Almost every owner of a country house dreams of a fireplace. Live real fire in the house creates a magical atmosphere of comfort. But not all houses have the opportunity to equip traditional brick fireplaces. In addition, such fireplaces, although they look sophisticated and presentable, take up a lot of space, require increased attention, care and cleaning. You also need special stone care. An affordable alternative is an iron fireplace. It perfectly warms the room and gives comfort no worse than brick products.
Why should you consider metal furnaces?
Metal fireplace stoves are a worthy alternative to stone counterparts. In terms of heat transfer, the metal is not inferior to stone and may well warm up the room. It all depends on the amount of fuel and the degree of preheating of the room. Even on the coldest days, the stove will delight you with warmth and no one will freeze. Iron fireplace can be made in elegant and noble forms. Such models fit easily into even the most sophisticated and expensive interiors.
Invented these furnaces in Japan. It is known that the Japanese are very wise, practical and pragmatic people. However, they are also well aware in the design of residential premises. All these qualities are reflected in iron stoves, fireplaces.
Design features
The design of these units is interesting. The furnace is made in the form of a camera and mounted on special supports or stands. It is connected to a smoke exhaust pipe. To give aesthetics, you can finish the surface of the product with various facing materials.
Kinds
Fireplaces differ in installation method, as well as in the materials from which they are made. Allocate cast-iron, steel, copper models.
Cast iron
Such units have an impressive and rich appearance. Cast iron is distinguished by its ability to retain heat for a long time even after the firebox attenuates. Mostly expensive models are made from this material - the production process is long and painstaking. Each product is assembled from individual elements, which are obtained by casting. But a cast iron fireplace is a 100% exclusive item.
Steel
Fireplaces made of steel are lighter than cast iron. And this guarantees the possibility of their installation not only in private homes, but also in apartments. As raw materials, mainly sheet steel is used. The case can be of any shape - classic rectangular, round or design.
Copper
These models are even more expensive than cast iron solutions. But copper brings to the interior a characteristic spirit of comfort only for it. Fireplaces made of bronze are not susceptible to corrosion, the material is plastic - elements of complex shape can be made from it. On sale there are products that resemble real works of art.
Benefits
Among the advantages of metal foci - a small mass, as well as portability. This design can be easily installed, moved if necessary, as well as dismantled. The mass is much smaller than traditional stone hearths, and because of this there is no need to equip heavy, durable and expensive foundations.
Another plus is a favorable combination of elementary use and high efficiency. These fireplaces can be heated even with a small amount of firewood. It takes less time to warm up, as well as less fuel. Metal is heated 10 times faster than brick. At the same time, heat transfer is high.
Another advantage is its unpretentiousness. Iron fireplace is easier to clean, it does not require special care. It is only necessary to periodically clean the structure from soot and perform wet cleaning. If necessary, you can polish the product to shine. Soda or citric acid are suitable for cleaning. You can buy specialized fireplace care products in stores.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of this solution are not too many. The main minus is a quick cooling. The furnace cools very quickly if the process of burning fuel has ended. Also a serious minus is the high risk of fires. When firewood is loaded, you can accidentally burn your hand. Therefore, for safety reasons, experts recommend loading fuel with a special non-combustible glove. She will protect us from unwanted burns. You should also take care of the sleeves.
How to place a fireplace indoors?
You can install an iron fireplace for the house in any suitable place in the room. If there is a possibility and desire, then it is quite realistic to carry out installation right in the center of the room. But this arrangement is unsuccessful both aesthetically and in safety. The fireplace can be easily knocked over or touched. Then the fire can not be avoided.
It is best to mount around one of the walls. You can also often see that fireplaces are built directly into the wall. This helps save space. The chimney is neatly attached to the wall, and the problem of exhausting smoke into the street is effectively solved. This arrangement avoids the risk of smoke in the rooms. But it must be borne in mind that the wall behind the fireplace will not be clean - most often it is covered with soot and darkens.
Another method is used when an iron fireplace is installed against the wall, but at a small distance from it. At the same time, space is also saved, the unit becomes easier to heat and clean, since the structure is movable. In this case, you need to equip the product with a fire barrier. But it is not able to protect the walls from damage due to soot and high temperatures.
You can install an iron corner fireplace. This location is considered very popular and stylish. The design does not take up much space, and the room will visually expand. The corners are smoothed out and the space in the room no longer looks so overloaded. The design of corner fireplaces will satisfy even the most strict aesthetes. Corner fireplaces are small in size, more stable. Because of this, they are easier to use. The chimney without any difficulty is displayed on the street.
We install the structure in the house: materials for manufacturing
The difference from traditional brick fireplaces is also that you can make an iron fireplace with your own hands. It is simple and does not require any serious material costs. To assemble the structure, you will need only a few metal products.
Metal sheets will be needed - the thickness can be from 3 mm to 5 mm. From these sheets, a combustion chamber will be made. You should also purchase a thinner sheet up to 0.5 mm for an ash pan. Next, you need a grate, a door made of cast iron or glass. They also buy door hinges, legs require metal rails. For the manufacture of the pedestal, full sheets of chipboard in the amount of about 5 pieces are suitable, but the chipboard can be replaced with brick, concrete or a cement slab.
Next, you need basalt cotton wool, a solution of cement. The pipe is made of 20 cm thin-walled pipe. If necessary, the pipe is supplemented using a bend. Pipes are mounted on brackets. You will also need a fungus and head.
Of the tools you need a level, ruler, grinder and welding, as well as a screwdriver.
Manufacturing scheme
Before direct assembly, a design drawing should be developed. You can use ready-made solutions. It is better to take the finished unit as a basis and, based on this, develop something special. It is necessary to depict on the sketch not only a whole iron fireplace for a summer residence, but also each of its elements.
Assembly steps
In the manufacture of these units is not more complicated than stove stoves. With a competent drawing and observing the technology, even beginners can easily cope with the task.
Metal fireplaces get very hot. Therefore, installation begins with preparing the surface for installation. In the case of a wooden floor, basalt wool is laid between the floor and the finish floor.
Then make a pedestal. It is done in the simplest case by connecting several sheets of chipboard. On top of the resulting slab lay any refractory coating.
If wallpaper or other flammable materials are pasted on the walls, then in the area where the fireplace will be installed, it is better to lay ceramic tiles or artificial stone.
When the room is ready, you can proceed with the assembly of iron wood fireplaces for the house. The unit is simple. First, the side walls of the combustion chamber are joined together by welding. The back and front wall are welded to them, in which a hole for supplying fuel has already been made. There should also be a hole in the bottom for cleaning ash.
Then a thick sheet is welded to the structure - this will be the bottom of the fireplace. Before mounting the bottom, legs are attached to it. The optimal size of the legs is 10-12 cm. The thickness of the bar is not more than 7 mm. But the stove should be as stable as possible. The number of legs and the width of their installation is determined by the weight of the structure. The result should be a metal case.
Then mount the partitions between the ash and the combustion chamber. The latter should be of two layers. A grate is installed between the ash compartment and the combustion chamber. It is sold ready-made, but if welding is available, then the grill can be easily welded from fittings.
Door hinges are welded to the unit, and a door is mounted on them. The corners are welded below the door. They will be used as the basis for the grate. Close the fireplace with a wall-cover on top. And finally, they make a hole for the chimney, and then the chimney itself.
Chimney
The design of the pipes is installed in the hole on the top cover of the fireplace. Using the bracket, the pipe is then laid near the wall. If it should have bends, then the chimney is assembled from several pipes, which the knee helps to connect. Joints are coated with heat-resistant sealant.
Conclusion
So the stove is ready for an apartment or a private house. If desired, it can be decorated with various decorative elements. Many will say that in fact it is just a stove. But you can argue for a long time which fireplace is better - brick or iron, when it is not provided at all, but I really want to.