Fireplace Cladding: Material Selection and Design Examples

 Fireplace Cladding: Material Selection and Design Examples

Almost every resident of a country house dreams of a cozy and beautiful home. To create a harmonious interior can not do without a fireplace. This element can carry only decorative load, and can be quite capable and heat the room in cool weather. It must be part of the common space, complement it and disclose it, and for this often beautiful lining is needed.

Types of foci

Fireplaces can be installed in various rooms, can be existing or purely decorative, on what types of these devices depend.The main fireplaces in the village houses are wood, which have a construction with a solid chimney, and the heating is due to firewood.

The furnace of such a device can be made of materials such as refractory bricks and ceramic blocks. They may look like a completely finished cast-iron construction, or they can be made with heat-resistant steel. Portals are the outer part of the hearth, with the help of which the appearance and decor of the product are created. To decorate such a fireplace, you can use marble, granite, brick or other materials.

Another type of fireplaces are gas installations, which differ from wood-burning stoves. In this case, the chimney is important, but the process of its work is carried out thanks to the gas main. This option is quiet and warms the room very quickly. This unit is more fireproof than wood.

Electric fireplaces are the most modern and for work use only electricity. Although it is not a real hearth, the flame inside, which is very similar to the present, is not fire and does not generate heat.It can be floor mounted or suspended, which are mounted on the walls, while not having large dimensions.

Another interesting type of fireplace is ekokamin. To maintain a working state, the device needs components that do not emit carbon dioxide. This option can not independently heat a large room, but in tandem with other heating devices can help to quickly make the temperature in the room comfortable.

There are structures that are open at once from three sides. The use of three-sided fireplaces will serve not only to heat the air in the room, but also to perform a decorative function.

There are fireplaces that are made already in finished form and can be immediately operated. Pig-iron apparatus can be installed independently, which will require all the knowledge specified in the instructions. To put such a fireplace can not be everywhere, because it has a very large weight and a good capital foundation should be provided in the house. This unit can be used as a heating device instead of large stoves in a private house.

Decor Features

Facing the fireplace - this is one of the most important activities in order to make not just a heating device, but also add color to the room, decorate it in accordance with a certain style or idea. Finishing can be carried out using a variety of materials, the main thing - to determine the options that are suitable for the particular case.

It helps best to determine the facing material itself type of design of the fireplace and some of its features, among which there are:

  • property location;
  • interior solution of the room;
  • financial opportunities;
  • features of finishing materials.

The fireplace can be both active and capital, and artificial, made of drywall.

Falshkamina can be decorated with these materials:

  • marble tiles;
  • fake diamond;
  • ceramic tile;
  • tiles;
  • textured plaster;
  • gypsum;
  • mosaic;
  • wooden items.
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The most popular design solution will be facing the fireplace using wood. This material will help to create a cozy, warm and soft atmosphere in the room. In order to use the tree in the decor of the fireplace, you must initially treat it with flame retardant impregnation.

Drywall is perfectly framed with the help of MDF, which will decorate the device and allow it to function for a long time and fully. The use of tiles and marble will also successfully fit into the interior of the room. And the use of tiles, which are very similar to tile, will add elegance to the design, lightness and color.

Materials

For those cases where the fireplace is real and built of brick, plaster is used as a finish. This is a simple but reliable option that will give a sophisticated look to even the simplest fireplace. Special beauty gives the use of decorative plaster, which is applied immediately after the layer of base material.

To restore the old fireplace with this material, you need to completely remove the old coating and prepare the device for repair work. The next step is the jointing of joints, which go deep by more than a centimeter. This type of work helps the new layer to keep better and stronger. If there are any gaps on the fireplace, they need to be repaired, for which you can now use a sealant that is resistant to heating at 800 degrees. Only after that with the help of a brush with a long nap all surfaces are cleaned and the main work begins.

For smooth walls of the fireplace, plaster can be immediately applied to the surface, and in the case of a strong drop, reinforcement can be used, using a metal grid. Fixing it in the seams with plaster, which should be laid over the grid, and it turns out to align the walls. Before you carry out the work, it is important to read the instructions on the packaging of the plaster, because many manufacturers recommend heating the walls of the fireplace to sixty degrees, and then use the facing material.

If this option does not like the finish, you can impose a fireplace tile. Not every option is suitable for facing the heating device. The list of its characteristics should include resistance to high temperatures, a high degree of strength and ease of care. One of the variants of such material is terracotta ceramic tiles - its surface has an unglazed appearance, it is similar to brick in terms of thermal expansion coefficient and has a terracotta color.

Majolica is almost the same as terracotta, but on the front side there is a layer of glaze. There is a certain pattern on such a tile, so it is important to calculate it so that you don’t have to cut the tile, breaking it. You can use only a portion of such material, arranging it with others.

The most popular is the clinker tile, as it has good thermal stability performance. The use of chamotte gives it a high strength with a small thickness. Fireclay tiles can have a variety of colors and shades - from white to brown.

You can impose a fireplace and porcelain stoneware, which is very similar to the clinker tile and has similar components, but they also add quartz sand, crumb granite or marble, various coloring matter, metal salts and other substances. The result is a material with a low-porous structure that tolerates high and low temperatures well. The resulting tiles are similar to marble, but they are not. They will not exert much pressure on the structure, because tiles of small thickness are used for work.

To give a special look, the fireplace is lined with tiles. This material is almost identical to the previous two options, but differs only in its shape and how it is mounted to the surface. Install such elements even during the laying of the fireplace or stove, installing for this special wire. Tile with tiles is made small.It has the characteristics of thermal expansion, because the material must be used carefully and according to all the rules.

Another material that trim the fireplaces - stone. When covering with natural stone and marble, be sure to use the grid to which the coating will be attached, otherwise everything will begin to fall off. It is more convenient to use an artificial gypsum stone, which looks good, but is much lighter in weight. Gypsum stones can have different heights, so before installing them on the fireplace you need to align all the elements so that they have the same dimensions. To attach these elements to the surface, heat resistant glue is needed.

In order to make a fireplace under a natural stone, you can use special plates coated with it. The shape of each stone is different, and it takes time to grind off. Of these materials, a pattern or a whole mosaic is usually formed, which is initially worked out on the floor, and then transferred to the fireplace, using suitable glue. Decorating fireplaces mosaic is very effective when the hearth itself has a rounded shape.

The size of the tiles can be very different, it all depends on the preferences of the owners.

One of the most popular is wood trim. This is true in country houses and witches, but in any other room when choosing the appropriate wood, texture and color, you can create a very beautiful version of the room design. With the help of decorative elements, you can not just make a fireplace beautiful, but also create a unique art object.

You can impose a fireplace talcochlorite. This material is a natural stone that nature itself has created. Its color is gray, and the texture is smooth. If you use a variety of impurities, you can achieve yellow, green and even red shades. By itself, talkohlorite has a matte sheen.

Sandstone finishing allows you to get a beautiful product with exceptional thermal conductivity characteristics. In this case, you can not be afraid of cracking from exposure to heat and water. Using a fireplace at least daily, its appearance will remain flawless. The ability to quickly and easily wash the surface will also be appreciated.

Putting slate around the fireplace, it is possible to increase its service life several times due to the resistance of the stone to high temperatures.Whatever material is chosen, the main thing is that everything should be maintained according to quality standards and mounted on the basis of technology. The overall design of the room and the fireplace should be one, create an ensemble and emphasize the virtues of each other.

Finishing options

If we are talking about the classics, then everything should be good and natural, imitation of something is unacceptable for this style. The use of marble, granite, tiles, Venetian plaster, natural wood - all this will help to achieve the desired. If there is a desire to make a hall or a living room in rococo, baroque, and empire styles, then the whole setting should resemble a palace, where furniture, wallpaper, floor and textiles are subordinated to a single stylistic decision. As a decorative elements in the room using stucco, large ornaments.

If we are talking about a room in the style of minimalism, then the fireplaces choose small. The design in this case is welcomed by the author with a light coating. If you need to make a room in a modern style, then the use of biofireplace will be the best solution. In the firebox you can place decorative stones, replacing them with wood for kindling.

The modern hi-tech style implies something technological, because fireplaces use wall and electric. On a special display will be an imitation of the flame, which is no different from the real fire, but perfectly safe. You can use a heated room or include a fireplace exclusively for the decorative function.

Country style involves the use of both natural and artificial stone, brick or aged wood. The fire chamber is laid out with fireclay bricks. In case of imitation of the device, it is necessary to supplement it with real wood to create the illusion of a real fireplace in the room.

In modern style, the use of suspended metal structures with a glass door, in which an artificial flame can be seen, will be optimal. When organizing a zone near a fireplace, it is important not to use a large number of details that can shift all attention to themselves, while making the fireplace zone invisible.

To the center of the room was selected correctly, you can use a variety of vases, figurines or even frames with photos that will fit the style of the fireplace and complement it.The watches will look beautiful, especially antique ones, hand-made crafts, objects of some collections or cute souvenirs.

If the room is made in a classic style, then the items are arranged in pairs and placed symmetrically. Carefully need to enter into the mirror near the fireplace space. Somewhere it will be appropriate, and in some cases spoil the whole idea. To the fireplace was the basis of the room, it is important to properly arrange.

In the case when the device is modern and can be placed on any wall, problems with the choice of place should not arise. When the fireplace was built as a capital structure, you need to equip a room based on this feature of it. It is important to remove all unnecessary items. There should not be a TV or work area, but you need to put a sofa or chair and spend quiet and cozy evenings in this unique atmosphere.

It is important to build or acquire a large fireplace so that it can be seen from every corner of the room. The area around it should be central, which means that small structures should not be used, they simply will not be noticeable. If the room is small, it is very convenient to install a heat meter in the corner.

How to impose your own?

It is rather simple to decorate a fireplace with your own hands if you know all the subtleties and nuances of this work. The technology boils down to the fact that it is necessary to choose a material that will fasten the selected type of coating. Most often it is for this purpose clay is selected. If it is not bought, but extracted manually, then it should be checked for suitability to this process. For this test, you need a clean container with water and clay.

Placing it in water, you need to stir the contents of an iron shovel. If the clay is stuck to it, it is not suitable for lining, because it is too greasy. It is important that the material for the work is elastic, withstand high temperatures and keep the lining material well. To make fat clay suitable for work, just add some sand to it.

Step-by-step instructions for facing the fireplace will consist of several stages.

  • Kneading solution. It is produced only in clean containers with the addition of water without impurities and the clay itself. Depending on the amount of work chosen the right amount of clay.
  • Tiling process. In order that the fireplace turned out not only beautiful, but also served for a long time, it will be correct to use only some types of tiles: terracotta, clinker, porcelain stoneware, majolica.
  • Before starting work, the entire surface of the walls of the fireplace is completely cleaned of the old coating, dust and dirt.
  • Alignment of the surface of the walls of the fireplace with putty or using a reinforcing mesh. It is important to increase the seams between the bricks in order to upgrade them.
  • Laying the tile begins with marking it on the floor, fitting the pattern and dimensions with the help of a grinder. Laying occurs from the bottom up vertically. After each row it is necessary to check the evenness with a level.
  • After completing the work every other day, you need to rub the tile with a wet rag to remove the entire solution.
  • When finishing works with a stone, the use of artificial material is recommended. The principle of operation is the same as with tile. It is important to determine the color, texture and correctly position the stone on the walls of the fireplace.

External facing of walls is an important stage in work with a fireplace. It is important to take care of how the product will look like, what load it will carry in the room and what atmosphere to create. It is impossible to make a beautiful room renovation without revealing the fireplace correctly.

Useful tips

In order to get good results in facing the fireplace on your own, it is important to consider professional advice on various aspects:

  • the use of the level of conventional or laser at the stages, such as the construction of the fireplace, and work on its decoration;
  • after building a fireplace with your own hands, irregularities can often arise, which must be removed if the next step is to veneer it with the help of various materials;
  • in the process of decorating the surface it is necessary to use a spatula and a washcloth to get a better result;
  • the process of plaster fire is best done with a small brush or trowel;
  • for high-quality lining of the fireplace, it is important to use good and high-quality equipment;
  • if there is a desire to make a unique design of the fireplace, then the tile for work can be used in various colors, which are originally assembled and combined;
  • for maximum heat preservation, tiles that have a relief structure and greater thickness are best suited;
  • having a fireplace of ordinary bricks, it can be decorated with a profile or decorative, which will help to give the design the desired style, and it can be easily entered into any room;
  • working with marble, it is necessary to initially lay all the tiles on the floor and number them so that the finished picture looks beautiful and solid.

Spectacular examples for inspiration

In order to be able to create a unique and original fireplace, it is important to study those samples that will help you find the very design option that the owner will like the house and will meet the overall style of the room.

  • The use of decorative stone, imitating the texture of natural, closed type of the firebox and decorative elements in the form of candles on the fireplace create a complete composition and give the room comfort and warmth.
  • The combination of textures of wood and artificial stone allows you to get a very stylish fireplace, which adds color to the room. The emphasis on such an object will provide an opportunity to determine the style of the main premises.
  • The corner design of the fireplace is suitable for rooms where there is not a large amount of space for erecting bulky structures, and making it mostly from glass will give lightness, but at the same time help create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in this part of the room.
  • The use of mounted fireplaces with imitation of fire allows you to make a fireplace area in those conditions when the construction of a real design is impossible.Most often, imitation is performed from drywall and can be finished either in a classic style or in a modern one.

Any version of the fireplace design allows you to fill the room with a special atmosphere, to give it a new fresh breath.

In this video you will find a master class on facing the fireplace with your own hands.

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

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