Installing the fireplace on its own

It can not be said that the fireplace is the most economical means of heating the home, but the aesthetic appearance and living fire in the room attract many.

What is the installation of the fireplace on its own? What rules should be followed when installing the fireplace and how to build it, let's try to figure it out. The first thing to begin with is to determine the place where the hearth will be located. To choose a place for him is better even during the design of the house and the initial construction, then the chimney will be possible to build into the wall, which is important. You need to know that the fireplaces can not be placed in the corridor, near the stairs, doors and windows. From the presence of a draft directly depends on his work. The room in which the hearth is installed should be more than 12 sq.m. And have a door or window. When he works, he needs fresh air, and in a small indoor air, there will not be enough air for a good chimney draft, and the fireplace can smoke. At a distance of 1 m there should be no interior items.

If the fireplace will weigh from 1 ton - you need to build a solid foundation, this is a prerequisite. The foundation must be built completely apart from the foundation of the house, its size should be slightly larger than the base of the fireplace, and it can be built from waterproof brick, cement or rubble stone. Since the construction of the hearth requires a separate foundation, it is better to build it together with the whole house, the installation of a fireplace in an already constructed house can be difficult. On the second or third floor, the installation depends on the overall design of the house.

For the masonry it is necessary to use a mixture of clay, aluminous cement and sand, and the cement mass must be very small, the mixture must be prepared in the ratio: cement - one share, 8 shares - sand. The materials must be thoroughly mixed in a dry form, when the mixture is well mixed, it is added with clay pulp, and everything is brought to a homogeneous mass. For the construction of an ordinary fireplace usually consumes about 400 bricks, not taking into account the chimney. Masonry should be very accurate, this determines the aesthetic appearance of the fireplace.

Any fireplace made of bricks should not be plastered, use decorative or face masonry. Brick for facade masonry should be smooth, the same color and with straight angles, as often in the construction of a brick fireplace is not used lining. Also for beauty it is necessary to try to make seams between bricks very even. If you consider all these rules and lay out the facade smoothly, then the facing may not be needed at all. But if you want to make a facade, you can use any refractory material, such as ceramic tiles, marble, slate or brick. Start facing should be from the top of the firebox. A level and make a rectangular shape of the chimney chamber can be done with gypsum board attached to the metal frame.

The foundation must be poured on a straight surface, avoiding the occurrence of voids. It is necessary to perform waterproofing to protect the foundation from moisture. Also the dampness disturbs the draft of smoke. When laying bricks, it is necessary to use a building level and plumb bows so that the wall is built smoothly. The final stage of the work is the laying of the chimney. During the construction it is necessary to remember all the time about fire safety measures. It is necessary to make all calculations in advance so that the fireplace functions properly. A final test is the functionality check. To do this, it is necessary to melt the fireplace and make sure that there is a draft of smoke, and there is no gap at the seams between the masonry. If everything works well, you can paint it in your favorite color.