Almost every owner of a country house dreams of a fireplace. Live real fire in the house creates a magical atmosphere of comfort. But not all houses have the possibility of arranging traditional brick fireplaces. In addition, such fireplaces, although they look sophisticated and presentable, take up a lot of space, require increased attention, care and cleaning. It also requires special care for the stone. An affordable alternative is an iron fireplace. It perfectly warms the room and gives comfort no worse than brick products.
Why Consider Metal Furnaces?
Metal stoves are a worthy alternative to stone counterparts. In terms of heat transfer, metal is not inferior to stone and may well warm up the room. It all depends on the amount of fuel and the degree of preheating of the room. Even on the most frosty days, the oven will delight you with warmth, and no one will freeze. The iron fireplace can be made in graceful and nobleforms. Such models easily fit into even the most sophisticated and expensive interiors.
These stoves were invented in Japan. It is known that the Japanese are very wise, practical and pragmatic people. However, they are also well versed in the design of living spaces. All these qualities are reflected in iron fireplace stoves.
Design Features
The design of these units is interesting. The furnace is made in the form of a chamber and is installed on special supports or stands. It is connected to a smoke exhaust pipe. To give aesthetics, you can finish the surface of the product with various facing materials.
Views
Fireplaces differ in the way they are installed, as well as in the materials from which they are made. Allocate cast iron, steel, copper models.
Cast iron
Such units have an impressive and rich appearance. Cast iron is distinguished by its ability to retain heat for a long time even after the furnace is attenuated. Mostly expensive models are made from this material - the production process is long and painstaking. Each product is assembled from individual elements, which are obtained by casting. But a cast iron fireplace is 100% exclusive.
Steel
Steel fireplaces are lighter than cast iron ones. And this guarantees the possibility of their installation not only in private houses, but also in apartments. Sheet steel is mainly used as raw material. The case can be of any shape - classic rectangular, round ordesigner.
Copper
These models are even more expensive than cast iron solutions. But copper brings to the interior a spirit of comfort that is characteristic only for it. Fireplaces made of bronze are not susceptible to corrosion, the material is plastic - elements of complex shape can be made from it. On sale there are products that resemble real works of art.
Benefits
Among the advantages of metal hearths is their light weight and portability. This design can be easily installed, if necessary, moved, and also dismantled. The mass is much less than traditional stone hearths, and therefore there is no need to equip heavy, durable and expensive foundations.
Another plus is the advantageous combination of elementary use and high efficiency. These fireplaces can be fired even with a small amount of firewood. It takes less time to warm up, as well as less fuel. Metal heats up 10 times faster than brick. At the same time, heat transfer is high.
Another advantage is unpretentiousness. An iron fireplace is easier to clean, it does not require special care. It is only necessary to periodically clean the structure of soot and perform wet cleaning. If necessary, you can polish the product to a shine. For cleaning, soda or citric acid is suitable. In stores, you can buy specialized products for the care of fireplaces.
Flaws
The disadvantages of such a solution are not too many. The main disadvantage is the rapid cooling. The furnace cools down very quickly if the combustion process of the fuel is over. Also seriousminus is a high risk of fires. When firewood is loaded, you can accidentally burn your hand. Therefore, for safety reasons, experts recommend loading fuel with a special non-flammable glove. It will protect us from unwanted burns. You should also take care of the sleeves.
How to position the fireplace indoors?
You can install an iron fireplace for your home in any suitable place in the room. If there is an opportunity and desire, then it is quite possible to perform installation right in the center of the room. But this arrangement is unsuccessful both aesthetically and in terms of safety. The fireplace can easily be knocked over or hit. Then the fire cannot be avoided.
It is best to install near one of the walls. It is also common to see fireplaces built directly into the wall. This helps save space. The chimney is neatly attached to the wall, and the problem of removing smoke to the street is effectively solved. This arrangement avoids the risk of smoke in the premises. But keep in mind that the wall behind the fireplace will not be clean - most often it is covered with soot and darkens.
Another method is also used, when the iron fireplace is installed against the wall, but at a small distance from it. At the same time, space is also saved, the unit becomes easier to heat and clean, since the design is movable. In this case, it is necessary to equip the product with a fire barrier. But it is not able to protect the walls from damage due to soot and high temperatures.
You can also install an iron corner fireplace. Such an arrangementconsidered very popular and stylish. The design does not take up much space, and the room will visually expand. The corners are smoothed out, and the space in the room no longer looks so congested. The design of corner fireplaces will satisfy even the most strict aesthetes. Corner fireplaces are small in size, more stable. Because of this, they are easier to use. The chimney is easily brought out into the street.
Install the structure in the house: materials for manufacturing
The difference from traditional brick fireplaces is that you can make an iron fireplace with your own hands. It is simple and does not require any serious material costs. It only takes a few pieces of metal to assemble the structure.
You will need metal sheets - the thickness can be from 3 mm to 5 mm. The combustion chamber will be made from these sheets. You should also purchase a thinner sheet up to 0.5 mm for the ash pan. Next, you need a grate, a door made of cast iron or glass. They also buy door hinges, metal slats are needed for the legs. For the manufacture of a pedestal, full sheets of chipboard in the amount of about 5 pieces are suitable, but chipboard can be replaced with brick, concrete or cement slab.
Next, you need bas alt wool, cement mortar. The pipe is made from 20 cm thin-walled pipe. If necessary, the pipe is supplemented using elbows. Pipes are mounted on brackets. You will also need a fungus and a head.
From the tools you need a level, ruler, grinder and welding, as well as a screwdriver.
Schemeworkmanship
Before direct assembly, a design drawing should be developed. You can use ready-made solutions. It is better to take the finished unit as a basis and, based on this, develop something special. It is necessary to depict on the sketch not only a whole iron fireplace for giving, but also each of its elements.
Assembly steps
In manufacturing, these units are no more difficult than potbelly stoves. With a competent drawing and with the observance of technology, even beginners can easily cope with the task.
Metal fireplaces get very hot. Therefore, installation begins with preparing the surface for installation. In the case of a wooden floor, bas alt wool is laid between the ceiling and the finishing floor covering.
Then a pedestal is made. It is done in the simplest case by connecting several sheets of chipboard. Any refractory coating is laid on top of the resulting slab.
If wallpaper or other flammable materials are pasted on the walls, then in the area where the fireplace will be installed, it is better to lay ceramic tiles or artificial stone.
When the room is ready, you can start assembling iron wood-burning fireplaces for your home. The unit is simple. First, the side walls of the combustion chamber are welded together. The rear and front walls are welded to them, in which a hole has already been made for supplying fuel. There should also be a hole at the bottom for clearing ash.
Then a thick sheet is welded to the structure - this will be the bottom of the fireplace. Before mounting the bottom, attach to itlegs. The optimal size of the legs is 10-12 cm. The thickness of the rod is no more than 7 mm. But the oven must be as stable as possible. The number of legs and the width of their installation is determined by the weight of the structure. The result should be a metal body.
Next, partitions are mounted between the ash and the combustion chamber. The latter should be of two layers. A grate is installed between the ash compartment and the combustion chamber. It is sold ready-made, but if welding is available, then the grate can be easily welded from reinforcement.
Door hinges are welded to the unit, and a door is attached to them. Corners are welded below the door. They will be used as the basis for the grate. Close the fireplace with a wall-cover from above. And finally, they make a hole for the chimney, and then the chimney itself.
Chimney
The pipe structure is installed in the hole on the top cover of the fireplace. Using the bracket, the pipe is then laid near the wall. If it must have bends, then the chimney is assembled from several pipes, which the knees help to connect. Joints are coated with heat-resistant sealant.
Conclusion
So the oven is ready for an apartment or a private house. If desired, it can be decorated with various decorative elements. Many will say that in fact it is just an oven. But you can argue for a long time which fireplace is better - brick or iron, when it is not provided at all, but you really want to.
