How To Brick A Metal Fireplace (34 Photos): Iron Or Cast Iron Fireplace, Fireplace Insert

2023 Author: Diana Owen | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-03 13:40

Metal stoves are practical and convenient devices that allow you to very quickly warm up a room to the desired temperature. Although such structures are capable of retaining heat for a long time, outwardly they do not always fit into the interior design. The solution to this problem is to decorate the fireplace using the method of external lining with stone or brick. After that, it acquires a pleasant appearance, creating home comfort and giving a good mood.

We stock up on everything you need

The process of finishing a cast iron fireplace is a complex process that requires the use of special tools. For such purposes, specialists use a set of certain products and mechanisms:

• level;
• roulette;
• hammer pickaxe;
• plumb line;
• Master OK.

You also need to stock up on small containers for mixing the mortar and transporting it to the place of masonry (buckets, pallets, etc.). To cover a metal fireplace with bricks, you should also stock up on materials:

1. Brick. This product must be designed for high temperature service. Building bricks should not be used, but refractory materials should be preferred. Many experts recommend buying decorative materials right away, which will exclude additional finishing on the outside of the masonry.
2. Solution. You can make such a mixture yourself from clay, cement and sand, but this procedure requires adherence to a certain technology. It is much easier to buy ready-made masonry products that only need to be diluted with water to a certain consistency.
3. Asbestos cardboard, metal corners, etc. All these attributes are auxiliary and are used to optimize the design (insulation, reinforcement, formation of arches, etc.).

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Preparing masonry mortar

The basis of almost any masonry mixture is a substance that is similar in composition to the material used for walls. Therefore, in the case of a brick fireplace, it is advisable to use clay solutions. The algorithm for their preparation is relatively simple and consists of several steps:

1. Initially, sand and clay are mixed in a special container (2: 1). Please note that the sand mixture should be as pure as possible and consist only of this substance. Therefore, it is pre-sifted through special feed, which allows you to remove all organic components (plants, etc.) and large stones that cannot be kneaded to a uniform consistency.
2. When the mixture is ready, it is poured with water in a ratio of 1 to 4 and the solution is allowed to acquire the desired plasticity. To do this, it is initially left for about 3 hours, then mixed thoroughly and then again allowed to stand for about an hour. To minimize evaporation of water, the container is covered with a lid or similar structure.
3. At the end of the time, the mixture is checked. To do this, a small tourniquet is rolled out of it, about 1 cm thick. Then it rolls up into a ring with a diameter of about 5 cm. If during this process the solution looks like soft plasticine and there are no cracks, then there is a lot of clay in it. This is eliminated by adding sand and additional infusion. When it is difficult to form a ring with the help of a substance or it has large cracks, then this indicates a lack of clay, which must be added to it and left to infuse for some time.

In the absence of these components, you can use a cement-sand mixture as a solution with the addition of a certain amount of PVA glue or purchase ready-made products in a store.

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Furnace finishing

An iron fireplace is not only heavy, but also a relatively dangerous structure. Therefore, it must be operated in accordance with all safety standards, according to which it must be installed on a metal or concrete base. The process of finishing the fireplace insert is carried out in compliance with some sequential rules:

1. To ensure the optimal level of heating and movement of warm air, a gap of about 5 cm must be left between the walls of the stove and the masonry. This parameter is taken into account when marking the base of the structure.
2. The brick is placed on a flat surface, often using the same metal sheet that the oven is placed on. Therefore, when buying it, you need to take into account this small nuance.
3. The first row should be solid without any holes or crevices. Before construction is carried out, the brick should be slightly wetted. The mortar is applied with a trowel in such a quantity as to form seams with a thickness of 3 to 5 mm.
4. All subsequent rows are laid according to the same principle, observing the binding of bricks. In the second row, experts recommend leaving 2 small holes that act as ventilation.
5. After placing several rows, it is imperative to control the level of the masonry and the verticality of each of the corners. To do this, use plumb lines or a flat rail.
6. In the places where the doors are located, special openings are formed, which make it easy to access the firebox and perform the necessary operations with it. In the same way, the entire brick structure is built, observing the previously considered rules.

Upon completion of construction, the fireplace can be decorated with special clinker tiles that can withstand high temperatures. is selected individually and depends on the wishes of the owner.

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