is characterized by the presence of a minimum number of parts. This is just a small box. A hi-tech fireplace is also available. It should have a modern look. Such designs are made to order.
Dimensions
To learn how to build a fireplace, you need to perform the correct calculation of the building. First of all, it is necessary to determine the area and volume of the room in which a similar design will be created. The size of the furnace is easy to calculate. The volume of the room must be divided by 50. This will be the area of the furnace.
The portal must also have certain dimensions. Its height should exceed its depth by 2 times. If the firebox is deeper, the heat transfer of such a structure will be reduced. If the depth of the fireplace is less than the optimal value, such a design will not be able to be operated. The firebox will smoke.
To calculate the dimensions of the chimney, you need to determine the area of the combustion chamber. When measurements are made, the result is divided by 15. This will determine the cross-sectional area of the chimney. It should be 10-15 times smaller than the area of the furnace chamber. The length of the chimney can be from 5 m or more.
Considering how to build a fireplace yourself, you need to consider an example of calculation. For example, a room has an area of 20 m². In this case, the optimal width of the portal is 62 cm, and the height is 49 cm. The depth of the furnace should be 32 cm, and the pipe cross-section is 26 x 26 cm.
Only with the right calculations can you build a fireplace that will be used for many years.
Tools and materials
There are several recommendations on how to build a corner fireplace or a direct construction with your own hands. After carrying out the relevant calculations, it is necessary to prepare all the necessary materials and tools that will be used in the work.
To prepare the solution, clay and cement will be required (grade 200 or 300). Sand will also be required. You can take it on the river. Such sand needs to be sieved and calcined. To reduce the time for preparatory work, it is better to buy this material in a hardware store. It should be clarified that quarry sand is not suitable. Crushed stone (fraction of about 6 cm) and reinforcement (about 15 pcs.) Are also used to equip the foundation.
Separately, you need to purchase grate, a smoke damper, as well as a chimney. Finishing material may be different. His choice depends on the style of the fireplace, as well as the design of the entire interior.
To carry out construction work, you need to purchase and prepare all the necessary tools. It will take 2 shovels. One of them should be shovel, and the second - bayonet. You should also prepare a hacksaw and a hammer. The solution will be prepared in a container. To create a masonry, a kiln trowel (trowel) is used. You will need a level and a plumb line. In the work used roulette, pencil, ruler and square. Sutures will be treated with a urine brush.
Brick processing is carried out using a pickaxe. A grinder should not be used for these purposes. You will also need a rule and a joint for masonry joints.
Mortar and brick preparation
Most often, the owners of a private house are interested in how to build a brick fireplace. This is a fairly simple method that can be used for self-laying of the structure. First you need to consider the correct preparation of the solution. Clay needs to be soaked in water for several days.
Next, one part of the water is mixed with eight parts of sand and lean clay. Instead of the last ingredient, you can take four parts of oily clay. The cement in the composition should be silent. It will take 1/8 of the amount of sand. The mixture should be quite thick in consistency. Checking it out is simple. On the trowel you need to scoop up the solution. Then it is drained. A 2 mm thick layer of solution should remain on the instrument.
The solution is prepared in the evening before the day the work begins. It is covered with wet burlap. Before starting work, the composition is mixed. It is necessary to prepare the masonry mixture so that in the process it is not necessary to carry out this procedure again.
Understanding how to build a fireplace in the house with your own hands, you need to learn about the proper preparation of a brick. Cladding materials for masonry are not suitable. They can only be used for decorative finishes. To create the internal space of the firebox, you will need to purchase fireproof bricks. It is acquired individually, guided by the plan created earlier.
Most often, the construction of an average fireplace requires 260-300 bricks. A separate calculation is made for the pipe. Before starting construction work, each brick must be lowered into a bucket of water. Here they are a few minutes. So all the air comes out of the structure.
Foundation
Experienced builders give a number of recommendations on how to build a fireplace with your own hands. It is necessary to begin construction with the foundation. The foundation of this design and the house itself should not be shared.
To create a foundation, you will need to markup. The lines should be 5 cm larger than the actual size of the fireplace on each side. If the flooring is already equipped, a hole will need to be cut in it. Next you need to dig a pit. If the premises are residential, the recess should be 50 cm. For non-residential houses (cottage), the foundation pit should be 70 cm. The walls and bottom must be carefully tamped.
Next, a layer of sand is poured. It is leveled and straightened. Next, crushed stone is poured. Next, fill the first layer of the solution. Crushed stone is added to it. When the layer dries, another solution is poured onto it. In this case, it is already possible not to use crushed stone. When the foundation level is aligned with the floor level in the room, you need to make the formwork. Next, fill the last layer. The surface here should be perfectly flat, horizontal. When the solution is completely dry, go to the next stage of construction.
Start of masonry
There are several recommendations on how to build a fireplace. Before you begin, you need to consider several nuances. Experienced builders recommend each subsequent row of bricks to spread without mortar. This will help determine the most difficult places in the masonry, eliminate errors. Bricks will need to be trimmed and customized.
Masonry is created starting from the corners. Then the material is laid out around the perimeter. Only after this are the central bricks installed. During the work, the evenness of the masonry is checked by the level. It is necessary to ensure that each seam is completely filled with a solution. However, they must be thin.
Masonry is created on a prepared foundation. To do this, you need to lay the foundation with a layer of waterproofing. For this, roofing material is suitable. For large fireplaces, it is recommended to tension the control cord before starting work. So it will be easier to control the smoothness of the masonry. Only after this can the main work begin.
Masonry
After the preparatory steps, you need to consider how to build a fireplace in the country with your own hands. The first row of luggage is the basis on which the main rows will be built. Therefore, its creation should be approached as responsibly as possible. It is recommended to pull the vertical plumb bob around the corners of the fireplace. So it will be easier to control the position of the bricks.
The seam between the bricks should not be thicker than 5 mm. Creating the first row of masonry, you need to constantly monitor its horizontal and vertical characteristics. For this, the construction level is used. Angles are checked with a special goniometer. They must be strictly 90º. Otherwise, the design will be unstable.
The base of the fireplace should rise above the level of the main floor at a distance of about 25 cm. It is very important to maintain the same thickness of the seam during masonry. The solution should not fall on the front of the bricks. It must be removed immediately. A dried solution will be extremely difficult to clean.
Subsequent rows
You should adhere to recommendations and tips on how to build a fireplace in the country. Each row is laid out according to the developed scheme. The first two rows are completely filled with bricks. They are laid on the solution, tapping with a special rubber mallet. Next, using the level, the position of the rows is determined.
When the first 2 rows are created, you need to start erecting the base for the fuel chamber. Here you need to put fireclay bricks on the edge. Ordinary brick does not bind with fireproof material.
You need to install the grate. The brick should be 4-5 cm away from it. This will allow the metal to expand when heated. With the fourth row, a firebox begins to form. This is where the installation of the firebox door begins. A gap is also created for the expansion of the metal.
The blower is installed in the 5th row. And in the 8th row you will need to perform a tilt of the back wall by 30º. On the 10-14th row, the formation of the arch begins. It is laid out symmetrically, starting from the corners. It is closed in the center.
The chimney is created on the 19th row. In its 22 row you need to install the valve. A metal umbrella for protection against precipitation and a weather vane for improving traction are installed on top of the chimney.
Finish
Concluding the consideration of technology, how to build a fireplace, you need to pay attention to decorative decoration. This is an important stage in the construction. Classical style fireplaces are necessarily decorated with columns. You can create a marble finish.
In some cases, fireplaces are decorated with tiles, ceramic tiles. Natural wood can also be used to design the structure. This material has advanced fire safety requirements. Therefore, the wood is carefully treated with special impregnations.
The stone trim will make the fireplace massive. It is also a design technique for some interior styles. Brickwork can also be emphasized. In this case, the seams are treated with a special decorative solution. If desired, the surface of the fireplace can also be plastered.
Having considered how to build a fireplace, everyone will be able to cope with this task on their own. The design will be strong, reliable and durable.