Plasterboard fireplace

A plasterboard fireplace is an original, environmentally friendly solution for a modern interior. You can make and install it yourself, at no extra cost. Such a fireplace looks stylish, neat and, unlike a brick one, does not require special care. It fits perfectly into the space of a city apartment and a country house. Despite the artificiality, the plasterboard fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere.

The purpose of the imitation

A homemade plasterboard fireplace performs not only a decorative function, but also has a lot of advantages. With its help, you can close the batteries, give the room atmosphere, comfort, intimacy. The peculiarity is that you can build a fireplace with your own hands in an apartment, and at the same time do not collect permits for its construction. A false fireplace can be of any shape, size, configuration, and this allows it to fit into any interior.

To build a fireplace, you will need simple materials that are sold in hardware stores. Experts can show how to properly build a fireplace, as well as decide on the choice of the necessary tools. Plasterboard fireplaces are safe, as the design does not allow the use of open flames. The cost of artificial fireplaces is low, and you can install them with your own hands without outside help..

A false fireplace is often used as a shelf, stand, or decorative piece. Instead of a real fire in a prepared niche, it is easy to arrange an electric fireplace, an imitation of a flame. The peculiarity is that the structure can be moved around the apartment if it is not attached to the wall..

Interior design

The dimensions of the fireplace in the apartment must correspond to the general space of the room in which it is located. Large fireplaces are suitable for a large room, small structures will look appropriate in a small room. A false fireplace is often installed in the hall, in the living room, kitchen, bedroom and even in the bathroom. It is sometimes used as a TV stand. The fireplace, depending on the interior in the room, can be decorated in a classic style, modern, rustic, English, hi-tech.

If you want the design to match the style of an apartment or house, pay special attention when registering for a portal, chimney, or pre-furnace site. If the fireplace is made in a classic style, it is decorated with marble, natural wood. Shelves are an indispensable decorative element for such a design. With shelves, the fireplace looks beautiful, it becomes functional. You can put figurines, candlesticks, vases on them.

A plasterboard fireplace portal is decorated with glass, an electric fireplace. The portal with the aquarium looks original and stylish. It can also be placed on a wide shelf. An electric fireplace made in the wall looks unusual and completely merges with the surface. Designers advise to decorate an empty portal with a wrought iron grate, a firebox, candles, original vases, a painting, a mirror.

Views

A fake fireplace differs from the real one by the impossibility of lighting a fire inside the portal. Plasterboard flash fireplaces are not designed for open fire, even if finished with fireproof materials! Their portal is formed by an imitation of a flame that turns on and off when the owner needs it. The layout of such a fireplace can be ordered from the master, or you can make it yourself based on the existing ones..

• Credible. A trustworthy faux fireplace looks like it is real. The fireplace has all the elements inherent in this design: fireplace insert, chimney, shelf, grate. Framing a cast-iron, brick chimney is a complex painstaking process, as well as creating a reliable structure. Sewing a pipe with durable materials is often not complete without professional advice and outside help. Build an electric or biofireplace into a portal of this design. This will create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth..

• Conditional. An artificial conditional fireplace is the simplest false construction. It is easy to make yourself, it will perfectly fit into the modern interior and will become the centerpiece of the room. Installation of a biofireplace is a simple process that is easy to do on your own. The electric fireplace looks elegant and does not require special installation rules.

• Symbolic. Symbolic fireplaces are also easy to manufacture. You can even buy a pseudo portal in a store and install it yourself at home. A false fireplace looks beautiful if it has an original design. The artificiality of the symbolic construction is inherent, therefore, the main role that it plays is only decorative. A dummy, snag acts as a decoration in the room. White drywall fireplace looks beautiful against a white brick wall.

Materials and tools

Plasterboard structures are the most popular today. This material is most often used for frame sheathing. It goes well with any finish and is easy to assemble. It is easy to arrange a spatial form of any complexity from drywall. The price of the material is low.

Tools are required to build an artificial fireplace. It is necessary to purchase: U-shaped metal profile, plasterboard sheets, slats, self-tapping screws (14-15 mm), special self-tapping screws with a countersunk head, tape measure, dowels, screwdriver, grinder, puncher, plumb line, building level, silicone, putty, water-based paint, elements for decoration. The amount of materials depends on the calculations made and the size of the structure.

The plasterboard fireplace frame is built from a standard profile. Usually, a metal rack or guide profile is used for these purposes. A frame box is created from a drawing or layout. It should be fixed to the wall and floor with special glue, if the fireplace is small – with self-tapping screws. Above the box should have a solid base for further finishing (if you are going to make a shelf).

The frame should be sheathed with plasterboard. It is a lightweight material that lends itself well to cutting. It’s easy to work with him. The technical characteristics of the material are such that it is used not only for decorative purposes, but also for the construction of non-bearing partitions, suspended ceilings, wall cladding, when creating columns, arches and other structures. High-quality gypsum plasterboards made in accordance with GOST are durable and withstand additional weight.

After making the frame, it should be sheathed with plasterboard. For these purposes, you will need to cut sheets with a manual grinder. The joints must be additionally secured with a profile (consider this when purchasing materials). Sheathing seams are fixed with self-tapping screws and putty. Often the plasterboard material does not require finishing, so after a while the portal lining can be changed without disassembling the device.

Manufacturing procedure

Before erecting a fireplace, decide on the place of construction. The structure should be located near the wall and not interfere with free passage. They should not cling to the fireplace, touch it with hands and feet. The wrong place for the fireplace can ruin the impression of the space and the structure itself. When you decide on the location of the false fireplace, sketches will be required.

Take some time to design it, because the fireplace will become the dominant object in the interior of the room. Make some sketches yourself or ask a designer to do it. A drawing is made according to the sketches, which displays the real dimensions of the structure. When developing it, use ready-made drawings or sketches. You can draw a rough design on a large piece of Whatman paper and attach it to the wall. If everything suits you, start prototyping.

Layout is done according to the drawing, taking into account the dimensions of the future fireplace. With its help, calculations and expenses for materials are made. Layouts are made of foam or cardboard. When creating a layout, it is not necessary to adhere to precise calculations. It is needed in order to have a visual idea of ​​the design to be done. The layout can indicate mistakes, it is easy to move it around the apartment and experiment (choose a color, decor).

The next stage after prototyping is construction.

• The fireplace is built on a frame using a metal U-shaped profile. For construction, wooden slats, picket fences, materials that can be found at home after construction are used. The frame is assembled on self-tapping screws. First of all, a support frame should be attached to the wall and the rest of the frame should be assembled on it..
• The building level will be needed to check the horizontal and vertical parts of the frame. Rectangular mounting areas are measured with a tape measure.
• The frame is sheathed with plasterboard sheets using self-tapping screws. If the decor goes on drywall, the crossbar and side parts are covered in 2 layers.
• The portal is one of the most important parts of the fireplace. Today you can find on sale polyurethane, natural stone, wooden decorative portals. The design and style of the portal should match the main interior, and the size should exactly match the fireplace. Remember that the purchased portal is mounted only once..

If you don’t want to spend money on a portal, make it yourself from drywall.

• Glue a few pieces of drywall together with mounting glue to get the thickness you want. Cut along the contour with a saw, then use an abrasive mesh to select depressions and notches, make rounds if necessary.
• When the outer shape of the portal is ready, fill the gaps with putty, and putty the outer surface with an abrasive mesh to get an even white layer.
• The final stage is impregnation with PVA putty. Externally and in texture, it is similar to liquid glue. It is necessary to soak several layers with it and wait until it dries completely. The surface should be matt, like marble. Such drywall fireplaces look natural.

Another step-by-step method for erecting a false fireplace. To build it, you will need plasterboard, guide rack profiles (for the frame), self-tapping screws with a hidden head (fixing sheets), ordinary self-tapping screws (from 1.4 to 1.6 cm), dowel-nails (fixing profiles to the wall and floor), primer , putty, glue, grout.

Stage 1. Marking should be applied to the floor and walls. You will need it to install the profiles. You need to work in full accordance with the drawing.

Step 2. Attach the guides along the lines, taking into account the structure of the surface.

Stage 3. You need to install racks in the guides, fasten everything with self-tapping screws. The fireplace frame is assembled separately, taking into account the portal.

Stage 4. The frame is covered with plasterboard.

Stage 5. Finishing and decoration taking into account the interior and the characteristics of the room.

Portal decor

Portal decoration is one of the most creative and enjoyable stages of building a false fireplace. It is easy to make beautiful decor if you use various samples, examples of ready-made designs. To decorate a handmade fireplace, various materials are used, such as wallpaper, decorative bricks, artificial stone, tiles..

• Brick. Brick trim, real or artificial, looks luxurious and soundly. If the fireplace is made with high quality, it is difficult to distinguish it from the real one. The shade of the brick is propped up under the interior of the room. If the room is made in light colors, the brick should be milky, white, beige. Brown, red brick is best used for rustic style or loft.

• Ceramic tile. Ceramic tile cladding is one of the most popular methods. Ceramic tiles have high thermal conductivity, do not require special maintenance, they are easy to install. A large selection of shades, textures allows you to experiment with the design of the fireplace. For laying such tiles, you should use a special heat-resistant glue.

• Adhesive tape. Decorating with self-adhesive film is a simple and inexpensive way. It is better to use the film if the surface of the structure is perfectly flat. A huge selection of shades, film patterns creates a special accent. It is better to use such material for decoration if the fireplace is small in size..

• Wood. Natural wood cladding looks beautiful and natural. This eco-friendly material will perfectly fit into a rustic interior and even a modern apartment, if you choose the right shade..

• Natural or artificial stone. You can decorate the fireplace with natural or artificial stone yourself. It looks beautiful and aesthetically pleasing in a city apartment. This is the most popular and widespread cladding that allows you to create a realistic portal with a chic embossed surface. The stone is fixed with a special tile adhesive. Finish color is chosen according to the style of the room.

• Marble. If you go to decorate your fireplace with a beautiful, durable and fireproof material, marble is perfect for this purpose. This material is best used for finishing large portals. It looks beautiful in a room made in the same style..

• Decorative plaster. Decorating a fireplace with decorative plaster looks elegant and modern. White, milky, beige or bright plaster of cold shades looks beautiful on the portal. You can apply it yourself or hire a master. The cost of plastering is low.

• Dye. Special quick-drying home paint is perfect for decorating a fireplace in a classic style. The portal is painted with white paint and additionally decorated with stucco molding. The countertop for the mantel is best made of marble. In this case, the fireplace will look expensive and stylish..

• Styrofoam. Styrofoam molding looks light and elegant. The peculiarity of this material is that it is lightweight, lends itself well to cutting, it is easy to paint and decorate it. Styrofoam is perfectly attached to the structure with glue.

• Polyurethane. Sheathing a fireplace with polyurethane is a modern solution. This material is often used because it is fire-resistant, retains an attractive appearance for a long time, it is easy to fix, it has a low weight, and polyurethane does not crack over time. A variety of finishes allow you to choose the most suitable option for a particular design. Fixed polyurethane finish with glue or mechanically.

Despite the external fragility of drywall, it is a fairly strong and durable material. It is able to withstand the weight of artificial stones, bricks, marble, tiles, decor. The material lends itself well to painting, putty. Decorative brick, marble is attached to the plasterboard surface using a special construction adhesive. There is one condition: if the finish is heavy, the plasterboard frame should be covered in several layers, and it is recommended to put a primer on top. The frame must also be made of a sturdy profile..

If an electric fireplace is supposed to be installed in the fireplace, the inside must be sheathed with sheets of magnesite, and foil should be applied on top of it. This protective layer does not allow the fireplace to heat up and prevents fires. The big minus of drywall is that it ignites quickly. If you want to add exclusivity to the fireplace, order a wrought iron grate in the workshop. It will give the composition a complete, most realistic appearance..