Fireplace in the house made of foam block aerocrete. How to make a decorative fireplace with your own hands

It is difficult to find a person who would not dream of a fireplace, but not everyone has the opportunity to make their dream come true. Therefore, many residents of city apartments often thought about how to make a false fireplace with their own hands? Building a decorative fireplace is a simple matter and does not require in-depth knowledge of the stove business, but some nuances still need to be taken into account.

Construction of a false fireplace from foam concrete

You will need:

  • foam concrete blocks and slabs;
  • hacksaw;
  • adhesive for porous concrete;
  • gypsum board putty;
  • trowel;
  • fiberboard sheet;
  • putty knife.

It is easy to build a false fireplace with your own hands from foam blocks. This is enough lightweight material, which can be easily cut with a regular hand hacksaw. The first step is to decide on the location for the future hearth.

If you plan to simulate a fire in the firebox using electrical appliances, you should install wiring to this location in advance.

Example 1. Construction of a decorative fireplace.

The appearance of the fireplace will depend on your wishes, imagination and size of the home.

First, a foam concrete slab is laid on the floor; it can be placed on glue, but this is not at all necessary. External corners, which will be located directly in front of the false fireplace, it is advisable to round them for safety reasons. The height of the base should not exceed 10 cm.

Next, the side walls are made; the foam blocks can be installed vertically - in this case, the structure will be narrower - or laid horizontally - for a wider false fireplace. If desired, you can cut foam concrete blocks and imitate brickwork. The parts are fastened together using a special adhesive for foam concrete or a sand-cement mixture.

After the side walls are installed, a foam concrete slab is glued on top of them, which will serve as a fireplace mantel. You have an almost finished frame for a decorative fireplace; the space for the firebox takes up too much space. In order to reduce it, from fiberboard sheet or plywood cut out the front of the fireplace with a window for the firebox.

If desired, the vault can be given the appearance of an arch or made smooth. The fiberboard is glued with the same glue as the blocks. If neither plywood nor hardboard is found on the farm, then the front panel can be cut out of corrugated cardboard, but in this case it must be treated several times with a solution of PVA glue and water, and also thoroughly puttied.

Next, you need to apply a thin layer of putty over the entire surface, paying special attention to seams and joints. Using a flat spatula, apply the mixture onto the trowel, then spread the putty at an angle - from bottom to top.

It is best to putty the corners using a spatula. Now you need to let the first layer dry, then apply the finishing layer of putty. After drying, pass through fine sandpaper, the surface is completely ready for decoration.

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False fireplace decoration

Not everyone knows how to make a decorative fireplace with their own hands so that it is not much different from the real thing. The finishing plays a big role in the design of the portal. So, using the same putty, you can create a variety of textures. If you scoop up the putty with a foam sponge and apply it to the surface with jerky movements, you will get an interesting rough texture.

You can leave it like that, but it’s better to paint the surface dark acrylic paint and immediately go over it with a damp cloth, this way the dark color will remain only in the recesses. Then silver or gold paint Apply to the tip of a brush or foam sponge and walk lightly, barely touching the surface.

If you have leftover drywall, you can cut bricks from them to decorate a false fireplace. It is better to give them a not quite correct shape, then you will be able to make an imitation of old, already worn-out masonry. The surface and side of the bricks are decorated with putty, it is applied with a spatula, deliberately leaving unevenness, allowed to dry, then painted in a suitable color.

Using beech wood putty, you can imitate a stone surface. It is applied to the fireplace portal using a spatula with chaotic movements. Then they draw the outlines of the stones with some kind of stick, take a bristle brush and, as it were, pierce the still damp putty with it, thus obtaining the texture of the stone, and allow it to dry. To make the stones look more natural, they are shaded with dark brown and black acrylic paint.

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Do-it-yourself false fireplace made of plasterboard

You will need:

  • drywall;
  • rack and guide metal profiles;
  • self-tapping screws for gypsum boards and for metal;
  • screwdriver;
  • knife and metal ruler;
  • gypsum board putty;
  • putty knife.

Before you make a false fireplace from plasterboard, you need to decide on its dimensions. The width and height of the frame will depend largely not only on the area of ​​the room, but also on finishing material. If you are planning to tiling, then you need to take into account its width and height, add the distance between the seams, then there will be no need to cut the finish.

The first step is to apply markings for the guide profiles on the walls and floor, then secure them. If you find that the wall has significant deviations, then use fastening loops to attach the guides to the surface. Next, the rack profiles are inserted and connected to the guides using metal screws.

The first step is to install the base of the decorative fireplace, after which they begin to manufacture the portal. If you want the firebox window to be arched, then make cuts on the profile every 5 cm and bend it in a semicircle.

All that remains is to cover the structure with plasterboard; if you are planning tiled cladding, then opt for a waterproof option. You can use a utility knife for cutting. Applied to drywall metal ruler, then a deep incision is made along it.

After which the sheet is bent in half and tapped on it, the drywall should break exactly along the cut line. If you need to make a semicircle, then cut it out using a hacksaw. The sheets are secured to the frame with special self-tapping screws for gypsum boards, which have a countersunk head.

Example 2. Construction of a decorative fireplace.

After the structure is ready, it is necessary to putty all the seams. If the fireplace is tiled, the surface is not treated, but if it is painted, the fireplace is completely puttied. For cladding, tile adhesive is used, it is diluted according to the attached instructions. Work starts from the bottom, the glue is applied with a spatula with a smooth surface on small area, then go through the serrated side.

The thickness of the adhesive layer should not exceed 10 mm. Then apply the tile, press it a little, and tap it with a rubber hammer. Separating crosses are used for seams. After the masonry is completed, it is left until the glue dries completely. Then the joints are grouted.

Making a false fireplace from plasterboard is much more difficult than from foam blocks, but the result is worth the effort. Portals made from this material almost completely replicate a real fireplace.

What could be more pleasant than the moment during the cold season when family or friends gather in front of a cozy fireplace. Having a fireplace in the house is far from a luxury, but only additional element decor.

Today, in new buildings, the fireplace is often developed at the planning stage. This is not least due to rising energy prices. Aerated concrete is easy to process and therefore can be used to create all structural elements of a stove or fireplace in your home. Autoclaved cellular lightweight concrete like wood, but as strong as stone. It is classified as non-flammable building materials and, therefore, a fireplace made of aerated concrete will be completely fireproof.

Step 1: choosing a location.

Determining the construction site is an important component of the entire process, since the decision made will then be impossible to change. You need to make sure that the fireplace visually matches your interior and is safe in its designated place. Try to answer the following questions: will the fireplace be located too close to the furniture? Is there a possibility at the appropriate chimney outlet location? Pre-planning will help you avoid major mistakes in the next stages.

Step 2: Marking the floor for the construction of a fireplace.

If you have already decided on the project and materials, then the next step is to mark the surface. Using a pencil, sketches of the fireplace plan are made.

Step 3: Material processing.

As for processing aerated concrete, you can use it to give it almost any shape. The corners of the blocks are cut off and ground to required sizes. This is done using a saw for the gas block and a grater to process its surface. In principle, it is possible to build a fireplace or stove yourself, but this will require significant technical skills, knowledge and high level maintenance to ensure safe operation.

Step 5: Fireplace Insert

A fireplace insert is a plinth (elevation) for a cast iron firebox, which can be lined with aerated concrete and plastered upon completion of the work. Before installing the cast iron firebox, a stainless steel and asbestos board sheet is placed on the horizontal surface of the fireplace insert.

Step 7: Exterior finishing fireplace.

When choosing facing materials, you need to make sure that they are fireproof and fireproof. There are many options for decorating a fireplace. For example, refractory brick or artificial stones industrial production, which will give the fireplace a unique appearance.

It is not easy to lay out a real brick fireplace, but anyone can install a ready-made firebox in the house and decorate it beautifully if they wish. It is very important to choose the right place, prepare a durable solid foundation, cover adjacent walls with non-combustible materials. It is also necessary to consider the fastening of the chimney pipe and ensure its fire safety. If you follow the technology, installing a fireplace insert yourself will not cause any trouble.

The weight of the firebox and fireplace body is very large, so the base under it must be as strong and reliable as possible. It is especially important that this base does not have differences in height, otherwise the structure will settle unevenly and cracks will appear. In addition, the walls adjacent to the firebox should be made of non-combustible materials or sheathed with fire-resistant insulation and galvanized sheets.

On preparatory stage required:

  • cement-sand mortar;
  • brick;
  • metal mesh for reinforcement;
  • building level;
  • trowel;
  • insulation;
  • waterproofing material;
  • roulette.

Video - Fireplace installation step by step

Step 1. Marking for the fireplace

The area where the fireplace will be installed must be free and clean. The width and length of the fireplace are measured with a tape measure, and markings are drawn on the floor with chalk. If bearing wall made of wood, it is recommended to either cut out a section of it and replace it with brickwork, or lay an additional brick partition back to back.

If the second option is chosen, the partition should be installed on the same foundation as the firebox. This must be taken into account when marking the base in the floor and add masonry thickness around the perimeter. Lines are also drawn on the wall to indicate the width of the fireplace.

Step 2. Pouring the foundation

The area of ​​the foundation should be larger than the area of ​​the fireplace, so add 30-40 cm on each side. The depth of the foundation is approximately 50 cm; a thinner base will not withstand the load. If the floor in the house is made of boards, a fragment of the covering along with the joists is cut out according to the markings. Mix the cement mortar, then pour a small amount onto the prepared area. They are leveled, a reinforcing mesh is laid on top and filled with mortar again.

You can make a brick foundation: red brick is laid out in several rows with obligatory bandaging until the base rises to the level of the finished floor. The surface of the foundation is checked with a level, leveling with a solution if necessary. When the solution dries well, the base is covered with waterproofing material.

Step 3. Construction of the partition

The masonry is made of brick, aerated concrete or tongue-and-groove slabs - fire-resistant materials. Between the masonry and the firebox there must be free space for exit warm air. Do not lay bricks or blocks close to the pedestal and walls of the firebox. For bonding fire-resistant masonry with load-bearing wall They use metal rods that are laid between bricks and driven into the wall.

Finished brickwork is plastered cement mortar or lay mineral wool, and cover the top with foil material with the foil facing out. You can upholster the masonry with galvanized sheets. If the fireplace is mounted in a corner, the seam between the walls is sealed with a special sealant.

Step 3. Making a pedestal for the firebox

A U-shaped pedestal is laid out on the red brick floor. It consists of 3-4 rows, depending on the desired height of the fireplace. A mixture of clay and sand is used as a binding solution. To reduce the load on the floors, instead of brick you can use aerated concrete blocks, and then plaster them with cement mortar. Each row must be checked with a level; the bricks are adjusted using a rubber hammer. Excess solution is immediately removed with a trowel.

Steel corners are laid on the bricks of the fourth row so that they connect the opposite walls. The corners are placed at a distance of 15-15 cm with the protrusion upward. The bricks are placed on edge and grooves are sawed, then they are laid so that the protrusions of the corners fit tightly into the cuts. Only 2/3 of the top of the pedestal is laid with bricks, leaving the space near the wall free. Strengthen it all with a solution and level it. The surface must be perfectly horizontal.

Installation of firebox and chimney

When the solution has hardened, you can begin the main part - installing the fireplace insert. Accuracy is very important here, because it is unlikely that it will be possible to correct errors without dismantling the structure.

Step 1. Installing the firebox

Using mastic or heat-resistant glue, a finished U-shaped porcelain stoneware slab is installed on the masonry, leaving an open space near the wall. The side sections of the slab are deepened into the walls by several centimeters. After leveling, a firebox is placed on the stove. There must be a distance of 4-5 cm between the back surface of the firebox and the wall. You cannot move the firebox close.

Step 2. Lining the firebox

It is necessary to lay out the walls of the fireplace around the firebox and beautifully decorate the façade itself. The side masonry should not touch the surface of the firebox, but should fit very tightly with the load-bearing wall. Joints should be processed gypsum plaster or sealant. When the height of the masonry exceeds the height of the firebox by 2 rows, a ready-made U-shaped heat-resistant slab is again laid on top. Check its horizontal position and secure it with glue.

Step 3. Installation of the chimney

A 70x50 cm hole is cut out in the ceiling and a metal profile is attached around the perimeter. The cutout in the ceiling must be above the cutout in the slab and fully correspond to it. Between the ceiling and the slab, install 4 vertical metal profiles or duralumin corners, securing them with self-tapping screws at the corners of the holes. These 4 posts are the frame of the chimney.

A pipe is inserted into the opening of the firebox and its other end is brought out through a cutout in the ceiling into the attic. To keep the pipe vertical, clamps are used. The chimney frame is lined with heat-insulating mats from the inside, and then the entire surface is covered with foil.

You can use foil-coated insulation. The ceiling of the box is also covered with this material, making a cutout for the pipe. A gap of 2 mm should be left between the insulation and the pipe. From the outside, the frame is covered with plasterboard slabs, wood panels or asbestos-cement and sheets. Under the ceiling, a cutout is made in the casing for the ventilation grill.

Step 4. Leading the pipe from the attic to the roof

The chimney assembly continues in the attic. The cut of the pipe is coated with hot glue around the circumference and inserted into the pipe coming from the fireplace. Then they install a box around the pipe, insulate it and cover it with plasterboard. A ventilation grille is inserted near the floor.

A seal is put on the third part of the pipe, a protective cap is attached on top, and the lower cut is coated bitumen mastic. Having connected the parts of the pipe, coat the surface with mastic roofing and press the seal against it. They are screwed along the edges with self-tapping screws and the joints are sealed.

Finishing and checking the operation of the firebox

Once the chimney is installed, you can begin finishing the fireplace base. The surface at the foot of the firebox is tiled or decorative stone. It is forbidden to lay a wooden floor or laminate flooring at a distance of 50 cm from the fireplace, since the covering may catch fire from falling coals or sparks from the firebox.

It is also recommended to place an openwork in front of the fireplace. metal grill for safety. The decor is completed with fireplace tongs, a poker, a beautiful firewood stand and other accessories. Forged elements painted black look the most elegant.

After completing the finishing, you need to check how the fireplace works. For the first time, it is advisable to open the windows, as the paint on the firebox will burn and emit bad smell. If smoke penetrates into the room during fuel combustion, this means that the installation technology was violated. To eliminate the causes, you should check the air supply to the firebox and the tightness of the chimney seams.

It is very important not to build a strong fire when checking; it is better to start with a small temperature load.

Video - DIY fireplace insert installation

Question about how to make an imitation fireplace on our own, is of interest to everyone who wants to make their home original, cozy and unusual. An imitation fireplace is a structure that can be installed in any city apartment without approval from the competent authorities. In addition, an imitation of a fireplace in an apartment can be done with your own hands without hiring a hired work force, which will allow significant savings on construction. For such work there is no need to purchase special tools and equipment. As a rule, everything you need is in the pantry of every home. Given the fact that decorative hearth will not heat up, you don’t have to be limited with the choice of material. You can use almost everything you have at hand. This also applies to finishing, for which you can even use plastic and wallpaper. It is worth dwelling on the options for constructing a decorative fireplace and the nuances that are worth paying attention to.

Types of decorative fireplaces and their equipment

First of all, you need to decide on the place where the hearth will be built. The most the best option is its location in the living room in the middle of the wall. Such a fireplace will be a place for family gatherings and friendly parties. A good solution is to use one of the corners. It is advisable to do so small apartment. Such a fireplace can also be used as a shelf by placing photos, books, souvenirs or a cocktail set on its tabletop.

Decorative fireplace in the middle of the room

It is worth thinking carefully about the size and shape of the future structure. An imitation fireplace in the interior should look harmonious and organic. A hearth that is too small will look awkward and funny. An excessively large structure will create a feeling of crampedness and monumentality, but not peace and comfort. In order not to make a mistake with the size, it is advisable at the design stage to create a life-size model of the fireplace and evaluate how it will look in the interior.

Enough great importance To make the fireplace more realistic, there is a choice of arranging the inside of its hearth. The most simple solution is to paste over its inside with a canvas with painted flames. More complex, but very beautiful solution are real logs, stacked in different orders. For variety, firewood can be periodically rearranged, reduced or increased in quantity.

The next nuance is the imitation of fire in the fireplace. It is the flames that are associated with this structure. There may be several solutions to this issue.

You can create an imitation of fire in a fireplace with your own hands in the following ways:

  1. By placing several small incandescent light bulbs in the fireplace. They give a warm, even and dim light, reminiscent of the reflections of a flame.
  2. By placing a garland with a glow regulator in the firebox. By setting the appropriate mode, you can achieve the effect of flickering the flame, its intensification and weakening.
  3. Putting it in the hearth special lamp, which itself imitates a flame. The lamp should be placed so that its active element is in the middle of the pile of logs at the very top.
  4. Having installed several large paraffin candles for logs. A real fire will look great at any time of the year.

Before starting work, you need to draw up a project. This will help determine the need for property for construction. Let's look at how to make an imitation fireplace with your own hands from various materials.

Imitation of a fireplace made of foam blocks

In a city apartment, it is not advisable to erect heavy structures made of brick and concrete in order to create an imitation. This will create excessive pressure on the floor slab, which can cause uneven shrinkage of the house and the appearance of cracks on the walls. Foam blocks are ideal for simulating a fireplace. They have low specific gravity, large volume and clear geometric shapes. Working with such stones is easy and simple. Their surface can be finished with almost any type of cladding.

Fireplace portal made of foam blocks

For work you will need the following materials and devices:

  • building level;
  • roulette;
  • hacksaw;
  • steel spatulas;
  • rasp;
  • marker;
  • concrete adhesive;
  • paint brush;
  • liquid primer;
  • putty;
  • sandpaper and abrasive mesh;
  • baseboards and moldings.

In order to build your own apartment fireplace from foam blocks, there is no need to create solid foundation or remove the flooring down to the concrete. It is quite enough to place a sheet of plywood on the floor.

You are offered step-by-step and detailed instructions to imitate a decorative fireplace made of foam concrete:

  1. Make markings on the floor and walls. Make a base and secure it to the floor. To do this, it is better to use double-sided tape so as not to damage the coating.
  2. Lay out the first row of stones without gluing them. If necessary, adjust the masonry fragments.
  3. Connect the electrical wiring to the base. There is no connection to the network at this stage.
  4. Glue the starting row of foam blocks to the base. Check its horizontal level. For gluing, 1 mm of adhesive solution is sufficient, since the edges of the blocks are perfectly smooth.
  5. Lay out the portal in accordance with the project. If an arched shape of the hearth is provided, then it is made with a narrow hacksaw. Remove roughness using a rasp.
  6. The table top is being laid. A large slab of aerated concrete or a custom-made product is used. It is fashionable to make a tabletop from a board or timber.
  7. Treat foam blocks with liquid primer. Since this material is porous, the procedure must be repeated twice. The primer will make the surface of the fireplace resistant to moisture.
  8. Mix the solution and cover the fireplace with a layer of 2-3 mm. After the putty has dried, it is sanded and polished.
  9. The portal is lined with finishing. It matches the interior of the room. Adhesive film, wallpaper, paint, ceramic tile or artificial stone.

The final stage of construction is the arrangement of the fireplace. One of the advantages of aerated concrete structures is its mobility. The light fireplace can be moved to a new location at any time. This need arises when installing new furniture or carrying out renovations in an apartment.

We perform imitation from plasterboard

The use of plasterboard opens up almost unlimited possibilities for the master regarding the choice of design for a decorative fireplace. Thanks to this material, our imitation can be given a curved shape of any complexity. Drywall is easy to process and does not have any high pressure onto the supporting plate. The slabs are attached to the spatial frame. To create it, it is recommended to use steel profiles. It is easier to work with timber, but wood changes shape and size when air humidity changes. And this is fraught with the appearance of cracks in the finish.

The frame of the portal is made of plasterboard

To work you will need:

  • perforator;
  • screwdriver;
  • electric jigsaw;
  • roulette;
  • level;
  • hammer;
  • plane;
  • set of steel spatulas;
  • serpyanka ribbon;
  • liquid primer;
  • putty;
  • ordinary drywall;
  • finishing;
  • electric wires and backlight.
An imitation fireplace made of plasterboard is a rigid structure that is attached to the floor and wall. Based on this, you need to carefully consider the place where the fireplace will be located.

The assembly of a plasterboard hearth is carried out as follows:

  1. Markings are made on the wall and floor and places for drilling are marked. Holes are drilled into which plastic dowels are inserted.
  2. Blanks are sawn from the guide profile and screwed to the load-bearing surface. For this, self-tapping screws or dowel nails are used.
  3. The spatial frame is assembled. To connect its parts, cross connectors and a flexible profile are used if curved shapes are provided.
  4. The frame is covered with plasterboard. The joints should be located only on the profile. To bend drywall, it is first soaked for 15-20 minutes. Fastening with self-tapping screws is carried out every 15 cm.
  5. After the sheathing is completed, the corners are finished with a planer. The semicircular hole of the hearth is made with a jigsaw.
  6. Plasterboard is being plastered. Without fail, all seams are reinforced with sickle tape.
  7. The dried putty is polished and primed. After it dries, the fireplace is finished.

The finished product is strong enough to withstand heavy loads and impacts. Drywall is resistant to high temperatures, which makes it possible to install heating elements inside the fireplace.

Do-it-yourself imitation of a fireplace made of polystyrene foam

Choosing foam plastic makes it possible to create a lightweight, mobile imitation of a fireplace in a limited time and practically for nothing. To build a fireplace portal, you can use standard square slabs measuring 100x100x5 cm. The base and tabletop are made of slabs 100 cm long. Since polystyrene foam easily bends under load, it is advisable to reinforce the tabletop with plywood or boards.

To assemble a foam fireplace you will need:

  • roulette;
  • level;
  • stationery knife;
  • marker;
  • square;
  • rasp;
  • glue or liquid nails;
  • thick wire for making grates and pokers;
  • finishing;
  • rechargeable lamp simulating flame.

If you plan to finish the product with plaster, you will need a reinforcing mesh, a set of steel spatulas and a gypsum mixture. However, if a decorative fireplace is conceived as a mobile or temporary structure, then its decoration is carried out with wallpaper or adhesive tape.

When it is planned to build a stationary fireplace, the work is carried out in the following sequence:

  1. A project is being drawn up. It consists of a scheme for fastening the slabs, the type of finishing and calculation of building materials.
  2. The work site is being prepared. Carpets, furniture and Appliances covered with a protective film.
  3. Blanks for assembling the portal are cut. They are attached to the base and glued together. The raised walls are covered with a tabletop.
  4. A curved opening for the hearth is cut. Irregularities are carefully removed with a rasp. The product is cleaned free of dust and foam grains.
  5. The portal is covered with reinforcing mesh inside and outside. A thin layer of plaster is applied to it. The putty is leveled and treated with a liquid primer.

The final stage is the finishing of the portal and interior design hearth. The fireplace is covered decorative strips and decorated with various crafts.

Imitation of wood in the interior of an apartment

A wood fireplace will look great in the interior of an apartment. With this type of imitation, decoration and furniture from natural materials, which has a positive effect on Feng Shui. You can raise the texture of wood using stain and varnish. In addition, if the situation in the apartment changes, the portal can be finished with almost any facing material.

To work you will need:

  • roulette;
  • electric jigsaw;
  • plane;
  • belt grinder;
  • building level;
  • screwdriver;
  • hammer;
  • screws and nails without heads;
  • straight or rounded lining;
  • timber 25×25 mm.

Before starting work, the lining must be treated with an antiseptic.

Assembly is carried out in the following sequence:

  1. Blanks are cut from timber. The frame is assembled using nails and screws for fastening.
  2. The frame is covered with clapboard. The portal is ground and polished. After this, the fireplace is cleaned of shavings and sawdust.
  3. The wood is coated with varnish or paint water based. To achieve the desired effect, this procedure is performed 2-3 times.

During operation, decorative shelves and other accessories can be screwed to the portal.

Check out the video how to use regular boards you can create a home decorative fireplace

It is difficult to find a person who would not dream of a fireplace, but not everyone has the opportunity to make their dream come true. Therefore, many residents of city apartments often thought about how to make a false fireplace with their own hands? Building a decorative fireplace is a simple matter and does not require in-depth knowledge of the stove business, but some nuances still need to be taken into account.

Construction of a false fireplace from foam concrete

You will need:

  • foam concrete blocks and slabs;
  • hacksaw;
  • adhesive for porous concrete;
  • gypsum board putty;
  • trowel;
  • fiberboard sheet;
  • putty knife.

It is easy to build a false fireplace with your own hands from foam blocks. This is a fairly light material that can be easily cut with a regular hand hacksaw. The first step is to decide on the location for the future hearth.

If you plan to simulate a fire in the firebox using electrical appliances, you should install wiring to this location in advance.

Example 1. Construction of a decorative fireplace.

The appearance of the fireplace will depend on your wishes, imagination and size of the home.

First, a foam concrete slab is laid on the floor; it can be placed on glue, but this is not at all necessary. It is advisable to round the external corners that will be located directly in front of the false fireplace for safety reasons. The height of the base should not exceed 10 cm.

Next, the side walls are made; the foam blocks can be installed vertically - in this case, the structure will be narrower - or laid horizontally - for a wider false fireplace. If you wish, you can cut foam concrete blocks and imitate brickwork. The parts are fastened together using a special adhesive for foam concrete or a sand-cement mixture.

After the side walls are installed, a foam concrete slab is glued on top of them, which will serve as a fireplace mantel. You have an almost finished frame for a decorative fireplace; the space for the firebox takes up too much space. In order to reduce it, the front part of the fireplace with a window for the firebox is cut out of a sheet of fiberboard or plywood.

If desired, the vault can be given the appearance of an arch or made smooth. The fiberboard is glued with the same glue as the blocks. If neither plywood nor hardboard is found on the farm, then the front panel can be cut out of corrugated cardboard, but in this case it must be treated several times with a solution of PVA glue and water, and also thoroughly puttied.

Next, you need to apply a thin layer of putty over the entire surface, paying special attention to seams and joints. Using a flat spatula, apply the mixture onto the trowel, then spread the putty at an angle - from bottom to top.

It is best to putty the corners using a spatula. Now you need to let the first layer dry, then apply the finishing layer of putty. After drying, they are sanded with fine sandpaper, the surface is completely ready for decoration.

False fireplace decoration

Not everyone knows how to make a decorative fireplace with their own hands so that it is not much different from the real thing. The finishing plays a big role in the design of the portal. So, using the same putty, you can create a variety of textures. If you scoop up the putty with a foam sponge and apply it to the surface with jerky movements, you will get an interesting rough texture.

You can leave it like that, but it’s better to paint the surface with dark acrylic paint and immediately go over it with a damp cloth, this way the dark color will remain only in the recesses. Then apply silver or gold paint to the tip of a brush or foam sponge and walk lightly, barely touching the surface.

If you have leftover drywall, you can cut bricks from them to decorate a false fireplace. It is better to give them a not quite correct shape, then you will be able to make an imitation of old, already worn-out masonry. The surface and side of the bricks are decorated with putty, it is applied with a spatula, deliberately leaving unevenness, allowed to dry, then painted in a suitable color.

Using beech wood putty, you can imitate a stone surface. It is applied to the fireplace portal using a spatula with chaotic movements. Then they draw the outlines of the stones with some kind of stick, take a bristle brush and, as it were, pierce the still damp putty with it, thus obtaining the texture of the stone, and allow it to dry. To make the stones look more natural, they are shaded with dark brown and black acrylic paint.

Do-it-yourself false fireplace made of plasterboard

You will need:

  • drywall;
  • rack and guide metal profiles;
  • self-tapping screws for gypsum boards and for metal;
  • screwdriver;
  • knife and metal ruler;
  • gypsum board putty;
  • putty knife.

Before you make a false fireplace from plasterboard, you need to decide on its dimensions. The width and height of the frame will depend largely not only on the area of ​​the room, but also on the finishing material. If you are planning to tiling, then you need to take into account its width and height, add the distance between the seams, then there will be no need to cut the finish.

The first step is to apply markings for the guide profiles on the walls and floor, then secure them. If you find that the wall has significant deviations, then use fastening loops to attach the guides to the surface. Next, the rack profiles are inserted and connected to the guides using metal screws.

The first step is to install the base of the decorative fireplace, after which they begin to manufacture the portal. If you want the firebox window to be arched, then make cuts on the profile every 5 cm and bend it in a semicircle.

All that remains is to cover the structure with plasterboard; if you are planning tiled cladding, then opt for a waterproof option. You can use a utility knife for cutting. A metal ruler is applied to the drywall, then a deep cut is made along it.

After which the sheet is bent in half and tapped on it, the drywall should break exactly along the cut line. If you need to make a semicircle, then cut it out using a hacksaw. The sheets are secured to the frame with special self-tapping screws for gypsum boards, which have a countersunk head.

Example 2. Construction of a decorative fireplace.

After the structure is ready, it is necessary to putty all the seams. If the fireplace is tiled, the surface is not treated, but if it is painted, the fireplace is completely puttied. For cladding, tile adhesive is used, it is diluted according to the attached instructions. Work starts from the bottom, the glue is applied with a spatula with a smooth surface to a small area, then passed with the serrated side.

The thickness of the adhesive layer should not exceed 10 mm. Then apply the tile, press it a little, and tap it with a rubber hammer. Separating crosses are used for seams. After the masonry is completed, it is left until the glue dries completely. Then the joints are grouted.

Making a false fireplace from plasterboard is much more difficult than from foam blocks, but the result is worth the effort. Portals made from this material almost completely replicate a real fireplace.

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