DIY aerated concrete fireplace. Installation of a fireplace with a cast iron firebox: description of the work

If you have Vacation home, then having a fireplace is a noble cause, you always want to sit next to it in the circle of family and friends, but what about in a city apartment? Give up the dream of him? The idea of ​​a decorative false fireplace has occurred to people for a long time, but not everyone knows the intricacies of this simple matter. Studying furnace science, of course, is not required, but there are still some subtleties and nuances. The material will be the same favorite and well-known durable and reliable foam concrete. To build it, you need to purchase: foam blocks, putty, trowel, wood slab, spatula and hacksaw. The material is quite good, light, lends itself perfectly to a regular hacksaw, first you need to choose a place for it, to simulate fire in it, you also need to take care of the wiring. Select suitable sizes For him, if living conditions allow, it is best to make a sketch in order to have a better idea of ​​how a fireplace made of foam blocks will fit with the rest of the interior.

Masonry

A foam concrete slab with a base height of no more than 10 cm is laid on the floor using glue. Vertical blocks for the sides are installed; for a wider structure, foam blocks should be laid horizontally. The block is sawn well, so it can be sawed into bricks to create an imitation brickwork, fasten the parts with the same glue, or a mixture of sand and cement. After installing the side walls, a block slab is glued on top, which will serve as the top shelf, the frame structure is ready. If the space for the firebox is too large, then the front part is cut out of a plywood sheet, also a window to fit the size of your firebox, the vault can be made into an arch or simply flat. Tile sheets, like blocks, are also seated with glue; for the front panel, you can use corrugation, coat it well with glue and apply putty, coat the entire surface with it, especially the seams and joints. Using a spatula, the composition is placed on the trowel and then a layer of putty is applied from bottom to top, leave the first applied layer until completely dry, the next layer will be the finishing layer. When the work is dry, go over it with sandpaper and you can decorate.

How to properly finish

The fireplace is called decorative, so due attention should be paid to the decoration, it should become a decoration of your home and this is within your power. Its texture can be made very varied with the help of putty; with the help of a foam sponge, the putty is applied in jerks and a kind of rough surface is obtained. If you want something more, use acrylic paint dark color, the surface is painted and immediately wiped with a dampened rag, then, lightly touching it, walk over it with silver or gold paint, thereby creating a speckled surface. For decoration, you can take drywall and cut out rectangles in the shape of bricks, but make the shape incorrect and it will seem old. Fill the sides and top with a spatula, deliberately making the surface uneven, and after drying, paint it in the color you like. There is a special beech-colored putty on sale, designed for wood. Make an imitation of a stone surface, to do this, apply the putty to the side parts of the fireplace using a spatula using chaotic, disorderly movements, imitate stonework with a small stick and leave until dry. The result will be a stone texture; for a natural look, you can paint the masonry with black or dark brown acrylic.

Making a fireplace in 3 hours, video

Conclusion

Thus, building a fireplace from foam blocks yourself in your apartment is not at all difficult; high-quality foam concrete is not difficult to find in a store today, and for a false fireplace it is the best choice. Show your imagination and surprise your relatives with your skills. They will be pleased with you.

The fireplace warms both body and soul. What is better suited for such purposes if not such a warm and light material as aerated concrete? It costs little, is not afraid of fire, and can be easily finished. At the same time, plaster and stucco stick well to aerated concrete, despite the hot flame on the other side of the wall. Here, low thermal conductivity comes into play, leveling out temperature fluctuations. But the advantages of aerated concrete partition blocks in Ufa do not end there.

Draw and cut

Whichever complex design not planned by the future owner of the fireplace, it will be easy to make from aerated concrete. After all, it can be cut using a regular hacksaw for wood or drywall. Such a hacksaw will not be enough for a large volume of material, but for a fireplace this is quite enough. True, the hacksaw will then either have to be sharpened well or thrown away. Here are some tips on how to think through and build the basic structure:

  • The drawing is made on paper or directly on the walls and ceiling, if the design is not complex;
  • In the process of drawing lines and forming the material, much attention is paid to the coincidence of the angles, for which they usually take a three-dimensional square for gas blocks;
  • When designing a fireplace, it should be taken into account that flammable objects must be located at a distance specified in SNiP, and the outer side of the fireplace must be covered with additional insulation, for example, gas silicate;
  • The interior of the fireplace is usually made of cast iron (sold separately), which can be replaced with heat-resistant sheet metal with asbestos board lining;
  • The connection of the firebox to the pipe is made before the back of the fireplace is completed (the metal sleeve is lined with aerated concrete after connecting to the main pipe).

As for the actual purchase, a calculator for calculating aerated concrete blocks in Ufa will help you. You enter the parameters - it does the rest!

Decorative works

If thick blocks are selected, then any material, including Venetian plaster, will adhere well to the surface of aerated concrete. If there is no room for a voluminous fireplace, then you can decorate the structure insulating materials. Good way decorate a fireplace while simultaneously increasing its heat resistance - this is the use ceramic tiles or textured decorative brick. A bad choice is the use of plastic and other flammable materials.

You can start a fire in the fireplace after the substance on which the decorative layer rests has completely set. It should also be taken into account that adhesives can release harmful substances even after setting and are generally less resistant to high temperatures. Otherwise, an aerated concrete fireplace will bring you only positive emotions.

Aerated concrete is a universal material that is also suitable for equipping fireplaces. But most often, gas blocks are used specifically to create the frame of finished cast-iron fireboxes, rather than open stoves. They lay out the base and form the body for the firebox and chimney.

As you know, aerated concrete retains heat well, but does not heat up itself. Therefore, the body of the fireplace made of aerated concrete will not heat up, and accordingly, the heating of the room will be weak and ineffective. Open fireplaces are best built from brick. When using a closed cast-iron firebox, the house is heated not from the fireplace body, but from the hot air that spreads through the ventilation ducts.

Therefore, aerated concrete with low thermal conductivity is excellent for this option. And given the simplicity of working with the material, many can make a fireplace from aerated concrete with their own hands.

How to make a fireplace from a gas block?

To build a fireplace from aerated concrete, you need to prepare the adjacent walls for high temperatures. It is recommended to cover them with foiled basalt wool - it is fireproof and will effectively retain heat inside the fireplace frame.

The firebox itself should be located at a distance of 15-20 cm from the walls for free air convection.

A base is formed under the firebox - a fireplace insert. You can make a reinforced concrete screed up to 20 cm high, or you can use aerated concrete blocks. They are especially good for wooden floors or floors with low strength, since foam concrete is light in weight. The base can be reinforced with reinforced mesh, but this is not a mandatory requirement, since an aerated concrete fireplace will be lightweight.

Aerated concrete is simply and quickly processed, it can be given any shape with the tools at hand, so the base for the fireplace can be of absolutely any geometry.


For laying a fireplace made of aerated concrete, it is permissible to use cement mortar or assembly adhesive.

The foundation is plastered. A 2 mm thick steel sheet is placed on its horizontal surface, and an additional fire-resistant asbestos board gasket is placed under the combustion chamber.

After the firebox is installed, it is connected to the chimney. And further ones begin construction works. Each new row is checked with a level.

In order for an aerated concrete fireplace to last a long time, it is recommended to cover the inner surface of the masonry with basalt foil thermal insulation.

The fireplace body can be completely lined with aerated concrete right up to the ceiling, leaving a ventilation hole for the heated air to escape. It is covered with a decorative mesh.

You can combine materials: cover the firebox with aerated concrete, and cover part of the fireplace with the chimney with plasterboard on a metal frame.

Straightaway maximum load You shouldn’t put it on the fireplace; the temperature increases with each new firebox.

So, an aerated concrete fireplace is an inexpensive, fast and reliable option for a private home or cottage.

To make a fireplace from a gas block, it is important to choose quality material, which has undergone autoclave processing, has sufficient strength and fire resistance. You can easily find one like this in the Porablock shopping center. It’s easy to calculate the amount of material and place an order on our website.

Aerated concrete is a suitable masonry material for a fireplace, but with some restrictions: for example, it cannot be used to construct a firebox. Aerated concrete is used as a load-bearing and finishing material, and as thermal insulation of the side walls of the firebox. The advantage of aerated concrete over brick is low price And high speed works However, if you do the work yourself, you need to know the features that will allow you to save money, but not lose quality.

What is this article about?

Is it possible to use aerated concrete to build a fireplace?

The basic requirements for a fireplace come from its purpose: heating and interior decoration. Since fuel burns in the firebox and it is placed in a visually open space, the material for the fireplace must have:

  • fire resistance;
  • aesthetics.

Aerated concrete is a non-flammable material, but it is not fireproof!

Consequently, the choice of aerated concrete as a heat-resistant base for a fireplace - firebox - is impossible. But it is perfect for creating a place for a fireplace. Aerated concrete blocks not used for masonry open fireplace, since with this design the heat goes far beyond the firebox and the gas blocks will heat up.

A decorative fireplace or a closed, finished fireplace insert can be lined with aerated concrete blocks.

Since aerated concrete is easy to process, the block is easy to saw, grind, and make complex rounded shapes. Therefore, it is most suitable for expressing complex design decorative solutions.

Finishing

Aerated concrete masonry will be attractive if, at a minimum, its surface is smooth and the seams are even. Further finishing or cladding of the surface will provide aesthetic appeal.

Since aerated concrete is used maximum as a material for lining a metal firebox, that is, it is not exposed to high temperatures, then the surface finishing does not have to be made of fire-resistant materials. High-quality plastering or cladding is sufficient.

To give the surface attractive looking the following materials are used:

  • Plastering followed by painting. Surface plastering – a budget option, the advantage of which is low price.
  • Facing with tiles or bricks. Costs for facing material compensated by representative appearance beautiful fireplace.

Thus, you can both save money on masonry finishing and turn the fireplace into the central piece of a chic interior.

Protection from external influences

Since aerated concrete has high water absorption, its use outdoors requires protective measures. A canopy or gazebo will protect the outdoor fireplace from direct exposure to snow or rain. However high humidity on the street still exists. There are three common ways to protect aerated concrete surfaces:

  • Facing;
  • Hydrophobization;
  • Waterproofing.

The cladding can be either tile or brick. In the first case, no additional protection is required; in the second, hydrophobic impregnation can also be applied to the brick.

Hydrophobization involves the use of a special water-repellent composition (impregnation), which does not form a surface film, but penetrates several millimeters into the protected surface.

Waterproofing is not suitable for decorative elements design, which is the fireplace.

An important rule for using aerated concrete blocks in the construction of outdoor fireplaces is the construction high foundation 10–20 cm above ground level. Such that the earth and puddles do not come into contact with the blocks under any circumstances.

So, subject to the construction and finishing technology, the use of aerated concrete blocks allows you to save money on bricks and speed up the laying process.