If there is a brick fireplace in the house, then an atmosphere of warmth and comfort uniquely reigns around it. This item can be not only a device for heating the room, but also a great accent in the interior, which emphasizes the style and personality of your home. Today, fireplaces can be bought just in the store. These include mainly electric and gas ones. Brick fireplaces , photos of which make us want to see such beauty at home, are always built to order. Therefore, now we will consider what types of them exist and how to build them with your own hands.
Types of brick fireplaces
According to the type of construction, these construction projects can be divided into four categories:
- Closed. This type occupies a minimum of free space, as it goes deep into the bowels of the wall with its firebox and chimneys. The catch is that such stoves are built together with the house, and nothing else.
- Half open. Such a brick fireplace can be built when the house is ready, but it will be problematic. You have to install all the exhaust systems, content with a minimum of free space.
- Open. The most suitable model for spacious rooms, especially if the ceiling is high. The fireplace can be located right in the center of the room, be part of a dividing wall or even the wall itself.
- Corner Ideal for heating adjacent rooms. Moreover, such a structure will not take up much space in the room.
What is needed from building materials
To build a brick fireplace with your own hands, we need the following components. Frame brick, cement, sand, clay, crushed stone, facing stone. When buying each of the listed materials, pay attention not only to their quality, but also to uniformity. Bricks should be the same, without white spots, bumps and so on. Cement and other binders should also comply with GOSTs so that your home-made oven does not fall apart in a year. Of course, the facing material should be even, without a single flaw.
Foundation device
To keep a brick fireplace for a long time and reliably, it is necessary to “seat” it properly using a solid foundation. The dimensions of the latter are determined by the parameters of the sides of the fireplace, increased by 10-15 centimeters. The depth of the trench should be about 50 cm if the house is one-story. For two-story cottages - at least 80 cm. If the soil is very dense, then a sandy air cushion is poured under the fireplace . If the soil is floating, then rubble is added there. For the device of the foundation itself, it is better to use concrete. You can also lay stones, fill them with gravel and thoroughly pour all the cement. After that, it is important to check the foundation for evenness. The surface should be perfectly horizontal, without slopes and drops. If everything is ready, we cover the foundation with a film and leave for a week to strengthen it. Keep in mind that it should be 5-7 cm below floor level.
Brickwork of walls and floors
In order to continue the construction further, we will need drawings of brick fireplaces. Such documents always take into account the parameters of each unit of building material, the final dimensions of the furnace, and the thickness of its walls. Therefore, in accordance with your specific project, we begin laying bricks on the foundation. The base must be isolated using roofing material or a waterproofing layer. The subfloor is built using refractory bricks, which are then closed with masonry. The next stage is the construction of the back wall and two side walls. The thickness of each of them should reach 20 cm. The construction of walls should always be started from the corners, checking the level horizontality.
Useful Tips
To make your brick fireplace last longer, rinse the refractory bricks in the water before building to remove dust from them. Conventional must be soaked in water for 30 seconds. So air bubbles will come out of them, and they will become more durable. Try to make the seams as small as possible, filling each free space with a solution. Make sure that the surface of each brick is perfectly smooth inside the firebox. If there are holes or irregularities, rub them as carefully as possible. Another point is the installation of metal structures on the facade of the fireplace. Experts recommend taking into account the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal, which ranges from 5-10 mm. It is best to refuse this material.
Universal projects
A corner corner fireplace made of brick is very popular today. It is installed not only in houses, but also in apartments, both for purely decorative purposes and for heating. He is good because it takes up extremely little space, while heats several rooms at once. What should be considered when installing such a structure? Firstly, do not place it on the exterior walls. So he will heat the street. Secondly, all the surfaces of this structure, including the chimney, should fit snugly against the wall. And thirdly, try to install a corner fireplace so that on one of the walls adjacent to it, there is a TV. So you can create a cozy place to relax in your home.
Interior Design
Brick fireplaces play a very important role in the surroundings of any home. Photos from many magazines show us that using this model of a heating device, you can create an interior in an old, classic or fairy-tale style. Brickwork creates a feeling of comfort and warmth, therefore it is recommended to surround it with wooden furniture and carpets. Another option is the loft style. Bricks can be painted in a single color, which will merge with the tone of the walls. Fireplaces are also tiled, evened with putty and painted, glued with various other decorative elements.
Conclusion
Building a brick fireplace at home is simple, especially if you are building it with the building itself. If you adjust it to the finished design, then there will be more hassle, but it is still possible to cope with this task. The main thing is to build a solid foundation, make the walls of the fireplace perfectly even, and also design it in an appropriate style so that it becomes a worthy decoration of the room.