Make a corner fireplace with your own hands, video instructions, photos and prices

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As a rule, standard fireplaces are heated with wood. This means that the smoke that is produced as a result of their combustion has to go somewhere. It is easier to install a pipe system in a private house, but in an apartment it is a little more difficult. In order to competently carry out this stage of work, it is recommended to hire a specialist. The very façade of a fireplace in a room is very easy to make, and for this we will need the following materials: metal corners, bolts and natural stone. If you are building false fireplaces or are planning to install an electric model, then you can use drywall. Before you start building a corner fireplace in the living room interior with your own hands, decide on the dimensions. The design should not take up much space, but at the same time its parameters should be sufficient for the fireplace to provide heating for the entire room.

How to make a fireplace with your own hands

The design of the corner fireplace does not have complex internal configurations or branching channels, so even an inexperienced craftsman can assemble it with his own hands. Construction includes certain stages.

Design:

It is optimal to design its arrangement at the same time as the house.
First, a design is selected.
If you have no ideas, then there is a whole photo gallery on the Internet.
Then a sketch is drawn, and based on it a drawing is made with exact parameters.
After this, an orderly calculation of the brickwork (“ordering”) is carried out using special programs.

When designing a fireplace in a finished building, special attention must be paid to ensure that the chimney pipe runs at a distance from the ceiling beams. The choice of materials for each stage of construction is important. The minimum set of tools can include a level, trowels, hammers, mallets, and a plumb line. When the project is ready, the dimensions have been calculated, the material has been selected and the tools have been prepared, the construction stage begins.

A couple of location tips

If you want a fireplace in your home to perform a heating function, do not place it on an outside wall or at a junction where one of the walls faces the street. In this case, it will heat the outside of the house, not the inside. Yes, no doubt: a corner fireplace in the living room interior between the windows looks quite interesting. Photos of such solutions, which, by the way, are replete with the pages of many glossy magazines, are further confirmation of this. However, this is just beautiful, but absolutely not practical. It’s another matter if you are installing a false fireplace, or the structure will be electric, and its main function is decoration, not heating. It is also recommended to hang a TV on the wall, which is perpendicular to the one under which our “hearth” is located. This will create a cozy corner that will be set aside specifically for relaxation. It can be surrounded by sofas, armchairs and rocking chairs.

Stages of work

Next, we offer step-by-step instructions for creating a corner fireplace with your own hands: it describes how to create each element.

Let's start with the foundation

Corner-type fireplaces are built on a base that is not tied to the foundation of the house. It is best to lay them at the same time, but it is also possible to install a foundation for a fireplace in an already built house.

Important! Homeowners often ask the question, is it really necessary to build a special foundation for a fireplace? Yes! The finished structure weighs up to 600 kg, the floor will not withstand such a load, so it is necessary to build your own foundation for the fireplace.

First, a pit is made; it exceeds the dimensions of the bottom row of the fireplace by 10-15 cm and goes deep to the level of the foundation of the house (this is approximately 600 mm if the house is one-story, and 800 if it has two floors). The bottom is leveled and a little more than 30 mm of fine sand is poured, it is watered with water and compacted in several layers. A layer of large stones and crushed stones should be poured onto the sand.

The board formwork, which is laid as the next layer, can be either permanent or temporary. In the second case, it is removed after the foundation has dried, and the empty openings are filled with gravel and sand. If the fireplace has a complex shape, a sheet of metal is used for formwork instead of boards.

A mesh of reinforcement is placed on top, which is filled with rubble (a mixture of cement, sand and crushed stone).

The side walls are lined with asbestos sheets to prevent overheating.

Next, the foundation is leveled according to the rule, covered with a waterproofing film and left to dry for about 4 weeks.

Lay out the body of the fireplace

How to make the construction process calm and enjoyable. Here are some points that will help you with this:

when purchasing bricks, take into account the error of about 15% for scrap and other force majeure;
after laying out each row, do not be lazy to check the level of the horizon; after all the work is completed, it will be difficult to correct a crooked fireplace;
mark the row number on the wall, then you won’t need to count and keep it in your head;
roofing steel laid on the floor in the construction area will help protect the premises from possible damage;
Read also: How to choose plywood for making furniture yourself
Before starting work, the brick is soaked for a couple of days so that it dries more evenly when interacting with the clay mortar.

Get ready for the fact that you will have to do some kind of “double” work. First, lay out the fireplace without using mortar, dry it, check whether everything matches the design, whether your fireplace will be smooth and beautiful. During the finishing installation process, it is also advisable to first lay out each row dry and check how it lays.

Advantages that a corner fireplace can boast of

A living room with a corner fireplace is not only a very stylish solution, but also very comfortable. Firstly, by installing such a massive structure in the corner, we save space. Secondly, a fireplace that is located immediately under two walls (if neither of them is external, see above) heats more rooms. His warmth reaches those rooms in which he himself is not located. And thirdly, this option provides wide scope for the most daring design solutions. A cozy corner can be decorated both in a classic style and in the spirit of modernity. A living room with a corner fireplace, the interior of which will imitate a spaceship or a Japanese apartment (there may be many more options), will look very unusual and attractive.

Brick fireplaces

This material is an undeniable classic. If the corner fireplace in the living room interior is made from it, then comfort, enormous heat transfer and an incomparable fairy-tale atmosphere in the house are guaranteed. The use of brick opens up huge creative spaces for designers. Here a variant of the standard classics is possible (solid furniture, parquet and woolen carpets). If you decorate the façade of the fireplace to look like stone, you will get the perfect rural house. The living room can be complemented with rattan furniture, raw wooden beams, folk ornaments and embroidered napkins. A brick corner fireplace in the living room interior can also serve as additional storage for accessories and books. There may be shelves or even drawers above it. Another original option is a brick fireplace, which will be “lost” against the background of the same brick walls, painted in the same color. A non-standard solution, ideal for loft style.

Metal furnaces

A heat source built from metal is considered by many to be far from the best design solution for their home. But, as practice shows, it is completely in vain! In fact, it is the metal corner fireplace in the living room interior that looks stylish, unusual and very original. The photos also clearly show us that such structures are very compact, and therefore suitable for apartments where, alas, there are few square meters. A stove made of iron opens up enormous scope for creativity. It can be “walled up” in the wall, leaving only the firebox visible where the flame will burn. This option is ideal for an interior in a minimalist or high-tech style. The metal frame can be finished with decorative stone, recreating the previous “brick” project. Metal fireplaces can take any shape - triangle, square, circle, ellipse, etc., they can be suspended or located in a niche, deep between the walls.

Installation Rules

The installation diagram for a corner fireplace in the living room is not very complicated, the main thing is to take the measurements correctly and draw a drawing, but more on that in a little more detail. The rules and steps for installing fireplaces are as follows:

Of course, the first thing that needs to be done is a design drawing, which will reflect all the necessary dimensions, names of materials and, of course, technical details. Let's say the fireplace is made of brick, then it is best to make a very detailed diagram of each row. This is necessary to ensure that during construction there are no errors or inaccuracies that the builders may make. The more detailed the project, the better and more quality the work will be done;
The next stage is the purchase of all necessary materials;
Then comes the construction of the fireplace itself;
And the very last stage is finishing the corner fireplace. The finishing can be varied, it all depends on the wishes, for example, it could be just decorative brick, metal trim or a cast iron grate, glass. Recently, plaster finishing of the hearth has been very popular, which is available in a huge variety of colors. The color scheme can be matched to any living room interior.

Main precautions and location selection

Safety measures must be taken care of first when installing such a fireplace. And to do this, you need to choose the right place for its placement and be sure to carefully prepare the foundation on which the future fireplace will be located.

It is imperative to take into account the fact that in no case should the fireplace be placed in a place where there is a draft, namely near a window or door. Since the air flow can blow hot ash onto the carpet, curtains and cause a fire!

It is also important to remember that the base must match the weight of the fireplace itself. Otherwise, the foundation may not hold up, crack, or simply skew to one side, and all these unpleasant moments can bring a lot of problems in the future. And because of this, it is best to play it safe and pour the strongest foundation for the future source of heat, to guarantee its stability in the future. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the space in front of the fireplace insert must be made of a material that does not ignite.

It is imperative to play it safe when building a fireplace. And because of this, there must be good protection between the wall of the house and the hearth itself, since such fireplaces pose a great danger if this is not done. This protection measure can be any material that is not flammable, for example, mineral wool or drywall. If the design of the fireplace is brick, then for protection they use a brick wall, which is located between the wall of the house itself and the hearth. This option is the most ideal, as it will not be conspicuous, and such protection will look very harmonious.

Don’t forget that when decorating a room, you don’t need to place things that are easily flammable near the fireplace. It is best to leave items that do not burn, such as glass or metal.

Of course, safety should come first. If you do not adhere to it, there will be a high probability of fires. Remember that curtains, carpets, and skins should not be placed near the fireplace, as these are the first sources of fire.

A corner fireplace in the interior is an ideal solution for an apartment. It will create comfort, warmth and add some style to the room, the main thing is to adhere to all safety rules.

False structures to create coziness

In order to make your home more stylish and warm, it turns out that it is not at all necessary to install a real stone corner fireplace in the living room. Photos of many projects that we see in magazines and on portals of relevant topics show us that it is possible to mount an electric or gas fireplace that will look like the real thing, and maybe even better. The fact is that such fireplaces are much easier to install, they operate using gas or electricity rather than wood, do not require an overly complex exhaust system and do not take up much free space. The only thing is that gas structures must always be connected to the gas supply system. These could be pipes or an additional cylinder. By constantly filling it, you will have an eternally burning fireplace in your home.

All the beauty of electrics

An electric corner fireplace in the living room interior is a real godsend for apartments. This design will take up no more than 30 centimeters of free space, and you will have an excellent cozy corner that will look realistic and create the illusion of being in a distant, quiet village. Today such products are offered by ordinary construction stores. The base of the fireplace, its firebox and all other connecting elements can be easily found on one of the counters or ordered from a catalog. Such fireplaces can be finished with decorative stone, chromed steel, or simply painted in any color you need. Thanks to this versatility, the electric fireplace easily fits into any interior. With its help, a designer can create both a fabulous cozy house and a noisy living room in a high-tech style, which will be full of interesting accessories and unusual furniture.

Choice of design and style

The design of a corner fireplace, depending on the selected materials, textures and color palette, can be made in one of the most popular and current styles today:

Classic;
Modern;
Country or rustic;
High tech;
Scandinavian;
Eco.

For detailed information about all the subtleties and design possibilities, the following detailed instructions are attached.

Cladding with artificial stone

Modern interior with corner fireplace and portal

Classic design

The corner design, made in this style, has its own characteristics and subtleties in implementation:

The main materials for making the portal are ceramic tiles, terracotta, brick, and wood. These materials can be supplemented with small forged parts;
The main feature of this direction is the presence of gypsum stucco and volumetric parts, elements, columns;
The surface of the portal must be decorated with materials with thematic designs, ornaments, various patterns and curls;
Thematic floral motifs are very popular;
It is possible to use a mosaic to assemble a small picture;
The color palette of the classic direction is red, beige, white, sand, flesh, yellow shades;
As additional accessories and decorative elements, it is allowed to decorate with various paintings with elegant patterned frames, figurines, candles, candlesticks, clocks;
The classic style embodies a combination of various smooth outlines and curves and a complete absence of straight, sharp corners.

Small corner classic fireplace

Always up-to-date classic

Modern direction

The interior of a living room with a corner fireplace can also be designed in a modern direction, which is characterized by the following features:

A fireplace installation made in this style can be either quite bright, contrasting and catchy, or have a fairly simple, delicate and calm design;
The most commonly used colors are lilac, light green, yellow, orange, turquoise, brown, beige, sand, gray, black and white;
Unlike the classical direction, modernism involves the use of right angles, outlines and objects that have an irregular and multifaceted shape;
To finish the portal, the following is used: paint, decorative putty, plastic panels, artificial and natural stone coatings;
A corner portal in a modern direction can have a different shape, but it should not look very bright and catchy against the main background of the room. The colors should be in harmony and match each other.

Design of a living room with a fireplace in the modern direction

comment in the photo gallery to Figure 2

Corner modern fireplace

Country or rustic motifs

These motifs primarily look good in the interior of a private country house or country house. This design makes it possible to achieve an unsurpassed atmosphere of comfort and coziness as much as possible. The main features and advantages of country style include:

A do-it-yourself artificial corner fireplace in a country or rustic direction involves the use of the most natural and natural shades, materials, structures;
The price of finishing materials can be either quite budgetary or above average, due to the large difference in the coatings that can be used. These include: wood, metal, brick, artificial and natural stone;
The optimal color palette is a combination of delicate and warm shades (brown, cream, flesh, white, gray, beige, light yellow, milky);
For harmonious execution, the materials must be given a slightly worn structure. Perform so-called aging;
The main forms of this style are rounded and soft, smooth outlines. When decorating the overall interior with such an installation, special attention must be paid to textiles. Which is made from natural materials. The design can be either quite calm, gentle and monochromatic, or bright, floral, catchy.

Important: choose materials for making the frame and framing of the fireplace heating unit depending on the type of fireplace. If this is a classic wood-burning, electric, bio or gas fireplace, opt for materials that can withstand high heat and sudden temperature changes. For decorative structures, all materials are suitable without exception.

Portal for the hearth made of decorative stone with a chimney and firewood

Cozy rustic style

Corner fireplace in Scandinavian motifs

High tech

The high-tech direction is suitable for both multi-apartment and private houses and cottages. It is absolutely universal and at the same time simple to implement:

The basis of such a fireplace portal can be artificial and natural stone, metal;
If you want to buy a completely finished fireplace in this design, pay attention to electric fireplaces, the firebox of which is made of steel or cast iron;
The direction is characterized by calm and natural shades: gray, metallic, white, brown and beige;
High-tech is a combination of non-standard forms and innovative solutions;
In such an interior you need to use only necessary and useful accessories. Complete the interior with a large plasma TV, home theater and any other equipment;
The portal that is ideally suited and fully consistent with this direction is a multimedia one.

Built-in corner innovative fireplace

High-tech corner heating design

Large and original high-tech unit

Scandinavian and eco style

Scandinavian and eco trends are very similar to each other and have common design features:

To embody eco style, it is necessary to use exclusively environmentally friendly, reliable and safe materials. For both directions, the portal is mainly made of natural stone, brick or wood;
The color palette is quite calm and natural shades (white, gray, beige, sand), which can be diluted with green, yellow, milky colors and thereby create unique contrasts;
The corner portal should have a simple shape. Depending on the wishes and general style, the shape can consist either exclusively of sharp and right angles, or have slight roundings;
Textures, depending on the material, may have slight artificial unevenness and roughness, and a matte appearance. Gloss is used very rarely.

Eco-friendly cladding made of stone and decorative plaster

Natural and natural eco style

Wood heating system in a Scandinavian direction

A corner fireplace in the interior, depending on the chosen direction, may have a different appearance, materials of manufacture and other features. Before choosing one of the styles proposed in the article, we recommend that you pay attention to the overall interior of the living room, bedroom or any other room.

Another brilliant solution for an apartment

It is known that installing exhaust systems, additional pipes, as well as the stone fireplace itself in a modern apartment will cause a lot of trouble for the owner. Therefore, modern masters have created a unique creation - a bio-fireplace, which does not require the presence of this entire exhaust system. And the flame is maintained in the firebox in the following way: the combustion product is ethyl alcohol. When it burns, it does not emit harmful volatile substances, does not generate soot or soot, and does not even create smoke around itself. This environmentally friendly heating system also takes up very little space. Even if you install a bio-fireplace just under one of the walls, it will take up no more than 30 centimeters of room space. Well, if you choose a corner model, which is much more profitable and economical, you will not notice at all that the room has become a little smaller.

Basic elements of a corner fireplace

The fireplace table is the stage of constructing a fireplace made of refractory material. On his table there is a lower combustion platform.

The blower is an oxygen supply channel for better draft in the firebox.

The ash chamber is a recess where ash is contained after the combustion of logs.

A grate of grates is located at the bottom of the firebox, where logs are placed to kindle the hearth.

The lower combustion area is a sub-fuel, the lower combustion part, which must be made of heat-resistant material.

Firebox - a niche made of fireclay bricks where firewood burns

A chimney is a pipe through which smoke comes out.

The smoke valve or damper is designed to regulate the combustion draft of the fire in the hearth.

Deflector - a nozzle on the top of the pipe protects from rain getting inside and improves traction.

Types of biofireplaces

An environmentally friendly corner fireplace in the living room can be made in any style. In fact, it can be considered an analogue of an electric one; they differ from each other only in the principle of operation. Therefore, you can order a bio-fireplace finished with artificial stone, and thus equip the room in a classic or antique style. If the fireplace is made of thermal glass, it will fit perfectly into a modern interior. Such designs are an excellent element of decor in rooms made in the Japanese style, in the minimalist style and harmonize well with other varieties of modern design fantasies. A bio-fireplace will look great in a loft interior. Located in a corner, such a small fireplace will create an aura of comfort among rough brick walls, old furniture and pipes hanging from the ceiling.

Where to begin?

You should start building a false fireplace in an apartment by determining a place for the fireplace. Next, you should indicate the dimensions of the potential fireplace and draw a sketch of the fireplace. Once you have completed the sketch, start making a drawing of the fireplace. There are a large number of drawings of corner fireplaces on the Internet, but making a fireplace diagram yourself will not be difficult.

If you want to make a corner fireplace from plasterboard, you will need screws and a metal profile. The good thing about a decorative fireplace made of plasterboard is that you can give free rein to your imagination, giving the fireplace a wide variety of shapes.

The foundation of the future fireplace must be resistant to fire

Stages of construction of a plasterboard fireplace:

Create a frame from a metal profile.
The frame should be covered with plasterboard.
Sealing seams using putty.
Decorating a decorative corner fireplace

If you have a minimum of funds, then when decorating a corner artificial fireplace, you can use self-adhesive film, or paint the drywall in the color familiar to the fireplace. Both cases require careful filling and sanding of the drywall surface.

It is also possible to beautifully decorate an artificial corner fireplace using artificial stone. Natural stone is not used for facing the fireplace due to the fact that it is quite heavy.

The imitation of a fireplace is done very carefully and is effective if you use decorative stucco or polyurethane as finishing. There are incredibly many coloring options.