Fireplace portal with your own hands

In the modern world, people are trying to arrange their home as beautifully as possible, to create in it an island of comfort, where it is so nice to take a break from everyday fuss. Big love in the decoration of the interior in recent years use fireplaces. The huge variety of types and models of fireplaces allows you to place them even in urban small-sized apartments. However, to achieve the perfect harmony of the fireplace with the design of the room, it is necessary to build a portal for it - an external decorative box in which the fireplace is installed.

By style, portals are as follows:

• In classic style. The most common type of portals. Their distinctive feature is the rigor of design. As a rule, they do not require any additional decorations;
• In country style. Most often, this type of portals is designed for wood-burning fireplaces and made of stone (brick);
• In high-tech style. Made of steel and glass;
• In modern style.A distinctive feature of this type of portals is a mixture of classic and modern research. Such portals are suitable for almost any interior.

Varieties of fireplace portals depending on the type of hearth:

• With open wood burning;
• With closed wood burning;
• For electric fireplaces;
• For false fireplaces.

If you have decided to build a portal for the fireplace with your own hands, then you need to be very careful when choosing the material from which you plan to construct it. His choice depends on the type of fireplace for which it is intended. So remember:

• For electric and decorative fireplaces in the construction of the portal, you can use drywall, plastic, polyurethane, wood;
• For wood fireplaces used marble, sandstone, granite, brick, natural and artificial stone. You can also use drywall and wood, but you need to build additional thermal protection.

It is clear that in a city apartment it is impossible to install a real wood-burning fireplace. However, do not be in a hurry to get upset - there is an excellent alternative.Depending on your preferences, you can choose one of three options:

• Electrofireplace. This fireplace is good because it does not require the installation of a special ventilation system, you do not need to purchase materials for the firebox - it works from an ordinary electrical outlet. It can be easily installed with your own hands; installation (and disassembly) does not require any special knowledge and skills. Imitation of a flame is reached at the expense of the built-in 3D screen or the steam generator with illumination from below. Do not forget that, in addition to decorative, electric fire can also perform a heating function - the heating area of ​​such a fireplace is about 20 square meters.
• Bio Fireplace In recent years, the most fashionable trend has become the so-called biofireplace - a fireplace with real burning fire, but not requiring exhaust, as smoke, soot and unpleasant smell are simply absent! This is a real miracle of technology, which is ultramodern, economical and absolutely safe. What is the secret of his work? The hearth of this fireplace is equipped with a built-in block of stainless steel, into which a special biofuel, made on the basis of pure ethyl alcohol, is poured.In the process of combustion, such fuel forms carbon dioxide, water vapor and generates heat - all of these combustion products are safe and do not have a harmful environmental impact on others. The fire from such fuel is bright, beautiful, smooth, not generating sparks, soot and smoke.
• Decorative (fake) fireplace. This option is the best fit for those who want to see a fireplace in their interiors, but for some reason are not going to spend a lot of money on it. False fireplace can be easily assembled by yourself. In fact, it will be just an empty fireplace portal, additionally decorated with imitation of a flame, embers, firewood, etc. Almost any material will be suitable for its construction - if desired, it can be made even from unnecessary boxes!

• From the tree. Making portals from natural wood is considered more complex than using other materials. The fact is that the tree is deformed under the influence of temperature and humidity, so this portal is not suitable for every fireplace. In order to minimize the detrimental effects of the above factors,it is necessary to use only well dried wooden shields and bars; for work to take the glue on a synthetic basis, not containing water; On the surface of such a portal, from all sides, there should be a coating of high quality with thermal acrylic varnish. It is possible to use old furniture (wardrobes, wardrobes, bedside tables) to save money.
• Polyurethane. This material is often used in the manufacture of portals for fireplaces. It has a significant degree of wear resistance, does not crumble, does not crack, is not subject to the formation of chips. It is also quite heat-resistant, so the portal of polyurethane can be used when installing an electric fireplace. Another advantage of it is the variety of options for the final design: it can be painted, covered with gold or patina. To serve such a portal will be a long time, it also has a very small weight.
• From MDF. MDF or fine fraction of wood is also a very popular material in the manufacture of portals for fireplaces. MDF is made from small sawdust, paraffin and lignin bonded together,therefore is an environmentally friendly material; besides, it is very malleable, it is easy to handle, it is well tolerated by high humidity and is not too prone to deformation.
• From chipboard. Most often, when designing a fireplace portal, a kind of chipboard is used - laminated chipboard (laminated chipboard). This material is cheap, has a high degree of resistance to elevated temperatures and various mechanical stress, has the appearance of natural wood. However, it is not suitable for creating original relief, because fine processing of this material is excluded.
• From plywood. When choosing plywood sheets for assembling a fireplace portal, it is necessary to take into account that only plywood for interior decoration will fit for this purpose. It has a specific marking - from 1 to 4, where 1 means the highest surface quality. With the help of such plywood, you can make a rather elegant portal for a fireplace, and if you fasten the plywood sheets with a wooden beam, you will get a lightweight movable structure, which, if desired, can be moved from wall to wall.Of course, with all its undeniable advantages, plywood has a significant disadvantage - even taking into account the waterproof treatment of the surface of its sheets, the moisture will still sooner or later get inside and deformation will occur.
• From plasterboard. This option is probably the most simple and cheap. But when designing it, the following nuance should be taken into account - this structure is created at the planning stage of the room; further movements and adjustments are not allowed. Therefore, careful coordination of dimensions and other necessary attributes, such as the presence of ventilation holes and space for wiring, is necessary. The advantage of drywall is its plasticity, with its help, the fireplace portal can be given any shape.
• From a natural stone. The most expensive and, perhaps, the most beautiful material for the manufacture of the fireplace portal. Due to the heterogeneous structure of the stone, each portal, assembled from it, will be unique. The process of making of it is quite time-consuming, but the stone portal will delight you for many years and give the interior a rich and elegant look.
• From the floorboard.Most often such portals become false-fireplaces, however there is an opportunity to build in there a shallow electric fireplace. This design looks quite original, especially if it is made from pieces of different color and texture. For the acquisition of a beautiful shade, boards, at the stage of preparation, it is recommended to cover with stain.

So, you have decided on the choice of the type of fireplace, decided in which part of the apartment its installation will be made and now you are planning to make a portal for it. To begin with, we are preparing detailed drawings in which we indicate the dimensions of all elements of the portal, count the number of materials required for construction. Consider all the nuances and recheck the data several times - it is much easier than reworking something already in the design process.

Step-by-step instructions for making a portal for the fireplace do it yourself. Let us examine the example of the construction of the portal of plasterboard for electric fireplace.

• In the selected location of the fireplace, transfer to the walls and floor drawing of its main elements;
• Construct the frame of the metal profile (it is recommended to use the guide and rack profile), attach it to the wall;
• Next, build from the profile the so-called “podium” - the bottom of the portal, after which you can form the framework of the portal itself with a firebox. The frame must be reinforced; to do this, we fix transverse beams from the rack profile every 15–20 cm over its entire area;
• Into the prepared box insert our electric fire. Such a preliminary “fitting” is very important, because at this stage of construction there is still an opportunity to correct possible flaws, for example, if the fireplace is tight, then you need to increase the size of the firebox - unscrew the profile, move it to the desired distance and screw it again;
• Before covering the frame with plasterboard sheets, you will have to make the holes in them from the inside of the portal opposite the exhaust ducts in the electric fireplace body;
• The next stage is to cover the box with sheets of drywall. Use screws, not more than 2.5 cm long and finely carved, preferably black. It can be sheathed both in one and in two layers - it depends on the choice of materials for decoration. Simple decor can be made with a single-layer plating, the same complex (for example, the decoration of the portal with an artificial stone,gypsum stucco) will require a double layer;
• We take a deep penetration primer and thoroughly saturate the entire drywall surface;
• Before applying decorative elements, the surface of the portal must be covered with a layer of putty; to protect the corners, choose a perforated corner profile;
• Your further actions depend on the chosen method of decoration. If you are going to paint your portal, sand the surface to achieve perfect smoothness, then paint it. If your goal is facing a portal with tiles or other decorative elements, then simply glue them onto the prepared surface with the help of special glue;
• On top of the portal, a so-called mantel is being constructed from a double layer of gypsum board - it is on it that you will put your frames with photos and other knick-knacks. Since a certain load will fall on it, it is necessary to strengthen it with an additional profile and attach it to the wall. Visually, the shelf should look like one with the overall construction of the portal;
• For a more spectacular look, you can complement the design of the portal with sidewalls and footstool, which are made using plaster, stone or other decoration materials.

The above plan for the step-by-step installation of the portal for the electric fireplace is also suitable for making a false fireplace, but it will require additional decoration in the form of a mirror on the back wall, imitation of fire, beautifully laid firewood in the hearth, etc. Your imagination will be the best assistant at this stage of finishing.