A fireplace is a good way to diversify your interior. It will not be difficult to install it in a country house, but in an apartment it is not at all possible. An excellent alternative to a real fireplace can be a corner false fireplace, which you can make with your own hands.
Artificial fireplaces. What are they?
All false - fireplaces are divided into three types:
- Symbolic;
- Conditional;
- Credible.
The simplest option is a symbolic fireplace, which is most often represented by a bright image of fire and a beautiful pasted frame. It looks very little like a real fireplace, but anyone can make such an option.
For a conditional imitation of a fireplace, only decorative materials are required. The portal of such a fireplace can have a small indent from the wall and have a place for the hearth. It is impossible to kindle such a fireplace, but you can put candles in the firebox or just lay the firewood beautifully.
A credible artificial simulation is more complete. Such a structure is more like a home. In addition, it is possible to install a heater or an electronic burner for biofireplaces.
To create any artificial fireplace, you will need a minimum set of simple materials:
- Plywood;
- Drywall;
- Styrofoam;
- Wood;
- Brick;
- Chipboard;
- Cardboard;
- Polyurethane.
All of these materials are easy to find at home, in the country or in a hardware store.
How to do it yourself?
An electric fireplace is a good alternative to a regular brick fireplace with real coals. If a real fireplace plays mainly the role of a heater, then an artificial fireplace primarily serves an aesthetic function.
To create a believable structure, in addition to decorative elements, a solid frame is required. Real fireplaces are large enough, but to save space in the living room, this decor element can be made in the corner.
The interior should be made of metal to support the plasterboard and other decorative elements. You will also need auxiliary tools: a screwdriver, self-tapping screws, a level, dowels, a grinder and a large knife.
To create a beautiful and reliable corner fireplace yourself, you definitely need to draw up a work plan and prepare everything you need.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Design on paper;
- Layout of the area for the fireplace in the interior;
- Installation;
- Facing.
Design and markup
Even before purchasing building materials, you must definitely have drawings of the future structure. Thanks to the diagrams, you can clearly see what and how much you need.
Projects of any fireplaces must contain the following items:
- Height, width and depth of the structure;
- The presence or absence of a pedestal;
- The points of the location of the buttons for switching on and off the fireplace;
- Placement of sockets;
- The presence of a outlet for heated air from an electronic fireplace;
- Whether or not a refractory material is required.
If you can't draw up a drawing yourself, then you can contact a more knowledgeable person in this matter. A professional can easily outline the future design of your fake fireplace. It is also worth considering the color scheme of the building in advance.
All materials have been purchased and you are ready to go. It should start with finding a place for a fireplace. It is most convenient to put a corner false fireplace in an apartment, since it will take up less space and it does not matter if you will place it in the bedroom or in the living room. If the place is determined, then using a felt-tip pen, it is necessary to outline the contours of the fireplace on the floor and walls.
Installation and cladding
At the initial stage of installing a corner false fireplace, it is important to provide power supply if the structure needs it (heater or imitation fire). After that, you can screw in the metal profile along the outlined lines and install the racks. If there are rounded lines in the drawing, then you will have to make metal arcs yourself. To do this, small cuts need to be made at a distance of 4 or 6 cm.
When the frame is securely installed, you can deal with the cladding. If, with simpler options, cardboard can be useful for decoration, then in the case of an iron base, drywall is needed. It is necessary to cut the material for cladding strictly according to the dimensions indicated on the paper. Sheathing is performed using self-tapping screws, which must be tightened to the end so that the structure does not loosen. The interior of the firebox must be finished with a heat-resistant material such as asbestos or magnesite.
The next stage is putty. The joints and screws must be carefully greased. If you want a corner false - the fireplace will serve you as long as possible, then its surface must be sanded and primed. Then the surface is sanded and decorated at your discretion.
How to decorate and fill the firebox?
With the installation and cladding left behind, you might think about how to fill the interior of your corner fireplace. The filling may depend on your desire, as well as on your ability to pay.
According to the internal structure, fireplaces are of several types. They presented:
- An electric fireplace is a device that not only creates an external imitation of fire, but also emits a certain amount of heat. Also, such devices can emit sounds that are as close as possible to the crackling of logs.
- Digital photo frame. Such an element purely outwardly imitates tongues of flame.
- Electric lighting for false fireplaces. There are a lot of options for such bulbs.
- Candles. Ordinary candles can be neatly assembled in the firebox and light the wick at the right time. This option is relatively safe and aesthetic, but does not deliver much warmth.
Also, the inside of a corner fireplace can be filled with small logs. Naturally, it is not recommended to light them, but the appearance of the structure with them will become even better.
The easiest and cheapest way to decorate a corner fireplace is with self-adhesive foil or wallpaper. This option also has its drawbacks: the fireplace looks inconspicuous, and the paper can come off at any time.
A slightly more practical option with painting. However, there are few options here, and you can't make a fireplace with such a decor special. You can choose an option that is more expensive and more reliable: artificial stone or ceramic tiles. With the help of these materials, it will be difficult to distinguish a corner false fireplace from a real one.
A properly assembled artificial fireplace can serve you for many years as an interior decoration. On its top panel, you can install an additional shelf, on which you can later put a variety of items: souvenirs, vases, books or a TV.
7 pictures