A fireplace in a country house is not only a popular, but also a very stylish solution. If it is made at a professional level, it will not only be a decorative element, but will also perform a purely practical function.
When laying a fireplace, it is important to immediately consider its decoration. In this case, it will perfectly fit into the common space and fill the room with light and warmth. The photo of the fireplace lining with stone, which are presented below, will tell you the ideas for designing the portal.
Finishing methods
For decorative purposes, fireplaces are lined with porcelain stoneware, special baked clay tiles, as well as artificial or natural stone. These materials are not only beautiful. They easily withstand fairly high temperatures and are completely unaffected by soot.
Natural stone fireplace lining has the following advantages:
- Sufficient strength, significantly extending the service life.
- Solid and aesthetic appearance.
- Environmentally friendly raw materials.
- Resistant to temperature extremes, high thermal and humidityspecifications.
If the owners are at least a little "friendly" with construction tools, all the work will be easy to do with your own hands. Facing the fireplace with artificial stone will cost a little less than using natural material. However, natural stone looks more solid and has a longer service life.
Material selection
Natural stone for facing the fireplace may be different. The most popular materials are:
- limestone;
- granite;
- but;
- talcochlorite;
- shell rock;
- marble.
Let's look at each one a little more:
- White limestone. The material has excellent refractory properties and high strength. Does not deform or expand when heated. Easily processed, has a relatively small weight. Creates a pleasant light atmosphere in the house. It only gets stronger with age.
- But. Fragments of sandstone rocks with remarkable strength and easy accessibility. Has a fairly low cost. Not very convenient for decorating flat surfaces. Requires careful selection of matching elements.
- Shell rock. Inexpensive and very easy to process stone. Possesses high hygroscopicity. The stone quickly absorbs moisture, and then slowly releases it to the outside. It has many pores and a beautiful unique pattern created by nature itself.
- Marble. It has a very beautiful texture. Has veinsgiving the cladding a beautiful, downright luxurious appearance. There are different shades, which allows you to choose the right option for a particular interior. Marble slabs are not very well processed, but have high strength and heat capacity. Cutting and grinding this material requires certain skills. Besides, it's not cheap.
- Granite. The material has a heterogeneous structure. It contains inclusions with different thermophysical characteristics. As a result, the material may crack from constant exposure to high temperatures. Higher quality in this regard, expensive varieties of granite. They are able to withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Celsius. For a home, this is quite enough.
- Talcochlorite. One of the most popular finishing materials. It has a layered structure, thanks to which it constantly remains warm. It has good density, excellent thermal conductivity and relatively low thermal expansion. The latter property means that the portal trimmed with such a stone will not crack for a long time.
Finish options
The quality of facing fireplaces with natural stone depends not only on the chosen material, but also on the skill of the master to work with it.
Models made of several types of stone look great at the same time. So, the lower part of the fireplace, intended for storing firewood, can be made of buta. It is better to overlay the chimney and the firebox itself with limestone. It has a pleasant beige color and will add lightness and lightness to the portal.grace.
If you want to give your fireplace a sophisticated aristocratic look, use dark granite. Is there natural wood in the decor of the room? Granite of burgundy and brown shades will suit you.
Stone for facing the fireplace is also light. White marble looks great. Such a portal will be a great addition to a spacious room in a classic style.
Preparing for work: useful tips
It doesn't matter if you want to make a fireplace lining with artificial stone or natural, certain rules must be observed when performing work:
- All work should be carried out only in a warm room, not lower than +5 ° С.
- The stone should only be laid on a suitable base, treated in a special way. Chipboard, cement screed, wood and other materials can be used as a substrate. The preparation methods are different for each material.
- When sawing blanks, do not use blades with large teeth. Such files can ruin the finishing material. A hacksaw with a fine tooth is best.
- Finishing with decorative stone is best done from top to bottom. In this case, the previously laid elements will remain clean. If the material is heavy or the master does not have too much experience, you can start from the bottom. In this case, you need to work very carefully.
- Each type of facing material has its own adhesive composition. It is better not to ignore the manufacturer's recommendations and use the bonding solution that will allow you to achievethe best result.
Use of artificial materials
Facing the fireplace with artificial stone (photo can be seen in the article) conveys a sense of the power and beauty of natural material. Ease of use allows you to decorate fireplaces of the most complex and incredible designs.
The positive properties of artificial materials include the following:
- light weight, which greatly simplifies the lining process;
- excellent compatibility with other materials (glass, wood, ceramics) allows you to create a unique design;
- ease of processing makes it possible to create various shapes and sizes of parts;
- relatively affordable cost allows you to fulfill your plan with the least financial loss.
Porcelain stoneware finish
If you are planning to make a stone fireplace lining with your own hands, but do not want to spend a lot of money and effort, pay attention to porcelain stoneware. Despite the fact that it is an artificial material, it still contains some natural components. In terms of strength, porcelain stoneware is not inferior to natural stone and has excellent thermal characteristics.
The composition of the material includes feldspar, mica, metal oxides, clay, marble or granite chips. This allows you to repeat the pattern of almost any natural stone.
Porcelain stoneware has the following positive qualities:
- high strength;
- wear resistance;
- impact resistancefrost and moisture;
- sustainable;
- wide variety of textures and color palette;
- resistance to chemicals;
- ease of care;
- not too heavy;
- ability to resist mechanical damage.
How to work with porcelain stoneware: installation
Laying the material is carried out on a special glue. If not, then a special metal frame should be made to ensure strength. Do it like this:
- At the perimeter of the fireplace, a metal profile frame is made. The installation step must correspond to the dimensions of the porcelain stoneware slabs. The profiles are interconnected by means of self-tapping screws, and the entire structure is attached to the fireplace with anchor bolts.
- Porcelain stoneware is fixed on the frame with special brackets.
- The space formed between the stoves and the body of the fireplace is filled with a clay mixture, in which crushed stone and sand are added for strength.
- The joints of the plates are smeared with a mixture of sand, clay and colored pigment.
- When the lining is completed, the fireplace should be fired for several days in a row. Clay will bake from high temperature. This will increase the thermal performance of the fireplace.
This finishing method is great for a portal laid out by an inexperienced craftsman. Installing the cladding on the frame allows you to hide all the shortcomings, and the fireplace does not have to be plastered for a long time.
Fireplace lining: work steps, tools
To correctly lay the stone for claddingfireplace, you need to stock up on a minimum set of tools. You will need:
- construction trowel;
- capacity for mortar or glue;
- level;
- rubber-tipped hammer;
- grinder or hacksaw;
- drill and screws;
- brush;
- metal mesh;
- plumb and square;
- wedges or plastic crosses.
The first stage is preparatory
First, clean all surfaces from dust and dirt. Deepen masonry seams by at least 0.8 - 1 cm.
The surface of the fireplace is sewn up with a metal mesh. If the masonry is dense, use a drill and self-tapping screws. Washers should be placed under their hats.
On the floor next to the fireplace, draw a pattern of the future facade with chalk. Lay out all the elements on the prepared template, carefully fitting them to each other.
Stage two - fixing the stone
After the desired pattern is laid out, you can start laying on the mortar on the template. The mixture is applied to the part and carefully applied to the location. To attach the element, lightly press it with a twisting motion. This will remove excess air from under the stone.
If excess solution comes out along the edges of the element, it should be removed immediately. After hardening, it will be much more difficult to do this. To control the seams between the rows, plastic crosses are installed. After drying, they can be removed.
Completion of works
After the installation of decorative elements is completed, it is necessary to allow the solution to dry, but not completely. When the seams are still a little wet, the stitching is done.
At the end of all finishing work, the finished fireplace is covered with a special compound that protects it from excessive moisture. A translucent film will not spoil the appearance of the portal, but will significantly extend its service life.
Work performance rules
Fireplace cladding with natural stone or artificial material is almost the same. To get a beautiful pattern, you must follow some rules:
- When working with artificial material, it is important to alternate the sizes and shades of the elements. This pattern will look natural.
- The surface of the elements is not too smooth. This must be taken into account when drawing up a drawing.
- Stitches are best done in the same size. When laying out elements of uneven shape, you need to remember that horizontal seams located one above the other look unnatural.
- If the selected material does not imply the presence of seams, it is better to start laying from the bottom. At the same time, decorative elements should be pressed tightly against each other.
- When working with artificial stone of a rectangular shape, carefully follow the vertical seams. They should be strictly perpendicular to the floor.
Tips for purchasing material
Almost any material on the market today can be used todecorating a fireplace. Going to the store, you should consider the following factors:
- Having a certificate confirming compliance with sanitary standards.
- Reputation of the manufacturer, term of work in the chosen field.
- Brand intact packaging with company logo.
- Date of production and packaging of material.
- The cost of the selected finish. Too low a price may indicate the questionable quality of the material. Unreasonably high - about the high markup of the manufacturer.
If a hired master will carry out the work, pay attention to his reputation. A bad technician can ruin even the most beautiful fireplace mantel material.
