How to build a fireplace. How to build a brick fireplace yourself? General information and device

Creating a beautiful and functional brick fireplace with your own hands in a country house is a task that does not pose a huge challenge for an owner with ingenuity. The costs of a brick portal and chimney due to the material will not be high, especially compared to granite, marble and other exclusive minerals. Cement mortar for masonry and the necessary tools are also not very expensive.

Before you make your own fireplace for your dacha, you need to choose its design and shape, and also decide on the size of the firebox, chimney and portal.

A simple fireplace, depending on its location, can be wall-mounted or corner-mounted. Its parameters are determined based on the area of ​​the heated room: it is divided by 100 - the result is the optimal firebox area. The width of the combustion hole should be 1.5-2 times greater than the depth and approximately 1.5 times less than the height. To achieve sufficient draft, the area of ​​the smoke hole should be 10-15 times less area firebox, and the straight section of the chimney has a length of 3 to 5 m. With such proportions, you can achieve effective heating of the room and safe work fireplace

A mini-brick fireplace for a summer house is ideal for small spaces and requires a minimum amount of building materials. With a firebox size of no more than 40 x 60 cm, it can handle heating a room up to 20 square meters. m., and its height without a chimney will be approximately 1.1 - 1.2 m, width 0.5 - 0.6 m. Taking into account all the cladding with decorative protrusions and the coating of the smoke tube, the structure will require 220 - 230 standard red bricks .

The English fireplace differs from other models in having a straight chimney, one-way heat flow and a trapezoid-shaped firebox. This device allows most of the generated heat to flow into the room.

The side and rear walls of the firebox have a slight slope of about 20° and serve as a kind of reflector of heated air. The smoke collector has the shape of a pyramid, and the chimney pipe is also hidden under a layer of brick, which tapers slightly towards the ceiling. Another feature of English fireplaces is the platform-shaped base under the portal, which is made of refractory brick.

The depth of the firebox for English fireplaces is 0.4 - 0.5 m, the layer of brick should protrude from the edges of the firebox by 0.3 m, and the protrusion of the horizontal base can reach 0.5 m. For effective traction and sufficient heating of the room, it is necessary that the cross-sectional area of ​​the chimney and the firebox area have a ratio of 1 to 8. The exhaust pipe English version should be 3 - 5 m high. If all these conditions are met, you can achieve simple and uniform heating of the room, a beautiful flame in the hearth and the absence of harmful smoke in the room. Classic English fireplaces have a long history and will add to any Vacation home cozy atmosphere.

The grill fireplace is an option for outdoor use. This great way arrangement of a personal plot where you can comfortably spend your leisure time in good weather. A fireplace with a barbecue, in addition to a woodpile and firebox, has a ledge on top on which skewers with kebabs or a grill for frying meat are placed. In addition, with such a device you can cook other dishes in a frying pan, in a saucepan, or a duck pot, and food cooked outside using natural fire is not only healthy, but will also give the family a lot of positive impressions.

The simplest barbecue fireplace without a roof is much easier to install than the option for a home, because it does not require the construction of a smoke collector and chimney - all gaseous combustion products evaporate directly into the street.

For the foundation, a concrete base is usually chosen, the thickness of which will depend on the mass of the brick structure of the future barbecue, usually it is 20 - 30 cm. The portal is most often laid out U-shaped with a recess, inside of which there is a compartment for firewood, on top of the ceiling a firebox with a tray for coals and a place for placing a grate or skewers. You can show your imagination and install more complex designs: with two fireboxes for simultaneous preparation of several dishes, with decor on top of brick made of natural or artificial stone, with a table for cutting food or a sink with a tap and sink.

A country gazebo can be built with a brick frame and a fireplace, and the walls and roof are made of other materials: profiled iron, wood or plastic. This will simplify installation work and save on building materials.

There are a huge number of designs for outdoor summerhouses, the most common of which are:

• An open gazebo under a roof on 4 columns with a brick barbecue, this option is suitable for calm, windless weather, but in case of bad weather, you can build light walls from fiberglass, PVC panels or other available materials. The roof can be covered with metal or ondulin tiles, and electric lighting can even be installed inside.

• Lightweight construction of a wooden gazebo, in which brick is used only for the fireplace itself with an arch-shaped firebox. On a cool evening you can gather around the fireplace small company, there will be enough heat from it. If necessary, you can equip the roof with a canopy made of lightweight polymer materials.

• Finnish gazebos in Lately are widely used in our country, as they are intended for cold climates. In profile they have the shape of a regular 6- or 8-gon with closed walls and a sloping roof, from the center of which a chimney pipe emerges. They use an island fireplace made of brick, designed for both barbecuing and heating the room.

Since ordinary clay brick is universal in its physical properties, then it can be used for both indoor and outdoor fireplaces. That part of the firebox that is in direct contact with the open fire is selected from a fire-resistant grade.

Purpose

An outdoor fireplace has many designs, and every year home craftsmen come up with new ideas. Outdoor fireplaces can perform the function of heating, cooking, or combine two tasks at the same time. Models can be island or wall-mounted, if they are attached to a gazebo, the outer wall of a house or a stone fence. The last option is very interesting; it will save materials and construction costs if the site already has a strong and high brick fence. A corner or wall fireplace with a slight extension.

A brick country fireplace is most often made of an island type, a simple U-shaped design without a high chimney pipe. For this option, it is better to pre-arrange the foundation with a platform made of concrete, street tiles or other durable non-flammable material. It will be convenient to place chairs for relaxation and other garden furniture. An island fireplace for a summer house can be modernized over time by adding new details, eventually building a full-fledged closed gazebo heated and barbecue.

Many people use a decorative fireplace when arranging the interior, so as not to use complex systems with a smoke collector, hood and fire-resistant materials. A false fireplace in a room can operate on the basis of an electric, gas or water heater, and skillful paintings, electric light or candles are used to simulate a flame. This option will not replace the natural heat from burning wood, but it will look very impressive and will be much cheaper, since it will not require the work of an experienced stove maker.

The fireplace in the house must, first of all, ensure normal exhaust of smoke outside so that there is no strong odor And carbon monoxide. Its dimensions must be calculated based on the area of ​​the room, and materials with high thermal insulation must be used for cladding. If you plan to make a false fireplace, then use ordinary decorative brick without fire resistance.

Fireplaces for baths use mainly coal for heating and have small sizes and a simple device. They have 2 working parts: the firebox and the chimney. The difference from a traditional sauna stove is that the firebox is open and the heat for heating comes from it. Brick options Such fireplaces are usually wall or corner. Because of large mass building materials, they must be installed on a massive base; if the floor in the bathhouse is not thick enough, then you need to take care of an additional foundation for the stove.

Fireplace design

A home fireplace consists of 4 parts:

• firebox where wood is burned;
• smoke collector for a smooth transition of smoke into the chimney;
• a chimney that removes combustion products to the outside;
• portal around the firebox with decorative cladding.

Stove options may vary, but it is best to choose a trapezoidal shape of an open firebox with the inner walls at a slight angle. This will ensure the greatest efficiency of such a fireplace. A very efficient fireplace model for indoor use with an air heat exchanger. This part can be made in the form of a serpentine-shaped pipe, which generates additional heat. Therefore, there is no need to maintain a constant open fire to bring hot air into the room.

Outdoor fireplaces with inserts can have chimneys, barbecues, ovens, metal burners and even a roof for cooking in the rain. Their design depends only on the imagination and capabilities of the owner. There are interesting models of fireplaces with a bread maker, a wood burner or several fireboxes.

Materials

For the installation of fireplaces, red bricks made of clay or ceramics, plastic molding or pressing are mainly chosen. The latter option is less durable, especially under high thermal loads, since it contains many pores. But ceramic bricks, obtained by plastic molding, have a smooth and durable surface and are no less strong inside.

There are 3 types of bricks for indoor and outdoor fireplaces. Ordinary construction facing brick designed for internal layers of masonry that are not visible. It does not need protection from open flames and a smooth, beautiful surface, which is why it is the cheapest. In the manufacture of refractory bricks, workpieces made from fireclay or quartz are pressed and fired at high temperatures. Such building materials are installed in places of contact with open fire, i.e. in the firebox and smoke collector. Facing and shaped bricks for decoration have a smooth, uniform surface with different colors, textures or shine.

Used for masonry mortars, which include cement, sand, water, and sometimes chemical fillers for heat resistance. In order not to have to figure out the correct combination of components for building a stove, you can purchase special dry construction mixtures, which only need to be diluted with water and mixed before use.

In addition to bricks and mortar, when building fireplaces, metal parts are used for the fireplace grate, heat exchanger, chimney, barbecue and coal trays.

With or without foundation

Arrangement of the foundation for the fireplace is best done during the construction of the building itself. But if the house has already been built, then the floor is cut out and a base of concrete or brick is made under the fireplace façade. Depending on the size of the fireplace, the foundation is deepened 30–50 cm below the floor level. The brick base should be laid on a mortar of grade 400 or 500 cement with sand in a ratio of 1 to 3. In the case of a poured concrete foundation, it is constructed wooden formwork.

A foundation for a home fireplace is not needed if it has a high brick base, such that the distance from the bottom of the firebox to the floor is at least 0.3 m. In this case, it is necessary to take into account that the floor structure can withstand the existing weight of the stove and chimney. False fireplaces also do not require a foundation.

An outdoor fireplace in any version must be erected on a concrete base of at least 20 - 30 cm so that the structure is stable in the garden soil.

Order schemes

The order diagram of the fireplace contains drawings of the location of the bricks from the lowest to the top row. There may be several images, they contain orders with different sides. By using finished projects such drawings can be with my own hands To assemble the stove correctly, the builder is only required to lay the bricks horizontally and add mortar. Ready-made schemes rows allow you to immediately calculate the required amount of building materials.

Masonry

If the owner suburban area does not have experience in laying bricks for a fireplace, then step-by-step instructions will help him build a structure from scratch. There are many variations of such plans, but they all have approximately the same structure. Homemade hand masonry lesson or outdoor fireplace usually consists of 5 - 7 stages, each of which describes the installation of 2 - 3 rows of bricks and its features. At the same time, other necessary questions are considered: how to properly reinforce a brick or concrete base, how to make a smoke collector and air heat exchanger, how to decorate the facade of a fireplace.

Basic mistakes

Experienced stove makers identify the most common mistakes when building brick fireplaces:

• incorrect proportions of the size and shape of the firebox, smoke collector, cross-section and height of the chimney and area of ​​the heated room;
• too thick or thin joint width between rows, incorrect combination of concrete mortar components;
• not using heat-resistant and fire-resistant bricks;

• the height of the foundation or base for the fireplace is too small;
• The dimensions of the façade and decorative parts are incorrectly calculated, the rows and decorative parts are not installed level, the bricks must be laid with the utmost care and professionalism.

In addition, there are operational errors immediately after construction. Many people do not know how many days after laying a fireplace they can light a fireplace. Full combustion can be done only after 2 - 4 weeks.

Before this, forced drying is carried out: a small amount of dry firewood is heated every day. Start with 2 kg, increasing the weight by 1 kg every 2 days.

For a beginner without practice furnace business Laying out a brick fireplace right away with your own hands is a very difficult task. But three components - time, patience and great desire - will help you achieve success and make a wonderful home, a source of comfort and warmth in the living room. We will provide all the theoretical information and tell you about the procedure for carrying out masonry work in the form of simple instructions.

General information and device

In fact, a traditional English fireplace is a stove of a simplified design, consisting of the following basic elements:

• open firebox large sizes in the form of a rectangular niche (portal), lined with solid ceramic bricks;
• the straight chimney shown in the diagram is equipped with a special protrusion - a chimney tooth and a tapering part - a smoke collector;
• pre-furnace front platform plays decorative role and at the same time protects the floors from sparks from the firebox;
• valve for adjusting draft.

Note. IN simple designs There are no grates or ash chamber; firewood is burned directly on a brick hearth.

In current conditions, fireplaces are built solely to create a unique atmosphere of comfort in private homes and cottages, and not for the purpose of organizing heating. The fact is that open hearths are extremely ineffective; even more complex models with two smoke circuits have an efficiency of no more than 20%, since the lion's share of the heat simply goes out into the street through the pipe.

Diagram of a complex fireplace with two smoke circuits

The room is heated by infrared radiation emitted by an open flame. As soon as it fades, heat transfer stops. Convective heating does not work here - the draft of the chimney, which has large section, literally sucks the heat out of the room along with the air flow. It is impossible to reduce the transverse size of the pipe - the fireplace will begin to smoke into the room. For the same reason, brick walls practically do not accumulate heat.

Advice on calculating the size of the hearth. When building fireplaces with your own hands, it is important to achieve a compromise between smoke in the room and too strong a draft, which helps remove heat along with the air. The flow area of ​​the chimney should be 1/9 of the area of ​​the open part of the firebox (portal). In turn, the dimensions of the front opening are taken in the ratio of 1/50 to the area of ​​the room, and its height is 1.5-2 times the depth of the firebox.

So that you can choose the correct dimensions of the fireplace without delving into calculations, we present a table with the dimensions of the main elements tied to the area of ​​the room.

Instructions for laying a fireplace

On various Internet resources and in technical literature, it is easy to find a variety of designs for home and outdoor fireplaces, accompanied by orders and photos. But all proposed designs are based on a traditional English fireplace, which we suggest that beginners install. As an example, let's look at the relatively small model shown in the drawing and designed for a room with an area of ​​20-25 m².

Note. If your room has different dimensions, then the dimensions in the drawing can be changed in accordance with the table, only more accurately adjusted to the length and thickness of the brick (taking into account 5 mm joints).

The step-by-step stages of work are as follows:

1. Preparation - choosing a location for the future hearth and purchasing building materials.
2. Construction of a reliable foundation - reinforced concrete or brick foundation.
3. Preparation of mortar and laying.
4. Test ignition and warming up.

By design, fireplaces are divided into wall-mounted, corner and built-in. We chose the first option because of its ease of execution - the building is being built next to existing wall. Do corner model Without the proper experience, it is much more difficult, and to embed the structure into the partition, the latter will have to be disassembled.

The optimal placement of the hearth is near the inner load-bearing wall or partitions, closer to the center of the room. At the same time, try not to complicate the passage unit chimney through the roof - make sure that it does not hit the ridge. On both sides of the fireplace, you need to provide at least 1 m of free space along the walls. Worst place for the hearth - near the outer fence or next to the doors.

Advice. It is not recommended to place fireplaces in very small rooms up to 12 m². Moreover, it is not allowed to build them in apartments of multi-storey buildings. The way out is to install a gas or electric fireplace insert and make a lining of decorative brick and drywall, as shown in the diagram.

Necessary building materials

To assemble a fireplace yourself according to the drawing presented above, you need to prepare following materials:

• ceramic solid brick – 300 pcs.;
• fireclay (fireproof) brick – 120 pcs.;
• chimney valve;
• dry building mixture for refractory masonry – 150 kg;
• ready-made clay-sand mixture for laying out ovens – 250 kg;
• metal equal angle corner 50 x 3 mm – 2.5 m;
• oven inspection door.

Red ceramic brick grade 150-200 is the main material used in the kiln business. Choose a solid stone standard sizes 250 x 120 x 65 mm without cracks, preferably with smooth sides. Low quality and used building materials cannot be used for laying fireplaces.

Fireclay bricks, used to form the fireboxes of wood and coal stoves, are produced in different sizes. A stone 250 x 124 x 65 mm of the ShA brand, laid on a special solution of refractory clay and mortar, will suit you.

Tip for saving material. Ordinary ceramic bricks can easily withstand temperatures of 700 °C, which corresponds to the heat generated by burning wood. Fireproof stones, whose price is significantly higher, are designed for a maximum temperature of 1690 °C. Hence the conclusion: if you do not plan to heat the fireplace every day, then feel free to make the combustion chamber from cheaper red brick.

Kiln masters know how to prepare masonry mortar from individual components - sand and clay (no cement is added!), intuitively selecting the exact proportions. Beginners have no choice but to build a fireplace using ready-made dry mixtures sold in stores. If you want to make the solution yourself, we strongly recommend that you first get your hands on simpler designs. For example, build an outdoor grill or barbecue, choosing the proportions experimentally to feel all the nuances of working with clay.

Setting up the foundation

Since the total mass of a brick fireplace exceeds 1 ton, it is impossible to do without a reliable foundation. It must be arranged separately from the foundation of the house, maintaining a minimum offset of 5 cm. If the fireplace is supposed to be built in a living room, then you will have to open the floor in an area that exceeds the dimensions of the future structure by 100 mm in each direction. For our example, the dimensions of the site will be 137 x 124 cm (according to the diagram given above, the dimensions of the building are 127 x 114 cm).

Construct a foundation for a fireplace according to the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Dig a pit and compact the bottom thoroughly. The depth is determined by the existing foundation of the house.
2. Place sand on the bottom and compact again. The final thickness of the pillow is 100 mm.
3. Fill the pit to ground level with rubble stone. During the filling process, fill all cavities with liquid cement or lime mortar mixed with clay.
4. Form a flat concrete platform on top and, after hardening, lay 2 layers of waterproofing made from ordinary roofing felt on it.

Note. Scraps of concrete, old brick, shell rock and other piece materials can be used as backfilling.

The second stage of laying the foundation can be done in two ways: pouring a reinforced concrete slab or laying a base of red brick. The first option, shown in the drawing, is more reliable and convenient for further construction, since a solid slab allows you to lay the wall anywhere on the site. It is implemented like this:

1. Make and install wooden formwork to the height of the finished floor of the building so that the foundation slab protrudes beyond the dimensions of the future fireplace by 50 mm in all directions.
2. Tie a mesh of iron reinforcement with a diameter of 12-16 mm and place it at a height of 5 cm from the roofing material, using small wooden linings.
3. Prepare concrete grade 150 by mixing M400 cement, sand and crushed stone in proportions 1: 3: 5. Lay concrete mixture into the formwork and level the site according to the construction level.

After 7 days of concrete hardening, remove the formwork and treat the foundation walls bitumen mastic. Wait until the fireplace is completely dry before laying it out. reinforced concrete slab(another 3 weeks), after which cover it with 2 layers of roofing material and proceed to the laying itself. To avoid mistakes when laying the foundation, watch the video from the furnace master:

Fireplace rules

Laying a regular wall and the body of a fireplace made of brick are two different things. So before you build a home, check out general rules its construction:

• when making refractory and clay mortar, strictly observe the ratio of dry mixture and water indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer;
• First lay out the stones of each row dry, adjust and file according to the order, and only then place them on the mortar;
• Before placing the red brick in place, soak it in water for 3-5 minutes until air bubbles stop appearing;
• observe a maximum joint thickness of 5 mm;
• do not connect sections of masonry made of ceramic and fireclay bricks;
• constantly check the vertical and horizontal lines at different points building level;
• When installing metal corners, a row of stones resting on it must be laid without mortar.

Note. It is not recommended to soak refractory stones, but only rinse them with water to remove dust, because the material releases moisture for a long time and may burst after kindling.

While working, bricks can be tapped, but moving them in a horizontal plane is extremely undesirable. Remove any bulging excess mortar with a trowel, and inside wipe the entire wall with a damp cloth to create smooth surface. Detailed description Watch the process in the next video:

Work order

First of all, the foundation slab is covered with a sheet of galvanized roofing iron, and on top - with basalt cardboard. However, according to experts, the latter is successfully replaced by felt impregnated with liquid clay. The required set of masonry tools is shown in the figure.

The first two rows of ceramic bricks form the base of the fireplace and the firebox area; the 3rd and 4th rows form the hearth part of the firebox. Please note: in the order, red and fireclay stones are indicated in different colors. The fifth and subsequent rows (up to the 11th) form the walls of the combustion chamber and the outer contour of the portal.

After laying the 12th row of stones, install steel angles to support the front wall. The next levels form a smoke collector and a chimney tooth, as shown in the sequence diagram. On the 16th row, a cleaning door is built into the rear wall.

The rows of bricks from the 17th to the 23rd form the body of the fireplace, and the remaining 3 levels form the chimney. On the 26th row, a valve is built into it.

Further laying of the chimney is carried out to the required height according to the same pattern, excluding the passage through the ceiling. Here it is necessary to lay out a special extension - cutting, whose task is to protect wooden structures from hot flue gases. According to the rules fire safety combustible floor material must be protected brick wall 38 cm thick. All requirements for the chimney pipe, including its height, are reflected in the diagram:

In conclusion - trial lighting of the hearth

After the solution has dried, which will take 10-14 days, make the first kindling. It is important to follow one rule here: the entire masonry must be heated gradually so that cracks do not occur. Place a small armful of brushwood or wood chips on the bottom part, open the damper completely and set them on fire. Then add firewood in small portions over several hours, keeping an eye on the walls of the hearth and chimney. Record the appearance of cracks and then seal them with the same solution.

The finished fireplace can be decorated different ways– plaster, decorate with tiles or paint. Of course, provided that after complete heating it functions properly and the masonry has not developed large cracks. If you did everything according to the instructions and without haste, then commissioning will probably be without problems.

Design engineer with more than 8 years of experience in construction.
Graduated from Eastern Ukrainian National University them. Vladimir Dal with a degree in Electronics Industry Equipment in 2011.

Related posts:

If all recommendations are strictly followed during the installation of the fireplace stove, then the design will work well, reliably, and will last a long time. A well-built fireplace must meet three principles: warm the room well, operate without smoke and in compliance with safety regulations, and blend harmoniously with the interior. Let's see how we can achieve this.

What is this article about?

Project selection

The first stage of work is choosing a project. First of all, you need to decide on the shape and size of the fireplace. Even experienced craftsmen use orders in their work - essentially drawings with step-by-step instructions, which indicate the number of rows and the location of each brick in them. Moreover, the use of such a masonry scheme is very convenient for non-professionals doing the work with their own hands. Also, ordering allows you to accurately calculate how many bricks are needed, and therefore determine financial costs.

If laying a fireplace is being done for the first time, you must strictly adhere to the order. To avoid mistakes, mark each installed brick on the drawing.

We have prepared several orders of brick fireplaces, of different sizes and designs. We invite you to choose the right one

Project for the arrangement of a corner fireplace The arrangement of a fireplace 4.5 by 2.5 bricks The arrangement of a fireplace 3.5 by 3 bricks The arrangement of a large fireplace 5 by 3 bricks

To increase the efficiency of the fireplace, it is necessary separately. The chimney has many aspects, without which the fireplace can be not only ineffective, but also dangerous.

Choosing an installation location

The purpose of a fireplace is to create warmth, comfort, and also successfully complement the interior. Traditionally, brick structures decorate the living room. But in big houses there may be several of them: in office, bedroom, dining room, library. It is advisable to decide on the location of the fireplace at the design stage of the house. Also, in terms of placing the fireplace, it is necessary to take into account the arrangement of furniture.

The structure should be located away from doorways and windows to avoid drafts that interfere with fireplace operation. To make the fire clearly visible, the portal of the structure should be turned towards the center of the room. The fireplace can be installed in the center, against the wall, in the corner or built into the wall.

Most common option - corner fireplace. It benefits from compactness, as it takes up less space and creates a “red corner”. Often brick structures are placed against the wall. With the help of a central fireplace, you can visually divide a large room into two zones.

A good place to install a fireplace with a chimney is the central part of the house. In this case, the pipe is closer to the ridge and there is no feeling that it is too long.

Interior items: carpets, armchairs, cabinets must be placed at least 1 meter from the fireplace.

Construction

Nuances of choosing a brick

Material for fireplaces, as well as for any stoves, must have certain technical qualities:

• heat resistance;
• ability to accumulate and store heat well;
• mechanical strength;
• resistance to temperature fluctuations.

For laying the external elements of the fireplace and chimneys, simple ceramic (red, clay) brick, for the construction of the firebox - fireproof (fireclay). If no additional finishing is expected, outer layer not in contact with fire can be made of facing clinker bricks.

Foundation

The first stage of the actual construction of the fireplace is. A hole is dug up to 60 cm deep and an area 10 cm larger than the size of the foundation. The bottom of the pit is covered with a 15-centimeter layer of crushed stone. It gets compacted. Then wooden formwork is installed, and the inside is treated with bitumen. Next is a layer of stone, broken brick and crushed stone, which is filled with a well-mixed solution in a 1:3 ratio of cement and sand. The foundation is leveled, horizontal control is done, and covered with film or roofing felt. Let it sit for a week.

The area of ​​the foundation must exceed the dimensions of the fireplace base by 6 cm.

The foundation is leveled, horizontal control is done, and it is closed. waterproofing material- film or roofing felt. In this form, it should dry for at least a week. If the masonry is laid, the foundation remains closed until the next stage begins.

Solution

Can be used as ready-made composition bought at a hardware store and prepare it yourself. If this is your first experience, the site recommends using a ready-made baking solution and following the instructions on the package.

To prepare your solution, a couple of days before starting to lay the fireplace, you need to mix the clay with water, the consistency of which should not be too thick. This solution is mixed with washed and dried sand. The subsequent quality of the masonry depends on the quality of the prepared mixture.

Portland cement (30% of the bulk) must be added to the mortar for laying the first row.

Masonry

When making masonry, it is necessary to strictly follow the order, so it should be at hand. Each row of the planned structure should be checked for accuracy of work and preservation of straight lines, making a mark in the project so as not to get confused in the rows and avoid mistakes.

For laying continuous rows, a trowel or trowel is used. But when laying the firebox and smoke collector, it is better to give preference to manual work.

The solution is laid out in the middle of the brick in such an amount that it is evenly distributed along the length and does not extend beyond the edges. Excess solution is removed.

Before laying the curved part of the fireplace, a circle is installed. Thanks to temporary formwork, the masonry will be done beautifully and with high quality.

When installing the chimney, verticality should be constantly checked. The quality of chimney installation contributes to good draft and release of carbon monoxide from the room.

The inside walls of the chimney are wiped with a cloth dipped in liquid clay, creating an ideal surface.

Creating the look of a fireplace

Finishing a fireplace is a delicate and responsible matter. Most often they choose for decorative finishing:

• facing bricks;
• ceramic tiles;
• a natural stone;
• patterned or smooth tiles.

Facing bricks are produced in both traditional shapes and angular or wedge-shaped, with rounded edges, etc. The color of the products can be selected based on preferences and general color range rooms, the most varied: white, yellow, red, brown and even black.

Tiles for cladding are available in several types. You can choose majolica (pressed products with a pattern, covered with glaze), terracotta (unglazed ceramic material), clinker tiles or porcelain stoneware.

Natural stone can help create a rugged finish that pairs well with modern interiors.

These materials have good thermal conductivity, presentability, strength, durability, and resistance to high temperatures.

You can do without additional cladding of the fireplace, provided that the brick is chosen and the masonry is done perfectly. In this case, carefully grout the joints with white mortar.

We have selected a number of photographs to demonstrate what a completed and properly finished fireplace might look like.

Preparation for use

Having completed all the work, you should not immediately use the fireplace for its intended purpose. You need to give the solution time to dry thoroughly. A few days are enough for this.

You can check the quality of the draft using soft paper that is set on fire - it should burn well and the smoke should go up the chimney. If there is a draft, the fireplace is ready, you can burn it with wood.

A brick fireplace in a house is a noble element of the interior, a sign of prosperity, but is it only that? Maybe for some the Hearth becomes a secret interlocutor?

Fireplace soul

Psychologists believe that a person who spends a certain time near an open fire finds a state of peace and balance. This is facilitated by: the calm sound of crackling firewood, its smell, the dynamic movements of the flame, and, of course, warmth.

Fireplaces, as such, greatly contribute to relaxation and relaxation. None electronic analogues cannot replace the incredible pleasant feeling of peace that appears when looking at a changeable, living fire. The movement of the flames fascinates and immerses you in your own thoughts better than any hypnotist.

A brick fireplace helps you concentrate or relax, depending on the effect you want to achieve. It is ideal for long contemplative sessions that connect you with much more than just the warmth of the fire.

Types and types of fireplaces

Fireplaces are classified as follows. By purpose: traditional open fireplaces made of brick, decorative fireplaces, fireplaces as part of a stove, barbecue fireplaces, outdoor garden fireplaces. By installation method: corner, wall, built-in, island (free-standing). By architectural style: classic, baroque, country style fireplaces, empire style, modern, etc.

You can choose a ready-made, complete prefabricated fireplace, the installation of which in your home will take only a few days. But he is such only in appearance, because... has nothing to do with an open hearth.

The fireplace may be self made made according to an individual project. It will become a means of expressing your individuality, a unique interior solution that only you will have.

Before you lay out a brick fireplace, you need to decide on its appearance and style. In most cases, these parameters are determined individually by each owner of a country house. Modern masonry technologies make it possible to install a fireplace almost anywhere, fitting it into the overall interior concept. There is no need to talk about the variety of options for finishing and decorating fireplaces. A huge number of fireplaces are stylized every year to resemble any known style of Western housing construction.

Heating role - myth or reality

When thinking about a fireplace in your home, you should immediately decide on its main type - an open one made of brick or a closed one, with an industrially manufactured firebox insert.

Here, anyone will like what, but if the choice fell on a metal firebox for heating reasons, then it is worth recalling the following. Despite such advantages as fairly high efficiency and quick heating of the room, there is also a drawback: in the firebox there is firewood - there is heat, if it burns out - there is no heat. On average, there are 6 hours between bookmarks. Convenient for summer residents - fast heating for a short period of time.

What about our fireplaces? Is it possible to drown them? It is possible, but very unproductive. The maximum efficiency of an ideally constructed fireplace is 30%. Not ideal - 15% and firewood down the drain. And yet, it is indispensable while the stove is being fired up or the boiler is being connected - it will remove excess humidity and quickly create reflective heat in the house. comfortable temperature. But brick fireplaces are built not so much for heating, but rather for creating a special atmosphere in your home or country house.

Internal construction: we build for real

While the visible part of the fireplace is simple, it has a complex structure inside, and each part has a specific purpose and must be accurately calculated.

Parts of the fireplace: ash pan, firebox, chimney tooth, chimney, smoke collector, chimney.

Calculations of portal sizes and all internal parts depend on the area of ​​the fireplace room.

If we talk about specific calculations, before you build a brick fireplace, the price of which is quite high, it is better to measure the area of ​​the room in which it is installed. The size of the combustion hole is determined as 1:50 for optimal heating of the room. Knowing the area of ​​the combustion hole, you can easily calculate its height and width. They relate to each other like 2:3. The depth of the combustion chamber is chosen equal to 2/3 of the height. These parameters will be the most optimal for calculating a typical fireplace. Of course, each master has his own secrets and the construction of fireplaces can be carried out taking into account a different logic. In each specific case, the dimensions of the firebox and other parts of the product are calculated individually.

Precautions for use

Open fire poses a certain danger to the premises. Therefore it is necessary to observe simple rules when using a fireplace.

• 1. Do not place firewood close to the edge. They can fall out during the combustion process and set fire to the laminate or parquet flooring.
• 2. Keep the fire in sight, if you intend to move away for a while, install cut-off nets that will prevent burning coals from falling out of the firebox. A very important rule that cannot be neglected.
• 3. The floor itself in the fireplace room should be non-flammable, for example, tiles. Or, if not the entire floor, then 1-1.5 meters around the fireplace. This will create an additional safe zone.

A little more about the fireplace

Almost forgot! A burning Hearth encourages confidential communication, and this is a step towards a healthy, friendly atmosphere in the home.

Speaking of how to lay out a fireplace that won't break the bank too much family budget, you need to contact a real professional. It is those people who build fireplaces who know almost everything about really high-quality heating using firewood. Many ancient technologies are still successfully used in the fireplace business and have served people for more than one generation.

In your home, the fireplace will become the central element of the interior, which every guest will appreciate. Making it as attractive and tidy as possible is your task as the home owner. Aesthetic and practical fireplace will become a real place of home unity, relaxation with friends and loved ones, a place for long thoughts or evening relaxation.

A fireplace brings coziness and comfort to any home. That is why many try to arrange this element in one of the rooms. Some people make do with electric or bio-fireplaces, but no device can replace a live fire with a real captivating crackling sound and playing flames. Some are looking for a good stove maker to build this structure, and some want to try own strength. Therefore, the question arises of how to build a fireplace with your own hands.

A beautifully constructed and finished portal and the chosen shape of the fireplace are important for the interior of the room, because it can and should become its main element, to which all the decoration of the room and furniture will be matched. Harmoniously combined materials and elements that organically unite all fireplace accessories will make the room comfortable for the residents of the house.

If you do not have enough experience in similar work, the best option there will be a fireplace that does not have complex internal structures, with a simple shape and layout. Having assessed your strengths, you can begin preparing the construction process.

The first thing you need to do is choose a place to install such a brick structure. If the house already has a chimney, it is best to tie the building to this place, but you can choose another site convenient for the owner for the fireplace, but then you will also have to build a chimney pipe that goes through the roof or wall.

Having decided on the installation location, you need to make one of important steps— select a construction model. There are five types of fireplaces, and if you have experience as a stove maker and appropriate place, then any of them will do. But if you have never done such a thing, then you need to choose a simpler procedure. So, types of fireplaces:

• attached to the wall;
• built into the wall;
• standing separately;
• double-sided free-standing;
• angular.

It should also be noted that the fireplace can have a brick firebox, or you can purchase and install a cast iron firebox with or without doors.

Attached fireplace

This is the most popular model of all existing ones. It may have a very simple ordering scheme or a more complex one, with additional functions. This type of fireplace is erected next to the wall, and its chimney, passing through the ceiling and roof, is discharged to the street. The fireplace can have either a brick or cast iron firebox, as well as different external finishes.

In this case, a building is presented with a cast-iron, low-mounted firebox with doors made of fire-resistant glass. The fireplace is decorated with natural stone and, thanks to its rough natural structure, is reminiscent of fireplaces in caves.

The decoration goes well with the natural wood from which the walls are made, and in this case we can say that the entire furnishings are tailored to the design of the built fireplace. The designer achieved such harmony with the help color solutions and selection of material.

Built-in fireplace

The built-in version of the fireplace differs from the attached one in that the room contains only the portal and firebox of the structure, and the chimney is built into the wall, if its width allows, or attached to it from the street side. The ordering of such a fireplace is more complex, since the chimney must be led to the rear of the firebox. Such a fireplace can also have a built-in metal firebox or be made of silicate refractory bricks.

The portal is finished with cultivated natural stone, which gives the building elegance and solidity. Warm shades of decoration add coziness and warmth.

Standing separately

A free-standing fireplace does not touch any of the walls of the house and is installed in such a way that its rear surface can be used, for example, as a shelf. This building can be walked around, i.e. and the heat from it will flow completely, both from the firebox and the back wall, into the room. This type of fireplace is installed in rooms or halls with large area- it will give the room exclusivity and monumentality.

The complexity of this design lies in the fact that finishing has to be done not only on the front and side parts of the building, but also on the back side. Otherwise, the arrangement of such a fireplace is not particularly complicated, but not every house has enough space for it.

In this case, in external design The fireplace uses wild stone in combination with a wide stone molding. The firebox of this model is open and lined with heat-resistant bricks.

Double sided fireplace

Double-sided fireplaces can be divided into two types - these are options with two fireboxes or one through one. They can stand in the middle of the room or adjacent end side to Wall.

The first option, which has two fireboxes, can be built into the wall, and the fireboxes can extend into different rooms, and connected to one chimney.

If the fireplace has a through firebox, as shown in the photo, then it is recommended to install doors made of heat-resistant glass on both sides. When kindling, one of the doors must be closed to prevent coals from getting on flammable surfaces and objects. Pass-through fireplaces usually have cast iron inserts.

The design of both options is quite complex, and if an inexperienced craftsman takes on the work, it is better to consult with stove makers who have been practicing this art for a long time.

Corner fireplace

The compact model of a corner fireplace is well suited for small rooms. Occupying a modest area and having a neat shape, this option will decorate the room and complement its interior with its appearance.

The construction of a corner fireplace is similar to the construction of a structure attached to a wall, only it has a different shape and is adjacent to not one, but two walls. In such fireplaces, metal chimneys and fireboxes are often installed.

In this case, a modestly designed version is presented, organically integrated into general interior. It does not stand out with bright decoration, but is simply one of the necessary accessories of the room.

Having decided on one of the models, you need to find a scheme for its ordering, purchase necessary materials and get to work. A very important part of the building is its foundation - from it correct device the reliability of the entire structure will depend.

Foundation

The foundation will require high-quality materials:

• reinforcement, with a cross-section from one to one and a half centimeters, for reinforcing concrete (or instead, rubble stone can be placed in the solution);
• crushed stone, sand and cement;
• waterproofing material according to the size of the fireplace base;
• boards or a sheet of metal for formwork (if the base of the fireplace is semicircular, then it is better to use a sheet of metal to maintain the desired shape).

Having purchased everything you need, you can begin preparatory construction work.

• A pit is being dug for the foundation. Its depth will depend on the stability and type of soil and the massiveness of the building. Sometimes Half a meter is enough, but Sometimes you have to dig a hole a meter deep. You need to know that the foundation must exceed the base of the fireplace by 10-12 centimeters in each direction..
• The bottom of the pit is compacted, and crushed stone is laid on it in a layer of 8-10 centimeters.
• Formwork is placed along the edges of the pit. The foundation should be located 6-7 centimeters below the floor surface, which means the formwork is installed at this height.
• The next thing to do is install reinforcing mesh over the entire thickness of the foundation or lay the first layer of rubble stone.
• Concrete is poured in layers, each layer must set before the next one is poured.
• The last, top layer is leveled and left until the concrete “ripens” completely.
• A sheet of waterproofing (roofing felt) is spread on top of the frozen foundation - the first row of fireplace masonry will be laid on it.

Wall insulation

If the walls are made of flammable material, fire insulation must be installed on them. It may consist of foil material or special drywall. These materials will protect the wood from overheating.

Materials for masonry

To lay a fireplace you will need materials, the quantity of which will depend on the chosen model:

• There are two types of bricks - red and white silicate. If you plan to lay out certain shapes, you need to purchase figured bricks so as not to waste time on processing them. Its quantity can be calculated based on the order.

Good help - figured bricks

• Ready-made dry heat-resistant mixture, which is sold in construction stores, or sand, clay and a little cement for traditional mortar,which For many years, stove makers have been making their own. But, it should be noted that making such a mixture correctly is not so easy, so it is better to use ready-made compositions.
• Finishing tiles for walls and floors.

In addition to those indicated building materials, you need to purchase metal parts:

• firebox, if you plan to install a ready-made option;
• cast iron grate, if the firebox is made of sand-lime brick;
• door for the ash pan, also if provided;
• metal corner for covering the firebox;
• if you decide to make a metal chimney, you also need to purchase it in advance, providing all the dimensions.

Masonry

Wall fireplace

The laying of any fireplace occurs strictly according to the scheme of the selected model, with the obligatory verification of each row with the order. In this case, the simplest version of the fireplace is presented, which even a beginner can build if he acts carefully and carefully.

The diagram clearly shows how many bricks are required and in what position they are laid in each row of the building.

• Experienced stove makers strongly recommend, especially for beginners, to lay the entire structure of the fireplace dry in order to understand how to do it correctly and in which row the brick needs to be adjusted to size.
• The diagram is presented in three projections, and from it you can immediately calculate which a grate is laid in a row, and on which- covering the combustion chamber.
• The notes show where solid bricks are laid - they are red, and split bricks are highlighted with shading.

Based on such a clear guide, you can slowly build the fireplace.

Corner fireplace

Corner fireplace - somewhat more complicated

Corner - more difficult option, but, with some effort, you can implement it if you have a detailed recommendation, for example, such as is presented in this case.

• The diagram shows from which row and in what position it is laid sand-lime brick(here it is colored yellow). This type of brick is used to decorate the fireplace insert. It is also clearly visible on which row the metal sheet needs to be laid, the grille and smoke damper installed.
• In this model, you will have to work on individual bricks - they will have to be ground, hemmed and hewed so that the shape of the fireplace is consistent, according to the diagram.
• It is also worth mentioning the seams between bricks. They should not be too thick, otherwise they may crack when dry. Therefore, when laying bricks on the mortar, they are tapped with a special rubber hammer, leaving a distance of no more than five millimeters between them.

Mantel

If facing work is planned after masonry, it is necessary to wait until the structure has completely dried, and only then begin to transform it.

Final work - finishing the erected fireplace

• The first thing they do when starting this process is to apply a special plaster to the masonry, perfectly leveling the walls. When they dry, mark them and only then begin cladding.
• Surface finishing starts from the corners. If possible, it is better to purchase special corner tiles for these areas, which will make the work easier and faster. In addition to marking on the planes of the fireplace walls, for the evenness of the rows and maintaining the thickness of the seams between brick-shaped tiles, special calibration devices are used in the form of crosses or tubes of the required thickness.
• A special adhesive is used to lay the tiles. It is applied in such a way that after pressing the tile it does not protrude on the sides.
• When the glue dries, the seams are sealed with a special mixture intended for this (heat-resistant fugue). This must be done very carefully, trying not to get the solution on the surface of the tile. If this happens, it should be wiped off immediately with a soft cloth.

For greater clarity, a video about building a fireplace with your own hands

This is not to say that folding a fireplace is quite simple, and a beginner will not encounter difficulties during the work. But with a strong desire and a detailed ordering scheme, this can be done. Cladding of the structure – already more creative work, after which the building will be transformed and acquire its own “face”. This is what makes it interesting - after finishing laying the tiles, you can admire your work of art.