How to lay out a fireplace with your own hands

The fire has always been in the service of a person, it is still now. But in most devices it is hidden from the human eye: either in the bowels of the heating boilers, or under the dishes on the kitchen cooker. But the instinctive craving for open fire in a person has never disappeared, and therefore there is an permanent desire of to construct in its fireplace home. Those people who know how to do this - masters of the stove, in the understanding of many people, have some kind of sacral knowledge that are inaccessible to ordinary people, although in fact the basis for the arrangement of fireplaces are the laws of physics and engineering. And, in principle, any person can comprehend this science - how to lay out the fireplace with their own hands. You need only a great desire and patience.

General information on fireplaces

The fireplace is essentially a stove, only the design of its simplified .In most cases, it has an open furnace and its structure is less massive, so it accumulates much heat less than the furnace. The smoke channel of the fireplace is straight, it does not have smoke, the fuel burns faster than in the furnace and a significant amount of heat flies into the pipe. It can be said that the fireplace carries the more decorative and aesthetic function than the heating, but this does not detract from its merits. An important advantage of the fireplace is its ability to heat the room very quickly with radiant heat from a burning flame. The large volume of oxygen, combusted in the furnace, contributes to the intake of fresh air, provided that the proper ventilation is properly arranged. In rooms where the fireplace is periodically lit, it will always be dry and there will be a musty smell, even if there is no basic heating system.

Looking for how to make a decorative fireplace yourself?

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the step by step guide on how to make a decorative fireplace from an old cupboard with your own hands. In addition, this material details the process of decorating the fireplace stucco and the stage of connecting the LED strip!

Modern fireplaces with a closed firebox can already be called a mini-oven, as convective heating of air is organized in them. The efficiency of such fireplaces is much higher, they burn more fuel more efficiently and effectively, they can heat not only one room, but even a small house. If owners want to enjoy contemplating an open fire, then the door can be opened, and in some models even lifted.

Open fireplace device

Before starting the installation of the fireplace, it will be useful to know what kind of structural elements it consists of, and their designation .The diagram of the fireplace is in the section of the display on the drawing.

• The fireman or fireplace insert( 3) is its main part, which is a niche of refractory material - fireclay bricks. This is where the combustion of fuel occurs.
• ( 5) - frames the firebox and performs a decorative function.
• For ( 2) - the lower part of the fin is also made of refractory material.
• Grate grate ( it is not the type on the circuit), serves to maintain fuel and air supply from the bottom.
• Ashtray ( 1) is designed to collect ash and it is often made in the form of a metal box.
• The submerged platform ( 12) limits the sparks from the furnace to the floor and is an element of the fireplace decor.
• The rear inclined part of the firebox( 4) is called the by the mirror. Its task is to reflect the heat from the furnace to the room. The mirror forms the smoke tooth ( 6), which still called the jib or a smoke cornice. This important detail of the fireplace prevents mixing of air flows, soot deposition and smoke penetration into the room.
• Hailo ( 7) or smoke collector , collects combustion products from the firebox and the passes them them through the flue pipe ( 9) and tap ( 10) to the chimney ( 11).
• The ( 8) or gate valve blocks the flow of cold air into the room from the street when the fireplace is not working, and adjusts the draft.

Fuel for a fireplace usually does not have on the pod and on a special fireplace grate , so that there is access for fresh air from the bottom.

How to lay out the fireplace yourself

The work on the construction of the fireplace should be divided into several consecutive stages.

Calculation of fireplace dimensions

The fireplace is certainly an interior item, but besides this it has to fulfill its main function - to heat the room and to please owners of the with the possibility of contemplating an open flame. But in determining the size of the fireplace should be involved not only the imagination of the designer or the preferences of the owners, but also the rigorous engineering calculation of the .

If in a small room to place a too large fireplace, then, firstly, when burning wood, it will burn a lot of oxygen, which will provoke strong drafts with supply ventilation, and, secondly, the amount of heat energy released will be excessive;in such a room it will be difficult to be with a burning fireplace.

. The dimensions of the fireplace, the height and the section of the chimney are the values ​​obtained from the engineering calculations of .The methodology of such calculations is quite complicated, but in the simplified form its can be set out as a set of simple rules, by performing which it is possible to build a fireplace that meets all the requirements for comfort and safety. We list these rules:

• The fireplace is installed in the room of a certain area, and the heat energy is radiated through the area of ​​the furnace part, which is limited by the fireplace portal. The area of ​​the furnace part should be related to the area of ​​the room in a proportion of approximately 1:50.For example, there is a room of 20 m2, in which you need to install a fireplace. The area of ​​its furnace part should be 20 m2 / 50 = 0,4 m2.
• After the portal area is known, it is necessary to determine its dimensions: height and width. According to the rules, they should treat each other in the proportion of 2: 3.According to the presented scheme B / A = 2/3.Selecting the height of the portal, you can find its width by the formula A = 3 * B / 2. Let's give an example: let the portal height be 51 cm = 0, 51 m , then its width B = 3 * 0.51 / 2 = 0. 765 m = 76.5 cm. Do not forget to check the conditions of the portal area: S = A * B = 0.51 * 0.765 = 0.39 m2, which is approximately 0.4 m2.
• The next important parameter is the depth of the firebox - C, which greatly affects the correct operation of the fireplace. According to the rules, it should be 2/3 of the height of the portal: C = 2 * B / 3.Calculate the depth in our example C = 2 * 0.51 / 3 = 0. 34 m = 34 cm = 340 mm. If increases this depth, the heat will freely fly out of the furnace into the chimney, and if is reduced, then the combustion products will enter the room.
• The catwalk in front of the fireplace portal must be at least 50 cm away. does this for fire safety purposes.
• The projections should be at least 20-30 cm on each side of the portal.
• The back wall of the firebox should have a slope of 20-22 ° with respect to the vertical, with the sloping starting at a third of the height.
• The side walls for reflecting heat into the room should be located at an angle of 45-60 °.
• The cross-sectional area of ​​the chimney must be smaller than the fins approximately 8-15 times.
• The chimney when positioned near the roof ridge, should be higher than it by at least 0.5 meters. In the case of a different location of the chimney, it is necessary to follow the rules, depicted by in the diagram.

• If the total length of the chimney exceeds 10 meters, the draft in the fireplace will be too large, it will "eat" the wood and overheat. In this case, different angular elements are provided to reduce thrust.

With an independent construction of a fireplace it is best to choose a ready-made standard fireplace project for the desired area of ​​the room. The most typical dimensions of the elements of well-functioning fireplaces are shown in the following table.

Choosing the location of the fireplace

The fireplace installation requires a lot of effort and investment of money and that all this is not wasted, it must be properly placed indoors. First, let's look at how the in general can house a fireplace:

• Fireplace, built-in in the wall( A ).Such a construction is usually erected still at the stage of construction of the house or it is necessary to disassemble a section of a wall, which is very difficult. Such fireplaces have the advantage of not occupying the useful area of ​​the heated space.
• Wall-mounted fireplace( B) will already require space for its placement.
• The corner fireplace( in ) is very convenient in rooms of square shape.
• An island or free-standing fireplace( E) - it is very convenient to place in the geometric center of large rooms. He can be open with one side , but there are modern fireplaces in which the is open with two, three and even fully open fireplaces.

Now let's look at the places where the fireplace can be placed:

• In premises less than 12 m2 it is better not to place the fireplace .
• With any kind of placement, the fireplace portal should be directed to the center and there should be no obstructions along this path.
• Do not place the fireplace on the paths of moving air flows: between windows and doors, between two windows, etc.
• No need to place a fireplace on the way people move.
• The built-in, wall and corner fireplaces to the left and right of the fireplace should have an free wall space of at least 1 meter.
• The best place for placing the fireplace is built-in or wall-mounted near the internal capital walls of the room.

Materials for the construction of the fireplace

The successful work of even an impeccably built fireplace will largely depend on the materials used in its construction. The main one is brick. When the fuel burns in the fireplace, the temperature in its furnace can reach 900 ° C, which places high demands on materials. Therefore, uses a special solid brick so called oven brick, which can be of two kinds:

1. The red solid brick stove is able to withstand temperatures up to 1000 ° C. In addition to , it is very power-consuming , itis able to receive, store and distribute a large amount of heat energy. The brick mark must be at least M200, the dimensions should not differ from the standard 250 * 120 * 65 mm by not more than 2 mm. When a hammer blows through the brick, he must make a clean and sonorous sound.
2. Chamotte full-bodied brick is used in those places where the highest temperatures and there is a direct contact with the fire .That is why the firemen of the fireplace lay out just such a brick. In its production, special dense chamotte clays are used, which make up about 70% in its composition. Fireclay bricks can withstand high temperatures for a long time, accumulate and transmit heat. The dimensions of fireclay bricks may differ from standard ones, as can be seen from the table. Also produced fireclay bricks of a special form for laying arches of fireplaces.

When choosing a brick, you should not trust the assurances of the manufacturer and the seller that the entire brick is of equally high quality. You should personally check every brick when buying. This will take a lot of time, but the result will please many years. On what it is necessary to pay attention:

• On a brick it is necessary to knock a hammer. It should produce a sonorous sound, fireclay brick produces more metallic sound.
• The actual dimensions should not differ from the standard ones by more than 2 mm.
• With an external inspection, if films similar to mica were seen on the surface, this means that the temperature regime of brick burning has been violated and should not be selected.
• The color of the brick and red, and chamotte should be even over the entire surface. A good fireclay brick should have yellow-straw color, and white indicates insufficient firing.
• When choosing it is necessary to look at the broken bricks from the same lot. Red brick should not have foreign inclusions and more dark plots. The internal structure of fireclay bricks should not be much darker than the outer surface. With a strong hammer blow, the fireclay brick should split into large pieces.

The number of bricks is determined from the data of a particular project. To each project of the fireplace should go calculation of used materials. At the same time, one should be guided by the fact that even half or a third of the brick should be considered whole when buying. The total number of bricks of each kind should be more by 10% of the of the calculated , as there will be an inevitable battle.

In order to lay out the fireplace with your own hands you will need more and special fireplace equipment that can be purchased in construction shops or markets. Dimensions of it are selected for the existing fireplace project. Such equipment includes grate grate , ash pan and slide gate valve for the required section of the chimney.

Mortar solutions for fireplaces

The usual masonry solutions based on cement are absolutely not suitable for laying fireplaces. The fact is that when exposed to high temperatures all solid bodies have the property of expanding. The expansion of the brick and cement-sand mortar is different, so inevitable cracks will appear, the bond between the mortar and the base will be broken and, eventually, this masonry will inevitably collapse.

The basis of mortar solutions for furnaces and fireplaces is clay and sand, - those materials that are contained in the brick. The percentage of components is not constant, it depends on the quality and fat content of the clay, so each time the composition of the solution is selected empirical by .Tsement t t Auger may be part of the solution, but its quantity is relatively small.

• The solution must have a uniform throughout the volume structure, normal plasticity, do not have lumps. Only such a solution will have good adhesion to the brick, when drying not das t t of the cracks and shrinkage will be moderate.
• Too bold solution is most seductive for use, as it is easily leveled and applied, it's easier to make a thin and beautiful seam. But in the future these temptations "get out sideways" - there will be a very big shrinkage.
• Thin clay and solutions on its based poorly plastic , practically have no shrinkage, and further seams from such solutions crack and spill out.

For masonry mortar use only clean fine sand, sieved through a 1.5 * 1.5 mm sieve. The amount of sand in the solution is determined by the empirical by , making several samples with different bulk sand contents. Experienced stoves immediately accurately determine the quality of the solution, and inexperienced can take advantage of the test. To do this, a ball of 5 cm in diameter from the solution in a raw form is placed between the plates and compressed.

• If cracks begin to appear almost immediately, then a solution of low plasticity.
• If cracks appear at compression by 1/3 of their thickness, the plasticity is normal.
• If cracks begin to appear on ½ and beyond, the plasticity of the solution is excessive.

Video: Testing of solution

Each experienced stove-maker has its own know-how and secret recipes for the preparation of solutions, with which they are reluctant to share. At beginners to prepare at once a correct solution of chances, to tell the truth, not so much. The best way out is the use of ready-made mixtures specially designed for laying fireplaces. In this case, the quality of the solution is guaranteed under the condition that the follows a clear following the manufacturer's instructions. It should be noted that fact that mixtures for laying the firebox and the outer walls of fireplaces and stoves may differ.

Required tool and devices

For laying a fireplace, some tools are needed, some of which are typical, others are special. So, what will be needed:

• Kirk ( A ) - it is necessary for splitting the brick.
• The oven hammer( B) is also designed for splitting brick, but the pick does it more accurately. The hammer is also convenient to straighten bricks.
• Building rule( In ) - it is convenient for them to level the concrete foundation foundation, and also to check the correctness of the masonry.
• A wooden spatula( D) - will greatly help with grinding and mixing solution .
• Construction level( D) - to check the horizontal and vertical planes.
• Wash brush( E) - is needed for cleaning surfaces from sand and dirt before laying, removing mortar, wetting surfaces.
• Pliers( F) - are needed for working with metal wire used in fixing furnace equipment and reinforcing masonry.
• Lead or zinc dye( Z) - it is needed for marking the tiles.
• Knocker ( AND ) - it is necessary for splitting tiles. It represents a piece of pipe, which hit the knife in place of a hammer.
• Rod-ink( To ) - made of metal, designed for marking.
• File-rasp( L) - needed to remove the influx of bricks when it is fitted.
• Angle( M) - will help to check the correctness of the extracted corners.
• Plumb Line( H) is the best tool nt for I check verticals.
• Rubber mallet( About ) - it is necessary when laying for a barking of bricks on a solution cushion.
• Chisel( P) - can be useful for dismantling old masonry.
• Set of trowels( trowels) of different sizes( P) - is necessary for laying and leveling the solution, removing its excess, filling cavities in the masonry.
• ( with ) is required to seal the inter-brick joints and to give the a finished aesthetic appearance.

In addition, will need capacity for mixing mortar, capacity with water for soaking bricks, shovel or construction mixer. To grind the brick, you may need a grinding wheel.

In order to give the brick the right shape, remove the bevel, round the corners, - professionals use a stone carving machine. But all these operations can be performed using the angle-grinding machine( grinder) and the stone disc for dry cut . Techniques for work are shown in the video.

Video: Techniques for working with the Bulgarian stone processing

For laying the upper rows of the fireplace you will need a construction platform, called " goats " or a pair of smaller goats that have flooring made of boards. You can stand on this flooring, and also place the necessary tools and materials nearby.

Basement equipment for the fireplace

Fireplaces made of bricks are massive structures weighing more than a ton. Therefore, if the load-bearing capacity of the floor in the house is not capable of carrying such loads, then the fireplace definitely needs a foundation. Specialists recommend making the foundation nt for and fireplace still during the construction of the house and not link it to the foundation of the house, as they perform different tasks and carry different loads.

For foundation equipment it is necessary: ​​

• Mark the placement of the fireplace and the place for the foundation, with considering the that the opening in the floor of 15-20 cm should be wider than the fireplace design.
• Remove the floor covering and the floor structure itself. If the floor is a thin concrete screed, then the of its should be dismantled by a perforator or a jackhammer.
• Dig a pit depth of 50-60 cm, carefully clean the bottom.
• A layer of coarse sand 10-15 cm thick is poured onto the bottom of the excavation, then this layer is spilled and trampled.
• A layer of rubble 10 cm is filled in, which is also rammed.
• Formwork is installed from edging boards. The foundation dimensions should be larger than the dimensions of the kamas on the 5 cm. The upper edge of the boards is leveled at 140-150 below the clean floor level.
• The first layer of the concrete mix is ​​prepared in the proportion of cement / sand / gravel = 1/3/4 and is poured with a concrete layer of 15 cm.
• On the first concrete layer, it is advisable to lay the wire frame from a reinforcement 10 mm in diameter in 10 cm increments.
• Secondthe layer is poured with a cement-sand mix in a proportion of 1: 3 and is leveled on top of the boards by a rule.

• Full maturation of concrete occurs within 28 days. Periodically, the top of the foundation should be watered and covered with polyethylene with film. This will save concrete from cracking.
• A continuous row of bricks is laid on top of concrete on a cement-sand mortar according to the scheme presented below for the 1st row. It is sheltered in two layers by roll waterproofing: roofing material, Technoelast , Uniflex or other. On top of the waterproofing layer, is laid out with the row of bricks( 2nd row according to the scheme), which should come out approximately to the level of the clean floor. When laying out these series, it is necessary to closely monitor the correspondence of all dimensions and the horizontal nature of the surface.

Brick masonry made of bricks

The corner fireplace offered for building by own hands has a rather simple design, which is very good for the first independent experience. It is designed for premises of 12-13 m2 with adjoining brick walls. For this fireplace will need 415-420 pcs.solid refractory bricks. For the combustion part, can be used as an fireclay brick.

The facade and vertical section of the fireplace are shown in the drawing.

Before you begin to prepare mortar for masonry, you need to carefully study the detailed scheme-orders, which must be. Even master-stoves of the highest class do not disdain to use the orders. What do you need to prepare for the masonry?

• It's better to draw out a layout diagram or print it on a large sheet of paper, where you can mark the rows.
• For each row of bricks are selected - each must lie on the its location. Those stones that have smooth and beautiful faces need to be used for exterior decoration.
• According to the scheme, all bricks are cut to size by a Bulgarian or a stone carving machine and are brought to the desired size on the grinding wheel or grinding disc. All seams should be the same - 5 mm. It is best to use wooden slats of this thickness, which are laid between the rows. Reiki calibrated sizes can be found in stores for modelers.
• So consistently formed all the rows of the future fireplace, which "dry" it is necessary to lay out until the beginning of the chimney. In this case, it is necessary to control the verticals and horizontals of all rows.
• Special attention should be given to the formation of an inclined rear wall - a mirror, so that the its surface turned out to be a smooth transition, as well as a transition to the smoke chamber.
• After the whole structure is assembled "dry" before the flue, is dismantled by its , but before that each fitted brick is numbered on the surface and on the scheme, for example: 17-4, which means 17th row, 4th brick. The rows are stacked separately from each other.

This operation takes a very long time, but it is worth it, since when laying an inexperienced master , the can very long engage in the fitting of bricks.

Masonry begins with the preparation of mortar. The self-prepared solution must be prepared in advance, and the dry mix is ​​prepared immediately before use according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

• The first two rows of the fireplace were laid out during the construction of the basement.
• Before laying a brick it should be dabbed in tank for a few minutes with water until the bubbles cease to come out of it. Dry brick will "pull" water from the solution, reducing its strength.
• To form a 5 mm joint, it is necessary to apply a mortar to the brick with a trowel with a layer of a greater thickness of 7-8 mm, and then tapping with a rubber mallet to form the required seam. If this does not work, then the brick is removed, a new batch of mortar is applied and laid again.
• First you need to lay out the last bricks, to achieve their correct position horizontally and vertically, and then on them internal bricks are already laid out. The control of the thickness of the seam can be done by cutting a wooden strip, and the horizontal level is checked by the building level. If necessary, the position of the brick is adjusted with a rubber mallet.
• Sites marked gray on the order are cavities between bricks. They can be filled with sand, brick bricks or mortar.
• The ligation of the joints of the brickwork is already taken into account in the scheme-ordering.
• Surplus mortar after laying the brick removed trowel, and then can be wiped with a brush and wash it with a rag. The dried mortar from the brick surface is very hard to remove.
• After laying 3-4 rows of bricks, it is possible to form smooth and beautiful stitches between bricks. Remove excess solution with a brush and a rag.
• The sixth and seventh rows of masonry form a niche for the ash pan and supports for the grate .If necessary, grooves are made in the brick for laying the lattice of the .
• Every several rows are checked for verticality of the structure using a plumb line.

• From the 14th row begins the formation of the slope of the back of the firebox. This should be given special attention. If necessary, lay out a number of "dry", make an accurate fit, and then lead the masonry to the solution.
• The metal corner for the portal jumper should be laid through an asbestos gasket.
• After laying the 19th row, you should immediately form a pillow from a cement-sand mortar 1: 3 on the surface of the "tooth".
• From the 19th series, the formation of the inclined wall of the smoke box begins, which requires care and accuracy.

• From the 34th row the fireplace design passes into the formed chimney.
• The slide gate valve is mounted between the 35th and 36th rows of brickwork.

• The swing for passing through the overlap is done on the 37th and 38th row. With a different ceiling height, it's easy to change.

Next already comes fireplace stove, whose design depends on the number of floors, the height of the house and the roof. The process of constructing the chimney will be described in a separate article.

Putting the fireplace into operation

The ready fireplace can not be started immediately, you need to give it time to dry. Usually it takes 12-14 days. In this case, all valves should be open. At the end of this time, you do not need to give the fireplace a big load, but do it gradually, with a small amount of firewood. This will allow residual moisture to evaporate from the masonry solution.

The fireplace model described above is not successfully used in one house and proved its worth. Therefore, if clearly follow to all recommendations, then even if there is no skill in , this should happen the first time. Well, if you do not have confidence in your own abilities, you can invite a master stove-maker and work as an apprentice. Acquired skills in a complex but interesting case - the laying of fireplaces will be simply priceless and will be useful in later life.

Video: Construction of a fireplace from a brick

Video: Masonry of a fireplace