A fireplace in a country house is not only a popular, but also a very stylish solution. If it is made on a professional level, it will not only be a decorative element, but will also perform a purely practical function.
When laying a fireplace, it is important to immediately consider its decoration. In this case, it will fit perfectly into the common space and fill the room with light and heat. The photos of the stone facing the fireplace, which are presented below, will tell you ideas for designing the portal.
Finishing Methods
For decorative purposes, fireplaces are covered with porcelain stoneware, tiles made of special calcined clay, as well as artificial or natural stone. These materials are not only beautiful. They easily withstand high enough temperatures and are absolutely not affected by soot.
Natural stone for facing the fireplace has the following advantages:
- Sufficient durability, significantly extending the service life.
- Solid and aesthetic appearance.
- Environmentally friendly raw materials.
- Resistance to temperature extremes, high heat and humidity characteristics.
If the owners are at least a little "friendly" with construction tools, all the work will be easy to do with your own hands. Facing a fireplace with an artificial stone will cost a little cheaper than using natural material. However, natural stone looks more solid and has a longer life.
Material selection
Natural stone for facing the fireplace can be different. The following materials are most popular:
- limestone;
- granite;
- boot;
- talchochlorite;
- shell rock;
- marble.
Let's look at each of them in a bit more detail:
- White limestone. The material has excellent refractory properties and high strength. It does not deform and does not expand when heated. Easy to process, relatively light in weight. Creates a pleasant bright atmosphere in the house. Over the years, it only gets stronger.
- Booth. Fragments of sandstone rocks with remarkable strength and easy accessibility. It has a fairly low cost. Not too comfortable in decorating flat surfaces. It requires careful selection of combining elements.
- Shell rock. Inexpensive and very easy to process stone. It has high hygroscopicity. The stone quickly absorbs moisture, and then slowly gives it out. It has many pores and a beautiful unique pattern created by nature itself.
- Marble. It has a very beautiful texture. It has streaks that give the cladding a beautiful, just the same luxurious appearance. It comes in different shades, which allows you to choose the right option for a particular interior. Marble slabs do not work very well, but they have high strength and heat capacity. Cutting and grinding this material requires certain skills. In addition, it is an expensive pleasure.
- Granite. The material has a heterogeneous structure. It contains inclusions with different thermophysical characteristics. As a result, the material may crack due to constant exposure to high temperatures. More expensive in this regard are expensive varieties of granite. They are able to withstand heat up to 600 degrees Celsius. For the home, this is enough.
- Talkochlorite. One of the most popular finishing materials. It has a layered structure, due to which it constantly stays warm. It has good density, excellent thermal conductivity and fairly low thermal expansion. The latter property means that the portal trimmed with such a stone does not crack for a long time.
Finish options
The quality of facing natural stone fireplaces depends not only on the material chosen, but also on the craftsman’s ability to work with it.
Looks great models made of several types of stone at the same time. So, the lower part of the fireplace, designed to store firewood, can be made from buta. It is better to overlay the chimney and the furnace itself with limestone. It has a nice beige color and will add lightness and grace to the portal.
If you want to give the fireplace a sophisticated aristocratic look, use dark granite. Is there a natural tree in the decor of the room? Granite of burgundy and brown shades will suit you.
The stone for the fireplace is sometimes light. White marble looks very profitable. Such a portal will be a great addition to a spacious room of a classic style.
Getting Ready: Useful Tips
It doesn’t matter if you want to finish the fireplace with artificial stone or natural, when performing work you must follow certain rules:
- All work should be carried out only in a warm room, not lower than +5 ° C.
- The stone should be laid only on a suitable base, treated in a special way. Particleboard, cement screed, wood and other materials can be used as a substrate. The preparation methods for each material are different.
- When cutting workpieces, blades with large teeth cannot be used. Such files can spoil the finishing material. A hacksaw for metal with a fine tooth is best suited.
- Cladding a fireplace with a decorative stone is best done from top to bottom. In this case, previously stacked items will remain clean. If the material is heavy or the experience of the master is not too much, you can start from the bottom. In this case, you must work very carefully.
- Each type of facing material has its own adhesive. It is better not to ignore the recommendations of the manufacturer and apply the fastening solution that will achieve the best result.
The use of artificial materials
Facing the fireplace with an artificial stone (photo can be seen in the article) conveys a sense of power and beauty of natural material. Convenience of work allows you to decorate fireplaces of the most complex and incredible designs.
The positive properties of artificial materials include the following:
- light weight, which greatly simplifies the lining process;
- excellent compatibility with other materials (glass, wood, ceramics) allows you to create a unique design;
- ease of processing makes it possible to create various shapes and sizes of parts;
- relatively affordable cost allows you to fulfill your plan with the least financial loss.
Porcelain stoneware
If you are planning to do the stone facing the fireplace with your own hands, but do not want to spend a lot of money and effort, pay attention to the granite. Despite the fact that this is an artificial material, it still contains some natural components. The strength of porcelain is not inferior to natural stone and has excellent thermal characteristics.
The composition of the material includes feldspar, mica, metal oxides, clay, marble or granite chips. This allows you to repeat the pattern of almost any natural stone.
Porcelain tiles are characterized by such positive qualities:
- high strength;
- wear resistance;
- resistance to frost and moisture;
- environmental friendliness;
- a wide variety of textures and color palettes;
- resistance to chemicals;
- ease of care;
- not too much weight;
- ability to resist mechanical damage.
How to work with porcelain tile: installation
Laying the material is carried out on a special glue. If it is not, then to ensure strength, a special metal frame should be made. Do it like this:
- Along the perimeter of the fireplace, a metolloprofile frame is made. The installation step should correspond to the size of the porcelain tiles. Profiles are interconnected by means of self-tapping screws, and the whole structure is attached to the fireplace with anchor bolts.
- Porcelain tile is fixed to the frame using special brackets.
- The space formed between the stoves and the fireplace body is filled with a clay mixture into which crushed stone and sand are added for strength.
- Joints of plates are coated with a mixture of sand, clay and colored pigment.
- When the lining is completed, the fireplace should be heated for several days in a row. Clay is baked from high temperature. This will increase the thermal performance of the fireplace.
This method of decoration is perfect for a portal laid out by an inexperienced master. Installing the cladding on the frame allows you to hide all the flaws, and the fireplace does not have to be plastered for a long time.
Facing the fireplace: stages of work, tools
To properly lay the stone for the fireplace, you need to stock up on a minimal set of tools. You will need:
- construction trowel;
- container for mortar or glue;
- level;
- rubber tip hammer;
- a grinder or hacksaw for metal;
- drill and screws;
- brush;
- metal grid;
- plumb and square;
- wedges or plastic crosses.
The first stage is preparatory
First you need to clean all surfaces from dust and dirt. Deepen the masonry joints by at least 0.8 - 1 cm.
The surface of the fireplace is sewn with a metal mesh. If the masonry is tight, use a drill and self-tapping screws. Washers should be placed under their hats.
On the floor next to the fireplace with chalk, draw a pattern of the future facade. On the prepared template, lay out all the elements, carefully fitting them to each other.
Stage Two - Securing the Stone
After the desired pattern is laid out, on the template, you can start laying on the solution. The mixture is applied to the part and carefully applied to the location. To attach an element, gently press it with rotational movements. This will remove excess air from under the stone.
If an excess solution appears at the edges of the element, it should be removed immediately. After solidification, it will be much more difficult to do. To control the seams between the rows, plastic crosses are installed. After drying, they can be removed.
Completion of work
After the installation of decorative elements is completed, it is necessary to allow the solution to dry, but not completely. When the seams are still a little wet, do the jointing.
At the end of all finishing work, the finished fireplace is covered with a special composition that protects it from excessive moisture. Translucent film will not spoil the appearance of the portal, but significantly extend its life.
Work Rules
Lining the fireplace with natural stone or artificial material is practically the same. To get a beautiful pattern, you must follow some rules:
- When working with artificial material, it is important to alternate the sizes and shades of the elements. Such a pattern will look natural.
- The surface of the elements is not too smooth. This must be taken into account when drawing up the picture.
- Stitches are best done in the same size. When laying out elements of unequal shape, you need to remember that horizontal seams located one above the other look unnatural.
- If the selected material does not suggest the presence of seams, it is better to start laying from the bottom. At the same time, decorative elements should be pressed tightly against each other.
- When working with an artificial stone of rectangular shape, carefully monitor the vertical seams. They should be located strictly perpendicular to the floor.
Material Acquisition Tips
Almost any material available on the modern market can be used to decorate a fireplace. Going to the store, it is worth considering such factors:
- The presence of a certificate confirming compliance with sanitary standards.
- The reputation of the manufacturer, the term of work in the selected field.
- Company intact packaging with the company logo.
- Date of production and packaging of the material.
- The cost of the selected finish. Too low a price may indicate dubious quality of the material. Unreasonably high - about the high markup of the manufacturer.
If the work will be hired, pay attention to his reputation. A bad specialist can spoil even the most beautiful fireplace mantel.