Speaking of the fireplace, we understand that this is the most hospitable and warm place in the house. And this is not so much about physical warmth, but about the warmth of the soul that is born when contemplating a dancing fire. The decorative lining of the fireplace makes the interior of the room even more comfortable and refined. It is important to choose a fireplace covering material that matches your taste and interior style.
It is possible to revet a fireplace independently if it concerns not difficult, but creative work. It can be plaster or tile laying. And to entrust the masonry with tiles, wood, marble or granite is still better than an experienced master - a professional in his field. Only he will create a masterpiece and perform everything in accordance with the technology of decoration.
Materials used for cladding
There are several options that differ in cost and the final result of the design of fireplaces. The unique design can be created using such materials for facing the fireplace as stone, brick, ceramics, wood.
The most common type of cladding is stone. Easy to process and attractive looking stones of shell rock, limestone and sandstone, with all their positive qualities, have a drawback. They are porous and absorb soot, which leads to an untidy look of the fireplace. These stones are used to decorate electric and "fake" fireplaces installed in the walls of the room.
The best stones are granite, slate and marble. This is a fairly durable facing material, which is suitable for almost any design project.
Currently, a popular and inexpensive option for decorating a fireplace is tiling. The most successful design of a fireplace by the hands of a master is work with tiles, decorative clay or ceramic tiles of a box-shaped form.
A great option is to use a brick in the lining. It imitates old masonry or plays a purely decorative role. Also, the fireplace can be lined with wood, but it is necessary to treat it with a specific composition that prevents ignition, and also provide for the creation of a fireplace a protective screen to prevent flying sparks.
Options for facing the fireplace with various materials are presented in the video.
The style of the room and the fireplace in it
The interior of the room and the fireplace itself can be made in any style:
- Classic requires interior decoration of the room with natural materials. These include wood, stone, cotton fabrics. A classic fireplace should also be faced with natural stone.
- A room in the Provence style involves assigning a fireplace to the main place, the center of the composition. This is the style of village life, which mainly uses wooden furniture, natural finishing materials (stone, brick, wood, fabric) in neutral colors. Everything should be varied and light. This applies to decorating a fireplace with stone or brickwork.
- The English style of the room is the aura of aristocracy, solidity, warmth. Distinctive features are the presence of stucco decoration, a large number of textiles (curtains, carpets). The English style involves facing the fireplace with natural stone, next to which are a couple of chairs and a small coffee table. The fireplace will look gorgeous, on the panel of which there are statuettes, an antique clock, an ashtray, a smoking pipe.
- Modern style involves an artificial fireplace built into the wall, made of drywall, lined with material that does not attract much attention. This may be a drywall niche or something made of artificial stones.
Characteristics of artificial stone
Interiors in a modern style often contain materials with artificial texture, since not everyone can afford the use of natural resources, wood, stone and brick. Decorative stones on the wall create an atmosphere of respectability, various shapes and color palette allow you to use them in all stylistic directions of design.
Like any building material, decorative stones have their own characteristics. They are made of gypsum, stone powder, alabaster, indicating natural ingredients. This material is not harmful to health because it does not emit harmful impurities.
The advantages of artificial stone
High insulating properties, resistance to cold and moisture are among the advantages of artificial stone. In addition, the decorative material surpasses the natural counterpart. Firstly, it is cheaper and simpler than natural, and secondly, artificial stone products are easier to process and install.
What you need to know in order for a fireplace to look natural? The choice of decorative stone for interior decoration should match the texture of products with space dimensions. Fine textures (slate) can visually expand the space. One sign of quality is the lack of a repetitive appearance of the stones. But the size of the tile at the same time should be the same.
Facing Rules
When engraving a fireplace with an artificial stone, you need to follow certain rules:
- Fireplaces are finished on the prepared surface. This can be concrete, a grid covered with cement mortar, or other material that improves adhesion, that is, the appearance of a bond between the surface layers of two dissimilar bodies (finishing material and the prepared surface of the fireplace) brought into contact.
- Lining should be performed at a constant temperature in the room, but not lower than 5 ° C.
- The facing stone for the fireplace should be fixed from top to bottom, in rows, thereby preventing masonry contamination.
- If we are talking about seamless masonry, in this case the elements are attached from the bottom up, pressing them to each other.
- The adhesion to the main material is due to the special glue for facing the fireplaces recommended by manufacturers of artificial stones.
- Elements of artificial stone are easily cut with a hacksaw, only the hacksaw's tooth should be small so as not to spoil the stone.
- Hydrophobic treatment is required, which imparts water-repellent properties to the treated surface.
- Grouting should be done about three days after the decorative stone grasped well with the surface of the fireplace.
Natural stone cladding
A luxury option for the living room - granite or marble fireplaces. Marble makes the fireplace an element of sophistication and elegance. It is ideal for a classic aesthetic atmosphere. Marble fireplace trim is quite expensive. It belongs to natural precious stones and has a luxurious decorative function and high cost.
Granite is considered one of the most durable materials for facing the fireplace with natural stone. The color palette of granite includes the following tones:
- pale beige and pearl white;
- yellow and green;
- red and purple;
- gray, brown and black.
A fireplace made of granite is less prone to contamination and easy to clean. It harmoniously fits into any home interior. But the specialist should deal with granite masonry so that the finished fireplace looks without errors.
Facing with ceramic tiles
Modern fireplace mantel with ceramic tiles looks stylish. Its most popular types include tiles, clinker, majolica and ceramics. Despite some similarities, they have distinctive features. All these tiles are made of fired clay and coated with glaze.
The majolica is characterized by massive forms, tiles have a box shape. Clinker is characterized by large thickness and high mechanical strength. This tile in the fireplace lining withstands significant temperature fluctuations, which is well suited for its lining in country houses, where they are not heated in the winter.
Tiling is a simple process, which consists of the following steps:
- surface preparation;
- wire mesh fastening;
- gypsum layer formation;
- laying tiles.
False Drywall Fireplace
A beautiful fireplace makes the living room cozy, even if it is false and does not fulfill the basic functions of an ordinary fireplace - heating the room. Decorative fireplaces are very similar in appearance to real ones. The executed gypsum board frame can be decorated in the same way as the real one with any finishing material and even wallpaper.
Plasma screens look very effective inside such fake fireplaces, transmitting the image of the flame and the crackling sound of burning wood using any gadget via a wireless network. The wood trim of such a fireplace with an insert of an optical LED artificial flame looks original.
False fireplaces are an ideal solution for apartments, where, in principle, it is difficult to make a real fireplace.
Materials and tools for creating a false fireplace
To make a fireplace, you need to sketch it, determine the installation location, its shape and stock up on the following materials:
- Profiles to create a fireplace body.
- Gypsum sheets.
- Self-tapping screws for drywall and wall plugs for profile mounting.
- Tape for sealing.
- Stucco "start" and "finish".
The false fireplace may optionally be rectangular. Having any shape of the facade, it will look original in the corner of the room.
Wood finish
Wood-paneled fireplaces are classically decorated and add a unique touch to the environment. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the fireplace is in a safe position relative to the flame, since wood is a flammable material.
Whatever version of the fireplace lining is chosen, the fireplace will become a source of pride and a favorite place for the whole family. It is no coincidence that he is considered a symbol of family happiness since time immemorial.