The fireplace burns fuel slowly, so it can heat a small room. There are many types of the mentioned device, but the main purpose of any of them is to quickly heat the house. Besides, it is a wonderful element for room decor. Manufacturers pay a lot of attention to the design of their creations, but some of them can be made by hand. Further in the article, the varieties of heating fireplaces will be described, as well as the question of how to make a brick model of this device yourself.
General classification
By location, fireplaces are of the following varieties:
- Built-in models - the chimney and firebox of which are located inside the wall.
- Island (or central) - fireplaces located in the middle of the room.
- Wall (front and corner).
According to the type of fuel hole, they can be:
- Open.
- Closed.
- Half-open.
Models with an open firebox are considered traditional, but the efficiency (efficiency factor) of suchfireplaces will not exceed 15%, and it is best to install them in the wall. The closed device has special doors, so it is a safe variety to use, which is recommended to be mounted in the center of the room. And half-open ones are usually placed near the wall.
According to the method of heating, fireplaces are:
- Convection - popular models, the advantage of which is that with their help you can quickly heat the house. They work according to this principle: cold air passes through special holes and a firewood rack into the combustion chamber (furnace), and then exits in a heated state in the upper part of the body.
- Cumulative - fireplaces with a liquid heat exchanger. Such models work like heating stoves, while providing residents with hot water.
The least heat gives an open fireplace. In addition, you can install a fan in the device, which will distribute and transfer warm air by convection, ensuring even heating of the house.
By the type of fuel used, heating fireplaces are classified as follows:
- Electric fireplaces.
- Gas.
- Fireplace stoves.
- Wood-burning.
- Biofireplaces.
It is necessary to choose the right fireplace in advance, since each type has its own distinctive advantages. For example, if the question arises in which fireplaces heating briquettes are used, the answer should be as follows: this type of solid fuel is often used to kindle wood-burning fireplaces, which is their undeniable advantage.
BFirst of all, you should decide in which room the device will be located and for what purposes it is used. Cooking, home heating and room lighting are just a few of the functions it can perform.
In gas, wood and electric fireplaces, cast-iron fireboxes are sometimes used, as a result of which oxygen will be constantly burned in the room, therefore, to solve this problem, it is necessary to make a high-quality ventilation system. But, as a rule, such devices are made of stone or refractory bricks.
Wood-burning fireplace: advantages and disadvantages
This is an ancient and well-known device for space heating, which uses wood, coal, wood briquettes (compressed wood waste) or pellets (biofuel obtained from peat and residues of agriculture and sawmills) as fuel. Such fireplaces have a complex structure, which consists of a portal-cladding, a firebox and a chimney. Models with open combustion chambers look more beautiful, and varieties with closed fireboxes are considered the most productive.
Wood-burning fireplaces have advantages to consider at the design stage:
- If the firebox is made of cast iron or steel, the finished device will have a small weight and small dimensions. But when building a brick or stone fireplace, you will have to build an additional foundation.
- Efficiency is 75-85%.
- Firewood can be thrown in the process of burning.
- Long service life (up to 50years).
- Cast-iron models can be moved to another room or garage if necessary.
- Safe and inexpensive fuel.
- The mentioned long-burning fireplace can last more than ten hours on one gas station.
But there are a number of disadvantages:
- will have to constantly clean the chimney of soot;
- do not use liquid fuel (such as alcohol or liquefied gas);
- the need to build a quality chimney: the pipe must be made straight and without a single bend;
- in order not to spoil the interior of the room, the brick structure must be carefully decorated;
- most of the heat will go into the chimney, so it is recommended to run the pipe through the entire room.
Firewood or other solid fuels should be stored in a dry and safe place. In addition, the masters advise turning on the device at full power at least once a week: this way you can burn out the accumulated condensate.
Electric fireplace
If you do not want to think about where to install the chimney, it is better to use this model. The main advantage of this heating fireplace is its operation from electricity without additional fuel. In addition, it burns brightly and is easy to use, but the result is not a real flame, but its imitation. This type has many other advantages:
- affordable price;
- simple installation - you need to put the device in the allotted place and connect it to the mains;
- several modesoperation (with and without heating);
- electric fireplace does not need to be cleaned of soot;
- presence of fan heater;
- Some models are equipped with a remote control.
For quick heating of a country house, an electric fireplace is an ideal choice. For example, a model with a power of 2 kW can heat a room up to 15 m23.
Gas fireplace
The fire in the specified device is supported by an atmospheric burner, which is controlled by an automatic system. This model can work without connection to engineering networks. A bottled gas fireplace is a good device for heating country houses, for which it is not necessary to build a chimney, since it will be enough to bring the pipe directly to the street.
If the choice fell on this variety, you should initially study its distinctive features:
- high cost of installation activities;
- installing a gas fireplace is possible only after obtaining the necessary permits from the utilities;
- such a heating device must be constantly monitored - if this condition is ignored, accidents associated with a gas explosion are possible;
- half of the heat will go up the chimney;
- installation of the device is allowed to specialists who have permissions to perform all types of work.
Fireplace stove
The body of this design is made of steel and cast iron, and for masonrychambers, refractory bricks are used. The door is constructed from heat-resistant glass, so the result is a safe and effective device. Gas, dry wood or coal briquettes can be used as fuel. The features of the fireplace stove include the following parameters:
- Efficiency over 50%;
- no additional reinforced concrete foundation required for installation;
- you can adjust the combustion mode;
- it is forbidden to use coal for the furnace;
- outer case heats up evenly and quickly thanks to the convection method of heating cold air.
Biofireplace
This is a modern heating equipment that works without a chimney. Bioethanol is used as fuel, which emits a small amount of water vapor and carbon dioxide during combustion, due to which the humidity level in the room will normalize. If a fireplace of this type was chosen, you need to know that:
- you can install it anywhere;
- while heating the house with a fireplace, you need to constantly look after it;
- stylish design of the device allows it to be installed in homes with modern interiors;
- the burner will be easy to clean;
- it is possible to adjust the intensity of combustion.
Biofireplaces are floor, table and wall.
Homemade brick heating fireplace: construction technology
Developing a drawing is the initial step for the construction of this object. On thethe sketch needs to show the place where the fireplace will be installed, as well as depict its approximate appearance, the shape of the portal, the location of the chimney, firebox and other elements. It is important to consider the design of the roof truss system, as the pipe will have to be led through the ceiling.
You still need to make a sectional drawing, which will display the device of the fireplace. In a private house, you can build small heating equipment of this type, but this will not work in an apartment, since the overlap of such a structure is not designed for a large load (more than 700 kg). Masonry work must be carried out according to the ordering scheme, which you can do yourself, or choose a ready-made option (one of the examples will be given below).
Traditional brick fireplace consists of elements such as:
- Reinforced concrete foundation.
- The base of the fireplace from several rows of refractory bricks.
- Ash pan.
- Pre-furnace area.
- Portal - framing of an open firebox.
- Smoke box (hailo).
- Fireplace tooth - an element that serves to extract heat from hot gases;
- Smoke exhaust pipe that exits through the roof.
- Draft control valve.
Brick fireplace can be tiled or stone (natural or artificial). But this is not necessary, because the masonry will look attractive anyway. To make a long-burning fireplace, you must perform the following operations:
- Choose and buyconstruction materials.
- Prepare a set of tools.
- Build a foundation.
- Perform brickwork of the fireplace body.
- Make a chimney.
- Dry and kindle the fireplace.
Selection of building materials
The main masonry can be made of solid red brick, but for interior decoration it is better to use fireclay (refractory), since it is more resistant to the negative effects of combustion products and keeps heat longer. It is necessary to take into account several additional nuances when choosing this material:
- instead of refractory bricks, clay solid bricks are sometimes used, which should be free of cracks and other defects;
- to save money, the body of the fireplace can be laid out from a used brick. The main thing is that it is durable and dry;
- to get a fireplace that does not require decorative finishing, it is recommended to buy a brick with rounded edges.
As a mortar, it is better to buy a refractory dry mix for masonry. In addition, sometimes fireclay clay and mortar are used for these purposes. During the construction of the base, cement is allowed to be added to the mixture in an amount of not more than 20%.
For a fireplace in a private house, it is recommended to make a closed type fuel hole. A detail for these purposes is a metal door, which is equipped with fire-resistant glass. If an open hearth fireplace is planned, this item will not be needed.
In addition, you need to buy additional parts:
- flaps for regulationtraction;
- doors (purge and cleaning);
- for the chimney you need a stainless steel pipe with a round section.
The lining is made of plaster or ceramic tiles, and you can decorate the structure with shelves and heat-resistant accessories.
Required tools
To build a heating fireplace with your own hands, you will need standard building tools:
- a small shovel or scoop;
- rubber mallet (useful and normal);
- pick;
- trowel and spatula;
- building level;
- plumb line, tape measure, square and cord;
- grinder with concrete disc;
- container for the solution (for example, a bucket);
- thick rag.
It is necessary to cut the brick with a grinder on the street, because during this process a lot of dust will form. In addition, do not forget about safety measures when working with this tool: you must wear safety glasses, headphones and gloves.
Building the foundation is an important step
The brickwork of the fireplace must be done on a separate base. The dimensions of the foundation should be 20-30 cm larger than the dimensions of the heating structure. The minimum depth of the foundation is 50 cm. The prepared pit is filled with a sand and gravel cushion, which must be compacted. To save the solution, it is recommended to fill the pit with rubble stone. After the side walls of the foundation must be treated with bitumen.
The formwork must be made from boards about 15 cm high,inside which it is necessary to lay the reinforcing mesh. The next step is pouring the solution, which consists of cement, sand and gravel in a ratio of 1:3:4, respectively. The mixture will completely harden after 28 days. After this time, you need to make an outer layer of felt, previously soaked with liquid clay.
Laying is carried out only on a frozen foundation, the first two rows of which are zero. They don't count as their purpose is to protect the felt pad and base from heat.
Masonry principles
An important stage is the formation of the first row, which is performed using this technology:
- Retreat 50 mm from the edge of the base and lay out the stones without mortar. First you need to install the outer ones, and then fill in the middle.
- Align the bricks along the line using a square.
- Measure the length of the diagonals with a construction tape (the discrepancy should not be more than 5 mm).
- Lay the bricks on the mortar.
Subsequent rows must be formed in the same way. The horizontality and verticality of the masonry must be checked using a level and a plumb line, while certain principles must be followed for the correct performance of these works:
- 50 mm - maximum allowable joint thickness;
- brick should be free of chips, cracks, cracks and dirt;
- the first two rows are the base of the fireplace;
- red brick masters are advised to pre-soak in water: this way it will be saturated with moisture. A withfireclay made to remove dust and dirt with a sponge;
- excess solution must be removed;
- the bottom of the furnace should be made so that it rises above the floor by three rows of masonry;
- solution should not contain foreign elements and lumps. A quality mixture is one that has a uniform consistency;
- it is better to build a heating fireplace in the summer, because in the warm season the solution dries quickly;
- before laying the smoke box, it is better to lay out the part model dry;
- the gap between ceramic and fireclay bricks should be 3-5 mm. In the free space it is necessary to lay sheets of bas alt cardboard;
- doors must be wrapped with asbestos cord in places where it will come into contact with the wall;
- valve is attached to clay mortar.
Drying and Kindling
The mortar will dry in 14 days. During this time, it is necessary to monitor the manufactured fireplace. If small cracks or other defects appear on it, they must be repaired with a clay mixture. To make a trial kindling, you need to follow these steps:
- Throw some firewood into the firebox. But for starters, you can use brushwood and wood chips.
- In order for the fire not to go out, you need to add small firewood to the fireplace.
- If after a few hours the heating device does not crack, then you can increase the amount of solid fuel.
Firewood is recommended to use from species such as hornbeam, beech, oak, birch, maple and alder. The main thing is to take into account the heat transfer,humidity, size and condition of wood.
If you follow the described instructions, you can make your own high-quality brick heating fireplace. If there is no desire to tinker or simply there is no time for this laborious task, then there is an easier, but more expensive way out - to purchase a finished device. The article described the varieties of fireplaces, so there should be no difficulty in choosing.
