Stone fireplaces: the pros and cons

The modern interior of the house provides not only a comfortable layout of the rooms, but also the creation of maximum comfort. For this, designers in their projects use various ideas, the most popular of which is the installation of a fireplace. This decor item looks beautiful and allows you to fill the room with a romantic atmosphere and homely warmth.

In order for the fireplace to occupy a worthy place in the interior, the appearance of the structure must correspond to the general style of the room, therefore, most often, stone is chosen for its facing. This finish is durable, durable and compared to other materials looks much more presentable.

Special features

Fireplaces made of stone represent an unusual beauty, thanks to which any room design acquires chic and sophistication.The stone frame of the home hearth harmoniously fits into all the styles of the interior, ranging from strict classics to sophisticated country.

In addition, this decor has many advantages:

  • Long service life.
  • Resistant to mechanical damage and high temperature.
  • Environmental friendliness.
  • Huge selection of textures and colors.
  • Easy to care.

As for the shortcomings of stone cladding, these include:

  • Big weight of a design. When planning the hearth, it is necessary to properly think up the installation work, additionally strengthen all the details.
  • Installation difficulty. Stone finishes require not only special tools, but also the presence of knowledge on laying. In addition, the material before use must be prepared and "customized" to the desired dimensions of the structure. Therefore, without the help and advice of experts can not do.
  • High price. Natural stone, in contrast to artificial analogues, is expensive.

Despite the presence of the above disadvantages, stone fireplaces are in great demand, as they combine high quality and aesthetics.

Of course, their installation at first requires a large financial outlay, but in the future they will justify themselves, and for many years the stone “handsome” will please not only the owners of the house, but also the guests, creating a favorable environment for recreation.

Types of materials

Fireplace decoration is most often made of natural stone, as it is characterized by high durability and safe for human health. The hearth during heating creates high temperature, so it is important to choose the right material for lining, paying attention not only to its appearance, but also its properties.

Today, fireplaces decorate these types of stones:

  • Wild. It is an unpolished and unprocessed raw material in the form of boulders and boulders. Installing a wild stone is difficult. The material does not have standard sizes, so it must be selected by combining small and large parts. Stone hearth in this design option looks great in design, dominated by ancient notes.
  • Granite. This is a flexible finishing stone, which has a high thermal conductivity and glossy surface. Granite can be of different textures and colors.
  • Marble. It is considered one of the most widely used facing materials of natural origin. It is recommended to use marble tiles to decorate fireplaces in large rooms, as its beautiful glossy shine requires space. Shimmering streaks of stone make the design rich and stylish.
  • Onyx. It belongs to semi-precious rocks and is expensive. Therefore, for a facing decor, as a rule, only separate inserts are used. The plates of the material are cut into small thickness and set as an additional composition. In addition, this mineral is characterized by beneficial properties - it treats for many diseases and fills the room with positive energy.
  • Pebbles. Good for Mediterranean style rooms. At first glance, the stone may seem cheap and simple, but in fact its decorative decoration looks very beautiful.
  • Tuff and shellfish. The material has a porous structure, therefore it warms the space perfectly. Its only drawback can be considered the lack of aesthetics. Therefore, this stone is suitable for finishing the fireplace, which will only serve as a source of heat, the effect of high cost with him will not work.
  • In addition, fireplaces often revetted with slate stone, which allows you to create an interesting design and gives the room an individual image. The constructions that are laid out of rubble and Dagestan stone also look good, they are usually installed in bedrooms and living rooms with a modern interior.
  • It is worth noting that fireplaces can be placed not only inside the house, but also on the street. Therefore, in order to decorate the original hearth, for finishing choose limestone or slagstone talcomagnesite. This material has a beautiful appearance and is resistant to temperature changes.

Design

Stone fireplace is a unique element in any interior, but its design can acquire special design features that depend on the overall situation in the room. So, in a room with a Mediterranean style pastel shades and furniture made of natural wood predominate. Therefore, in this case, perfect fireplace, decorated with stone and glass.

At the same time for the lining it is desirable to choose a warm color, thus it is possible to achieve the maximum effect of comfort.

An interesting solution is considered and chalet style fireplaces. A room in this design is a harmonious combination of simplicity andbeauty of natural material. Stone floors, ceilings with wooden beams will look gorgeous against the background of the fireplace stove. At the same time, it is possible to install not only stone portals on the sides of the structure, but also small tabletops.

Deserve special attention stone scandinavian designs. Decorating fireplaces in this design is characterized by simple forms and contains a minimum of decorations. The design may contain iron, stone and glass at the same time.

In this case, the color of the material is chosen with cold shades. Original look foci that adorn the mantels.

For fireplaces in minimalism style use a stone of neutral color, giving preference to cream shades, most often facing of the center carry out from light marble. Walls near the construction are covered with wallpaper or covered with plaster.

In addition to traditional models, the Scandinavian style is also used falshkaminy, which in their beauty is not inferior to the "living" flame.

Besides, there are fireplaces made of stone in the loft styleThey are characterized by bizarre forms and eccentrism.No less popular are designs that combine stonework and wrought iron elements.

Depending on personal preferences and imagination, fireplaces can be decorated with expensive accessories, eye-catching details and plants.

Most importantly, in the implementation of creativity stone construction has not lost its relevance and fulfilled the main role of the decor.

How to impose your own hands?

The interior of the house will be cozy if it is supplemented with a fireplace, but even after its installation, the design will not be considered complete, as the question arises as to which decorative material is best to choose for decorative cladding. Recently, masters prefer to use stone for decoration of fireplaces, since this material does not require special care, it serves for a long time and keeps a beautiful look.

The stone facing of the hearth is quite realistic to do it yourself, the decoration is not particularly difficult and in many respects inferior to the laying of ceramic tiles.

To do this, you must perform the following work:

  • Surface preparation. The base must be smooth and free from flaws. The surface of the structure can be leveled with plaster, while in the mixture it is necessary to add reinforcing material that will strengthen the solution and ensure good adhesion.Before applying the first layer of plaster the surface of the walls of the structure is sprinkled with water. The solution is evenly distributed throughout the working area from top to bottom, ensuring that the layer thickness does not exceed 8 mm. After the base is completely dry, grouting and priming are done.
  • Stone installation. Finishing material is fixed with a special glue, which has high technical characteristics and heat-resistant properties. In order to properly veneer the fireplace, glue is applied not only on the surface of the structure, but also on the stone itself. To do this, the mixture is spread over the surface of the spatula and a wavy furrow is made, then the material is pressed tightly and knocked on it with a hammer. Each row is laid as a designer, in a checkerboard pattern.
  • Deviations during installation. In this paper, you can face the problem of non-standard stone sizes. To avoid this, it is recommended to pick up the material in advance, or adjust the parts to the required standards using tools that are used for wood and metal. Making a beautiful composition involves horizontal masonry.Lining can also be performed in even rows, or choose more original styling options.
  • Decorative trim. Upon completion of all rough work, you must thoroughly clean the surface of the fireplace, and fill the resulting joints with a special mixture with colored chips. Additionally, it is recommended to decorate the design with a frame.

It looks beautiful stone trim, which smoothly passes to the surface of the walls, creating a feeling of a single image.

How to impose a natural stone on the fireplace, see the following video.

Beautiful examples

A fireplace made of stone should be in harmony with all the details of the interior, be the composite center of the room. Therefore, choosing its stone finish, it is necessary to take into account the color of the walls of the room. Since the shade of natural material is diverse, it can be safely complemented by a bright palette.

The fireplaces of gray, yellow, beige and brown colors look beautiful in the interior of living rooms, this range refers to warm shades, it emphasizes in a special way the beauty of natural material. To maintain the style of design, it is recommended to carry out the continuation of the stone in the decoration of furniture and walls, for this upholstery and coatings are selected in a similar color.

An unusual solution is a fireplace made of beige stone, originally it looks in combination with wooden walls, such a combination of stone and wood creates an atmosphere of comfort in the room. The shade of beige hides the form of space a little, so the interior should be filled with bright decorations as much as possible.. Throw pillows and textiles of neutral colors are well suited for this.

For smaller rooms it’s best to choose white stone fireplace It will help to visually hide the lines of space and make the room spacious., filling it not only with home warmth, but also with light. At the same time, white tone should be present in the whole of the wall, flooring and furniture finishing. If the owners of the house prefer a unique interior, then they can choose for the hearth a lining of dark brown and blue material. In this case, it is recommended to give preference to polished stone.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

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