Fireplace has always been considered a sign of luxury and prosperity. Almost no private house can do without it. But fire safety rules for apartments prohibit the arrangement of existing fireplaces. Decorative designs that you can make yourself from drywall or a box will help solve the problem.
What is it?
False fireplace performs only a decorative function, so the use of open fire is not practiced in it. This is due to the design features and the materials used. In some cases, it is possible to install special heating elements that are powered by the mains. This will allow the fireplace to perform its direct functions.
Corner structures are suitable for both spacious private houses and small apartments, as they practically do not hide space. Any such thing consists of the following elements:
- base;
- framework (most oftenthis part is made of metal profiles);
- internal niche (size depends on the chosen design);
- a place for a device that simulates fire;
- exterior finish.
Benefits
The advantages of decorative fireplace designs are obvious:
- can be installed in any size room;
- no need to obtain permission and make changes to the project documentation of an apartment or house;
- you can choose any shape of the fireplace that will be combined with the interior of the room;
- materials for making are available and inexpensive;
- safety as there is no source of open fire;
- small financial costs, so many people can afford this design;
- performing a decorative and practical function as the top bar can serve as a stand for items.
Another advantage is the ability to make a corner raised fireplace with your own hands (step-by-step instructions, photos can be found later in the article).
Varieties
Decorative products (false fireplaces) can be:
- interior;
- electric.
In the first case, the design is a decorative element of the interior, so it will not radiate heat. For manufacturing, it is not necessary to use refractory materials. The most popular is drywall, it allows you to build objects of different shapes and sizes. You can make a simpler angulardo-it-yourself fake fireplace, for example, from a big box.
Interior structures are also classified according to the way they simulate fire:
- using cloth and wind blower;
- imitation of fire using lamps, LEDs, garlands;
- plasma displays;
- decorative design (you can put logs in the fireplace portal, arrange candles or other decorations).
Electric fireplaces can also heat a room. This makes them more practical. Users have the opportunity to purchase ready-made designs in the store or integrate an electric heater into a self-made product.
How to choose a seat?
This item is suitable for both spacious living rooms and small cozy studio apartments. If desired, a corner raised fireplace with your own hands can be moved to any part of the room. Most often, such structures are located in the corner opposite the entrance.
If a heating device is used for the hearth of the fireplace, then the structure cannot be mounted in hard-to-reach places. These are:
- space in front of heating system radiators;
- points that touch the doorway;
- places near bulky structures, such as closets.
Design Choice
A corner raised fireplace can become the centerpiece of a room or apartment, making it an even more unique design. An important point in the arrangement of such a product is not only the choicesize, location and materials, but also design development. The appearance of a decorative fireplace should be in harmony with other elements of the interior. When choosing a design, you need to be guided by the following rules:
- to simulate fire in a medium-sized portal, you can use a plasma TV, which will not only make the design as natural as possible, but also reduce its depth;
- with light walls, both a fireplace of a similar color scheme and dark tones can be combined (it can be an excellent color accent for a sunny room, especially if its size is not large);
- mirror surfaces will help to visually increase the space, with which you can decorate the product, but you need to remember that it will require more careful care;
- for a long but narrow room, it is recommended to choose a low but wide design, which will visually expand the room.
Do not use ornate details for decoration, as they accumulate dust.
Drafting
The first step in creating a decorative design is drawing up a drawing. This step requires precise calculations. Regardless of the size of the future product, it is recommended to draw a drawing on a scale of 1: 1, which will greatly facilitate further work.
To draw up a drawing, you need to prepare:
- drawing paper;
- ruler;
- pencil.
A sheet of paper must be attached tothe place where the fireplace will be located, and then outline the main lines. The drawing must indicate all the details of the fireplace, including dimensions, relief and shape.
Preparatory work
Before you make a corner raised fireplace with your own hands, you definitely need to make a layout. It will not only allow you to visualize the future product, but also notice errors in time and correct them. To create, you will need foam and PVA glue.
The dimensions of the layout should be the same as the future design. This will allow you to really assess the correctness of calculations and measurements.
To make a fake corner fireplace with your own hands (the photo will tell you what finishing materials and decorative elements are needed for the purchase) from drywall, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- metal U-profile;
- gypsum board sheets;
- self-tapping screws 14 - 15 mm long;
- dowels;
- construction tape measure;
- screwdriver;
- hammer drill or drill;
- Bulgarian;
- building level or plumb line;
- putty;
- water-based paint.
Installing the frame
This design is the basis of the portal of the future fireplace. Before its arrangement, it is necessary to apply markup using a drawing or layout. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that all lines are perfectly even, and the right angle is strictly 90 °. Any, even a slight deviation, can lead to a distortion of the entire structure. Now you can start arranging the frame:
- Attach to the wall according to the markupguide profiles. First you need to install the dowels, into which you then screw the screws. The frame for the back wall includes two posts.
- Fix the guides along the contour of the combustion chamber.
- Mount profiles on the floor, which are located along the line of the parapet. It should be borne in mind that the distance from the floor to the lower crossbar will determine the height of the structure.
- Now you can install the front rack. The depth of the fireplace depends on their distance from the back wall. The front racks need to be connected to each other and to the rear crossbars.
- Now you can proceed to the installation of parapet racks and their strapping.
- Finish the assembly of the frame by mounting the arch of the furnace compartment. If the arrangement of a curved arch is required, then the metal profiles will first have to be cut in increments of 1.5 cm, and then bent to the desired shape.
How to make a corner raised fireplace with your own hands: instructions for plasterboard sheathing
The main task at this stage is the correct cutting. To do this, follow the instructions:
- First you need to make markings on a drywall sheet.
- Attach a ruler over them and press it down.
- Draw a line with pressure along it with a construction knife.
- After that, remove the ruler and make a break according to the markup, and then cut through the cardboard layer from the back side.
The work must be done carefully. This method is not used for cutting complex parts. ATIn this case, it is better to use a jigsaw.
All prepared details of the decorative fireplace must be fixed on the frame using special self-tapping screws in increments of 10 - 15 cm. Particular attention is paid to the design of joints:
- All such places of the structure must be covered with a reinforcing mesh (serpyanka).
- From the joints of sheets located in the same plane, it is necessary to cut a chamfer about 5 mm wide.
- After reinforcement, these places must be covered with two layers of primer, and the second layer can be applied only after the first has completely dried.
- When the coating hardens, the structure is covered with a starting putty.
This is where the manufacture of a corner raised fireplace with your own hands (step-by-step instructions and photos will help simplify the process) ends. The matter remains for the small - finishing.
Decoration Features
The choice of finishing material for a do-it-yourself corner false fireplace made of drywall (step-by-step instructions and photos are presented in the article) depends solely on personal preferences and financial capabilities. The most popular for this material are:
- Self-adhesive film that can be either transparent or more like wallpaper.
- Ceramic tiles, including mosaics. It is worth remembering that this material can be heavy. The design of the fireplace must be designed taking into account the weight of the finish.
- Natural or artificial stone (this material is expensive, so it is not recommended to cladyourself).
- Brick (facing type can be used.
- Tree.
- Paint, decoupage and other similar decoration methods.
When developing a design, you need to take into account the possible load.
Do-it-yourself frameless corner raised fireplace from boxes
If the design needs to be assembled quickly, then improvised materials (packaging from purchased household appliances) can be used for manufacturing. Often such a decision is made if you need to decorate an apartment for a specific event, for example, New Year or birthday. But a do-it-yourself corner false fireplace made of cardboard will only be a temporary structure.
To create such a design, you will need large boxes, for example, from under the TV or refrigerator. In many ways, the appearance of the finished product will depend on the size. The manufacturing technology will be the same:
- Prepare the right box. On one side, make markings at a distance of 10 - 15 cm from the fold. Make cuts along it so that the back wall can be removed.
- Bend the structure so that the section is a triangle. Glue it by smearing the remaining parts of the back wall. Masking tape can be used.
- Cut a hole for the firebox in the front wall and decorate it with cardboard and glue.
- Now you can move on to decorating. For such a lightweight design, heavy finishing materials cannot be used. It is better to give preference to paper,foam or plastic decorations.
If you wish, you can paint the surface or use any of the techniques for working with paper (decoupage, quilling, and others). This stage needs to be considered even before you make a corner false fireplace with your own hands, photos will help in choosing.
It is impossible to install electric heaters and candles in the firebox of such a fireplace. To simulate fire, it is better to choose a garland, a drawing, or just put logs.
Making a corner raised fireplace with your own hands according to a self-developed project can be an exciting process. This is one of the ways to transform an apartment in an original and inexpensive way and declare to everyone about your taste and status. With this design, you can solve the issue of an additional heat source if you equip it with an electrical appliance.
