Today, a fireplace as a means for heating homes can be found infrequently. More often it is used as an interior item of interior. In private homes, there are no special problems with the construction of a fireplace. And if a person lives in a high-rise building? In this case, it will not be possible to erect a fireplace in its classic form, if only because of the lack of chimneys in modern apartments. The option is to make an electric fireplace, and if you have some skills and desire, you can solve the problem yourself.
In fact, the electric fireplace is in many ways a fake copy of the present. It consists of two main parts - the portal, as a rule, imitating masonry and making up the frame of an electric fireplace, and the hearth itself. It performs several functions at once - decorative, with imitation of flames, heating and lighting. There are many options for the design of the hearth, more or less expensive:
- Using a model of firewood made of plastic, under which there is a fan heater with backlight. Strips of red fabric are attached to the pseudo-woods, swaying due to the air flow from the fan;
- The same thing, but with a rotating reflector that simulates the reflections of a bonfire;
- With an ultrasonic steam generator and an audio playback system of cod of burning logs;
- Hologram and three-dimensional image of the flame.
The manufacture of an electric fireplace at home most often involves the assembly of a portal and the installation of a purchased fireplace, with rare exceptions. How exactly, in what order this is done, what is needed for this will be described below.
Materials and Tools
First of all, after the appropriate design of the future electric fireplace was developed, it is necessary to stock up on tools and materials, without which things will not go beyond the drawings.
Necessary materials
The portal is a frame that is not exposed to any abnormal heat. As a basis for it, any more or less durable material is suitable, not necessarily heat-resistant:
- plywood, board, OSB or chipboard;
- aluminum or steel plates, suitably painted;
- drywall;
- glass;
- plastic.
You can also lay out a portal of brick or buta, but due to the high cost and massiveness, this option is not popular. Most often, the frame is sewn up using drywall, a relatively cheap and moderately durable material, which has proven itself in a dry environment. The board, like plywood, due to the constant circulation of warm air, is prone to cracking and deformation.
Instruments
Depending on the materials used in the work, you may need:
- level or plumb line;
- shoe or stationery knife, ordinary and metal scissors;
- drill, grinder, screwdriver;
- roulette;
- spatula and sandpaper.
The list is not exhaustive, both by materials and by instrument. In the process, it will become clear what is missing.
First of all, it makes sense to think about where the electric fireplace will stand. It is also important that there are no problems with bringing power to it.
Seat selection
As a rule, they have a portal in the following places:
- by the wall - one of the widespread options, provided that the room is quite spacious;
- angular - saves a little both space and material for the portal, since it will not be a rectangle, as in the previous case, but a triangle;
- the hinged and built-in versions of the electric fireplace are more rare, the latter is used for severe lack of space in the room.
There are built-in and wall-mounted versions of fireplaces, with a hearth thickness of about 7-10 centimeters, which does not affect their decorative qualities too much.
An important nuance - when choosing a place, it is worth considering the location of the windows, you can learn that daylight will hide lighting from the fireplace.
Power supply
It is worth immediately planning such an option, in which the cord stretching from the outlet to the fireplace, spoiling the entire surroundings, will not rush into the eyes. When selecting a source, the allowable load on the existing wiring should be taken into account. It is not recommended to hide the outlet behind the portal, complicating access to it, since the electric fireplace is a heating device of increased fire hazard. The outlet must be within the reach of the user.
When conducting preliminary calculations, pay attention to the following nuances:
- Proportional dimensions of the focus and portal relative to each other. Classic proportions are 1 to 2 in width and one and a half coefficient in height.
- The size of the hole for the furnace should be such that it does not obscure the framing of the hearth and does not spoil the appearance of the fireplace.
- Consideration should be given to the location of attributes such as vents that prevent the heating element from overheating.
To fix the electric wire, a shelf or special hooks are provided.
There is a rule according to which the design begins after the purchase of the outbreak, so that there are no misunderstandings related to the estimated and actual dimensions, appearance and other parameters.
Drawing
Despite the fact that the design of the electric fireplace is not complicated, it is better to have a working drawing of the desired end result, and not be too lazy to draw it. It should clearly indicate on it all the overall dimensions and attachment points. Due to the presence of such a scheme, often at the design stage, shortcomings of the planned design are revealed.
As a pedestal, a countertop made of chipboard, plywood or solid wood laid on a metal frame of an appropriate form can serve. The size of the countertops should be slightly larger than the dimensions of the portal. To give a neat appearance, the pedestal is sheathed around the perimeter with a plinth of a suitable color.
The portal frame is conveniently recruited from a metal profile, which is subsequently sutured with drywall. This solution allows you to inexpensively and quickly assemble a structure of sufficient strength and the necessary shape. Fasteners are carried out with special metal screws that are called “bugs” in the common people.
The frame is mounted as follows:
- sheathe a fragment of the wall that will be located behind the portal with heat-resistant material;
- mark the pedestal and the wall according to the drawing, adhering to the level;
- fasten the guide profile to the countertop and to the wall;
- by means of "bugs" rack-mounted to the guide profile to give the structure the shape of a trapezoid, rectangle or parallelepiped;
- reinforce the design with stiffening ribs every 25 cm.
To give an entourage look, you can similarly make a chimney fake, subsequently sewing the entire structure with drywall.
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