Fireplace cladding - general recommendations
Depending on the shape and size of the hearth, the elements for finishing work can vary. An important role in this is played by the overall design of the room, in which the fireplace will be located. So, facing of furnaces and fireplaces can be made by the following materials:
- Plaster;
- Tree;
- Bricks;
- Decorative and finishing stones;
- Ceramic tiles;
- Metal;
- Asbestos-cement sheets;
- Tiles.
Because the choice of elements for decoration is rich enough, it is worth to determine with the ones suitable for you taking into account your financial capabilities. In addition to the appearance, the materials for cladding are also different in weight and strength.
The main rule of choice for facing materials is that it should be specifically designed for furnaces and fireplaces, since only such products have excellent refractoriness and thermal resistance.
If we ignore this rule, then after a short period of time, unable to withstand the temperature changes, the material will crack and simply fall off. If this is the case, then the need for lining can fall away by itself, if during the laying of the hearth you used a quality brick that went through a complete firing cycle. All you have to do is to make the seams and polish the brick in places where there are irregularities. Otherwise, you need to know how the facing of the fireplace is done with your own hands, as you and I will talk about further.
Using ceramic tiles for finishing
Most craftsmen, choosing how to decorate a fireplace, opt for tiles. This is the name of the special ceramic tile for finishing works of domestic hearths and ovens. The choice of them is understandable, since this building material does not have a high cost and is easy to work with. We suggest to consider the cladding process:
- Before proceeding to work on tiling , it is necessary to correct all irregularities on the fireplace, and also to make sure that it is dried. To do this, just protopite the oven and wait until it cools down completely.
Warning! Prepare the necessary tool. You will need a notched trowel, as well as plastic crosses, so that the seams between the tiles are the same in width.
- After this, measure your home and calculate for the required amount of material.
- It is necessary to coat the fireplace from the bottom row. Before you glue the tile, try it on without applying glue. Only after that, you can use a notched trowel to apply a glutinous mixture of approximately 2-3 tiles.
- After a certain area of the fireplace is laid out, it is necessary to align the plane with a bar of wood or a rubber hammer. With light tapping, make sure that each of the particles lies in its place.
- When the glue has seized and completely dried, the tiles are cleaned and joints are cut.
Natural stone in the furnish of fireplaces
The house, whose surface is faced with a natural stone, looks impressive and noble. The most popular materials of this type are marble or granite.
Please note that it is unlikely that you will be able to independently make the facing with such materials, as they are hard and work with them involves the use of special equipment and tools.
There is a way out of this situation. You can use limestone, rubble or coquina, which can be laid out with your own efforts and without additional tools. For this, the material breaks into pieces and is glued all to the same solution as the ceramic tile. By the way, after finishing for aesthetics, the stone is opened with several layers of varnish.
Use of other materials for the
lining In addition to the above materials for finishing, brick cladding for a fireplace is often used. It is noteworthy that it can have a different coloration, as well as a form. By combining such a facing material, you can make a real work of art from your home.
There are often cases where fireplaces and stoves are decorated with metal or wood. As a rule, these are special types of materials that persistently tolerate temperature changes. Please note that the use of such materials is acceptable if the landlord wants to arrange a room in the Hi-Tech style.
