Fire, its raging tongues, as if dancing a well-known dance only to them, from time immemorial carry their message to every living person. A living flame gives a person warmth, which means life. And at the same time, it is capable of destroying everything around it. It has long been believed that fire is a symbol of home comfort. But if in the past the hearth was an obligatory functional building that warms the home, today it is rather a decorative detail, an imitation of a fireplace in the interior. The photos presented to your attention will give some idea of how an artificial hearth symbol should look like. Not every country house has the opportunity to install a real fireplace; modern apartments are not at all worth talking about. But this does not mean that such a tempting idea should be completely abandoned.
Artificial fireplaces - dream or reality?
Hearthwith live dancing flames - the dream of many modern people. But what to do when there is no way to build it on the existing living space? A great option would be an imitation of a fireplace.
Remember the tale of Pinocchio with fire painted on a piece of canvas? Of course, we don’t offer you to paint the walls, but everyone can build a small fireplace with their own hands.
Imitation of a fireplace in an apartment or a country house is possible even with a minimum of funds, skills and abilities. There are quite a few varieties of decorative hearth designs. A variety of techniques and materials are used to build them.
Varieties of decorative fireplaces
False fireplaces can be divided into two types - interior and electric. The former serve as a decoration of the room, and thanks to their smokeless design, based on the combustion of ethyl alcohol and the release of a certain amount of steam during this process, they humidify the air. One of the indisputable advantages in the construction of such models is that it is not necessary to use refractory materials, you can use wood or drywall. An imitation of fire in a fireplace is created by laying artificial firewood made from heat-resistant ceramics around a gas burner. This whole structure is quite lightweight, easy to operate, does not overload the space of the room in which it is installed, and, importantly, does not require chimneys.
Electric types of fireplaces are not only an interior decor item, they are alsoand additional heat source. Very powerful and at the same time economical in power consumption, modern models do not require any special difficulties in operation and maintenance. Artificial fire in them looks more than natural.
Suitable materials for making a fireplace
Let's take a closer look at how and from what to make an artificial oven. The first thing that comes to mind is an imitation of a brick or drywall fireplace, but they are by no means the only ones. A small overview of the materials available for construction will help you make the right choice. So:
- Metal. Ideal for high-tech interiors. With the skills of working with steel, you can build a false hearth that will decorate any home.
- Imitation of a fireplace in an apartment made of plywood, medium-density fibreboard (MDF) or chipboard (chipboard) is possible in any interior, be it modern, rustic style or any other. All these materials, covered with a special protective film, can be easily found in all construction markets.
- Wooden boards are great for building a portal. In order to emphasize the beauty of wood, it can be covered with a special stain that matches the color of the main interior of your apartment, or with acrylic varnish.
- One of the most popular materials for creating an artificial hearth, of course, is a brick. The only disadvantage of which can be called the fact that it is quite difficult to avoid the heaviness of the structure, and this, inin turn, creates some difficulties in embedding it into the overall interior.
- Drywall is a light, pleasant material to work with. Imitation of a fireplace from GPC is ideal for small rooms. With the help of metal profiles, you can build absolutely any structure of a fake hearth in shape and height.
- Artificial stone is a non-toxic, non-flammable material, great for creating a portal.
General principles for building a raised brick fireplace
- Before starting the main work, it is necessary to calculate the height, width of the future product, and also determine the place where this rather heavy structure will be located.
- In order for the imitation of a fireplace to come out of high quality with your own hands, you must definitely draw up a detailed diagram-drawing of what you want to end up with.
- For the construction of a false portal, in principle, any brick is suitable: silicate, facing or decorative. Before laying, moisten it with plenty of water to remove excess air. Properly made brick has an even, smooth structure.
- From the corner, according to the level, start laying. Try to make the seams the same width.
- After the mortar that fastens the rows of bricks dries well, the inside sides and bottom of the portal must be laid out with special heat-resistant tiles.
- Now you can start installing the electric heater. Remember to follow the safety precautions when working with electricity, carefully follow the instructions that come with the device.
- Decorate the fireplaceOr leave it as is, depends entirely on your desire. For cladding, you can use wood, artificial stone or any interior ceramic tile.
Materials and tools
You will need:
- brick;
- masonry mortar;
- building level;
- refractory tiles for interior decoration;
- electric, bio or eco heater;
- construction tools;
- decoration items.
Brick imitation of a fireplace will become a real decoration of the room, will contribute to the creation of a warm cozy atmosphere. All this will surely delight you and your loved ones. Unfortunately, such a heavy construction is not suitable for decorating small rooms, but it is ideal for a living room or a country house lobby.
General principles for the construction of a false plasterboard fireplace
Lightweight, pleasant to work drywall structure is the best suited for creating a fireplace portal of any shape, width and height. With the help of profiles and guides, you can make any part of it not only straight, but also smoothly curved. In addition, any backlight is easily integrated into the design of this material, which gives it additional features and functionality. Imitation of a plasterboard fireplace will fit equally well into any interior of both a large and a small living space, whether it is a country house or a city apartment.
Pre-training
The construction of such a hearth model is a rather costly and time-consuming process that requires preliminary preparation.
The first thing to do before starting the main work is to determine the location and type of structure. What it will be, it's up to you. Do-it-yourself fireplace imitation from drywall can take the form of a niche built into the wall, be a wall model (that is, mobile) or a corner one. There are a great many options for frame designs, it all depends on your personal preferences and the general interior of your apartment or house.
So, the location is chosen, the type is determined, it's time to start building the schematic drawing. This is necessary so that you clearly imagine the result, as well as the order of work. The available sketch will definitely help with the calculation of the required materials.
Having prepared everything you need, freeing up enough space, you can proceed with the installation of the structure.
Installation of a false plasterboard fireplace
The process of erecting an artificial drywall hearth can be divided into several stages:
- frame construction;
- cladding the skeleton with drywall;
- making the fireplace fireproof;
- installing the heating element;
- decorating the whole structure.
Production and cladding of the frame
The skeleton of the fireplace is made according to the selected parameters from metal profiles, which, in turn, are attached to the wall or form a free-standing structure in the event thatwhen a mobile, that is, a portable version of the structure is planned. An important point in the construction of a metal profile frame is that the more various jumper parts it has, the more stable and durable the product itself will be in the end. The distance between the guides should not exceed 35-40 cm. Usually, difficulties arise during the installation of the so-called arched part of the structure. To give it a smooth bend along the top of the profile, at regular intervals, cuts are made. Then it is bent into an arc and fastened to the right place. In this way, you can give the whole structure several smooth bends. Plasterboard imitation of a fireplace, the photo of which is presented in our article, is made in this way. After the installation of the base is completed, the refractory tiles are laid on the inner sides, you can proceed to the sheathing. How to decorate a false fireplace, whether to decorate it with lighting, depends only on you.
Materials and tools
You will need:
- sheets or drywall scraps;
- self-tapping screws, dowels and screws;
- guides metal profiles (corners or wooden slats can be used);
- tools for cutting metal and drywall;
- tool for precise surface marking (building level, tape measure);
- drill and screwdriver;
- putty for filling joints;
- decorative finishes (ceramic tiles, wood, artificial stone, etc.);
- refractory tiles;
- heating element;
- backlight.
Decorative fakefireplaces are a great substitute for a traditional open fire hearth. They are safe, energy-efficient, beautiful and functional. Imitation of live fire in such a fireplace allows you to create a truly cozy atmosphere around you.
