Fireplace in a small country house. We make small fireplaces with our own hands in the country house Fireplaces in the country with our own hands

The date: 23.03.2022

To make a small fireplace you will need:

Brick. When calculating the amount of material, do not forget to take into account 10% waste and scrap;
Coarse sand. Before use, the sand is sieved and washed to remove small debris;
Clay. To build a quality fireplace, you will need a blue grade of clay;
Several buckets of rubble;
Fittings 1 m long and 10 mm in diameter in the amount of 10 pieces.

Tip: Before starting construction, draw a laying plan on paper. Try to strictly adhere to the dimensions of the brick and room in the drawing. Also, do not forget to take into account the masonry scheme of the cottage.

The sequence of actions for the construction of a fireplace

All work begins with calculating the dimensions of the foundation for a small heating system. The foundation of the cottage may not be enough for the normal functioning of the device, so it should be strengthened with non-combustible material - ceramic tiles or other solutions of non-combustible ingredients.

Before you start building a fireplace with your own hands, you need to soak the clay, preferably 3 days before the start of construction. A small amount of water is added to the soaked clay every morning. After adding water, the solution is well mixed with any solid object.

Before starting construction work, do not forget about the need for wetting the material. It is impossible to build a high-quality heating system on non-wetted bricks. The first rows are laid on a solution of clay and cement. Each subsequent row is placed on a cement mortar with a gradual decrease in the concentration of clay in it.

DIY fireplace

Subsequence:

After creating the frame, the heating device must be brought into a divine form - to do the jointing with clay. For jointing, you will need dry sand and wet clay. The solution is mixed by hand until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The grout is applied to the seams with your fingers. Remember, even cottages need accuracy, so do not forget to smooth the seams on the fireplace well and wash out the clay from the brick.

Equipment installation

After the completion of construction work, you need to install the main components of the fireplace with your own hands. Installed in the heating system:

At this stage, the manufacture of a country fireplace can be considered finished. It remains only to add decorative elements for the dacha and build a small shed where firewood will be stored for the firebox.

As for the decorative design of the fireplace, almost any style is suitable for a country house. The main requirement for the design of the fireplace is its simplicity. Heating equipment can be decorated with ceramic silhouettes and other objects made of fire-resistant materials.

Video: Stone fireplace. (Effect-Profi)

DIY brick fireplace

Despite the existence of modern highly efficient heating systems, fireplaces are still considered classics of the genre, standing at the origins of all modern heating equipment. But the point is not at all in their high efficiency, but rather in decorative features that bring a unique entourage to the interior of a heated room.

When is a fireplace better than a stove?

The fireplace was the first heating device in the history of human civilization. That is why its design repeats the features of an ordinary fire: the presence of an open flame, space heating only within the line of sight, and a rather low efficiency.

In the process of evolution, the fireplace gradually turned into a closed stove - a device, undoubtedly, much more complex and efficient for heating a room. Nevertheless, in our time, fireplaces play not only a decorative role, but are also used for heating. And this is due precisely to the peculiarity of their work:

unlike a stove, a fireplace begins to give off heat almost immediately after the appearance of a stable flame;
cleaning and maintaining a fireplace is much easier than stoves;
the construction of a fireplace is not so critical to the mistakes of a bricklayer and therefore can be completed without the involvement of professional stove-makers;
there are modern metal fireplaces of industrial production, the efficiency and safety of which is comparable to the parameters of stoves.

Positive features of the fireplace

The weight of a simple fireplace is much less than a stone stove, and given the low heating temperature in the fireplace, ordinary good quality ceramic bricks may be suitable for its construction.

As a result, the cost of bricks, materials and labor is several times less than the cost of building a stone stove. This is the fireplace in the country, the photo of which is given below.

Today, there are fireplace designs that, in terms of their thermal and quality indicators, are in no way inferior to traditional Dutch or Swedish design stoves. True, it is not possible to achieve these indicators in a brick structure, therefore these structures are implemented in metal and are presented in the form of ready-made metal fireplaces of industrial production.

Much needs to be considered before building fireplaces: size, location, design, type of materials used. All this is calculated in advance, often with the help of special programs. High-efficiency fireplaces are designed to use pallets or other similar slow-burning biofuels.

About the safety of using a fireplace

The use of an open flame indoors is prohibited by law by building and fire regulations, which greatly limits the possibility of using a classic fireplace. Information can be found in the Fire Safety Rules of the Russian Federation (PPB 01-03, section 3: Rules for human habitation).

A developer who violates the rules of the PPB and lays out an open fireplace in the country with his own hands from brick is at great risk. Today, this issue is easily solved through the use of glass protection. High-temperature glass easily transmits infrared radiation, providing the effect of the heat of an open flame.

The principle of operation of the fireplace

The first fireplaces were an ordinary hearth with a chimney, enclosed by three walls. The efficiency was low, because the firewood burned quickly, but all the heat flew into the chimney. Everything has changed since the moment when, by trial and error, stove-makers invented the so-called smoke tooth and thermal mirror.

It turned out that the artificial narrowing of the place of connection of the chimney, together with the inclined design of the rear wall of the hearth, creates the condition for self-regulating slow combustion of flue gases. The thermal plug at the constriction plays the role of a throttle, and the inclined surface forms a slowly rotating vortex of pyrolysis gases, which gradually burn out each time they approach the flame.

The moving stream "blocks" the pulling of fresh air to the place of combustion. As soon as the gases burn out and their temperature drops, the vortex will slow down and an excess of chimney draft will appear. The gases go into the chimney, and in their place, fresh oxygen is drawn into the vortex flow with air. The flames and gases become hotter, and everything repeats from the beginning.

The self-regulation of draft made it possible to use not only firewood, but also high-energy fuels. Even resinous pine wood and coal burn slowly under these conditions, and carbon monoxide gases are reliably kept in a closed vortex. Gas circulation time is from 2 to 7 minutes!

The influence of draft on the safety of using the fireplace

The stability of the vortex process makes it possible to regulate heat generation by incompletely closing the chimney pan during fuel combustion. At the same time, extremely dangerous carbon monoxide, CO, is still reliably oxidized to safer carbon dioxide CO2. This should be borne in mind when deciding in which of the rooms and how to make a fireplace.

Constantly circulating in the fireplace insert, the whirlwind gives off heat to the stone walls. Therefore, already cooled, barely warm gases exit the chimney. The inclined surface of the rear wall plays the role of a thermal reflector. There is no need to make it from reflective material. Ordinary black soot from firewood perfectly reflects the invisible spectrum of infrared radiation. The only thing to take care of is to make this inclined plane as smooth as possible. A good fireplace in the house provides up to 50% thermal efficiency, which is a very decent indicator among other similar heat generators.

Feature of heat transfer fireplace

The removal of heat from gases after the thermal tooth does not affect the performance of the fireplace in any way. If in stone stoves too intensive heat extraction drastically reduces their efficiency, then the hot water register in the fireplace above the smoke tooth can take as much heat as will be produced by the fuel without consequences.

Another option for increasing the heat transfer of the fireplace is the organization of vertical air channels above the smoke tooth. Passing through the channels due to natural thermal convection, the air is heated and returned to the room already as a heat carrier.

What is under the firebox in the fireplace

Formed by screens, horizontal and slightly inclined surfaces, the lower part of the firebox is called a pod. In some materials it is found as a furnace pan.

Just as a fire does not have a blower, so in the first fireplaces under the fireboxes it was solid. But for a quick ignition of firewood, extra traction does not hurt at all. Therefore, the masonry of fireplaces of modern design often provides for a small blower, which overlaps after the appearance of a stable fire. The vortex is formed at the moment of closing. Up to this point, all the generated heat flies into the pipe.

In classic English fireplaces, a slight slope of the hearth towards the floor was provided. This improved the conditions for the emergence of a thermal vortex, but the burning firebrands strove to roll out of the furnace. Therefore, as a protection, the fireplace insert was equipped with a low grate. Today, fire protection is provided by specially designed glass doors. And the gratings are given a purely decorative role.

Calculation of the parameters of the fireplace from the area of \u200b\u200bthe room

Fireplace firebox sizes can be different, but they are calculated based on the volume of the room in accordance with the standards.

The volume of the combustion chamber must be at least 1/50 of the volume of the heated room;
The area of the fireplace portal should be about 2% of the floor area of the room;
The area of the hearth is equal to 0.7 of the area of the portal;
The cross section of the chimney at its narrowest point is about 0.15 of the area of the hearth.
The height of the combustion chamber is defined as 3/5 of its width. And the depth of the firebox is three times less than the height.

Examples and diagrams of simple fireplaces

In order not to think for a long time how to make a fireplace with your own hands, we offer a diagram of a simple fireplace available for self-construction. A complete list of materials is presented in the table:

When erecting walls, it is necessary to ensure the minimum possible thickness of the seams, the verticality of the masonry and the accuracy of its dimensions. When vaults are formed, the protrusion of each next row should not exceed 6.5 cm above the previous one (a quarter of the size of a brick). To facilitate the task, the inclined screen is made of steel sheet.

Air channels for thermal convection are organized in the fireplace. This increases the thermal efficiency and the rate of warming up the room. With an eye on the small size of the fireplace and a simplified design, its efficiency is up to 20%.

The order of the fireplace is shown in the diagram below:

Outcome

If the house has a fireplace, then it becomes the main object for the gathering of the whole family. Tongues of flame are fascinating and conducive to communication. Perhaps that is why, in our technological era, the fireplace still remains a spectacular romantic addition to the interior of our home.

The times that in some special way singled out certain features of the fireplace have passed, but the functions themselves have remained and even blossomed even more in a new light. Today, a fireplace is a multifunctional, universal device that can both support everyday life and be a source of heat, hot food, hot water, and emphasize the special status of its owner or simply be a beautiful decor element.

The many functions of the hearth can satisfy the most diverse needs and desires of its owner. At the same time, these products are quite affordable these days. Of course, even today there are luxurious fireplaces of the same cost as a odnushka in Moscow, or even more. But now it is not uncommon to meet such a hearth, which will cost less than a new phone.

Mal, yes daring! Mini-fireplaces are a worthy competition to large hearths

Let's leave the dreams of a three-story mansion on the shores of the French Riviera and a fireplace in it, for the price of which you can probably buy a small African state, or at least an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. It is better to return to the vital moments, the level of comfort and practicality of which is completely in our hands. So, if you want to have a full-fledged home with a wide range of functions, but at the same time, you want to save both the budget and useful living space, then the best option in this case is a small wood-burning fireplace.

Miniature and compact fireplaces are very common in the world market today. The most interesting thing is that - in terms of technology, small hearths are in no way inferior to large ones and support both great functionality and an excellent level of heating. It will be necessary to make a reservation only in one case - the miniature hearth is still intended for small rooms.

Actually, there is no contradiction here either, since a large hearth in a small room will look awkward, and its heating power will be excessively excessive for a small footage. That is, either such a hearth will always work at half its capacity, or it will arrange such a bath in the house that at least move.

The decision to buy a small wood-burning fireplace will be optimal in the following cases:

heating a small cottage and its individual rooms
heating of a guest house, attic, veranda
city apartment heating
hot water supply of houses and cottages of a small area
heating of small utility rooms, garages, shops
cooking in the countryside
profitable interior decor for both residential premises and restaurants, salons, showrooms and others

There are more types of mini hearths than you might think!

Today, there are a huge number of proposals on the market, from which it is not difficult to choose a mini fireplace for a house, cottage, apartment or other space. In order to make this choice as easy and comfortable as possible, let's look at the main types of miniature hearths.

TRADITIONAL

Often such fireplaces are also called classic - due to their strict appearance, straight lines, clear proportions. Such hearths always consist of a set of "firebox + cladding". It is the cladding that is responsible for the design, and the firebox - for the heating functions. As a rule, such hearths are classified as large, but it is not uncommon to find miniature fireboxes with wall or corner cladding, which are well suited for small spaces. The main thing in this matter is to choose a low-power firebox so that the heating capabilities of the hearth are suitable for a small footage of the room.

STOVES-FIREPLACES

This type of heating equipment is the most demanded nowadays. And there are a number of reasons for this. In the context of our story, such products are always characterized by small dimensions, as well as a single design. In other words, the body of such fireplaces is already initially both a firebox and a cladding, which eliminates the need to select different components. These devices owe their name to several reasons. Firstly, in their appearance, such foci are often more reminiscent of a stove. But on the other hand, and this is secondly, their heating and functional abilities fully correspond to the level inherent in fireplaces.

The main advantages of such centers are:

Small dimensions. You can place such products with great convenience in any room and in any place: near the wall, in the corner, in the center (if the design allows). It makes no difference whether you put such a hearth in the hallway or in the most prominent place in the living room - it will produce enough heat for your footage. The main thing is that the chosen installation site technically allows for a chimney for the safe removal of combustion products. Small fireplaces are ideal for summer cottages, compact country houses, lofts and city apartments, commercial premises.
Modern technical equipment. Fireplace stoves are equipped by world manufacturers with such a wide range of functions that a classic large hearth can envy. Thus, these products, as a rule, are equipped with systems for multi-level air supply and afterburning, oxygen supply for combustion from alternative sources, a “clean glass” system, automatic finishing of doors, remote ignition and adjustment of the heating mode, and other options. Moreover, at least half of such proposals on the market are equipped with compact, but very functional hobs for heating and cooking food. And if you want to have an autonomous source of hot water and water heating, you can choose a model equipped with a hydro circuit.
Successful design. Fireplace stoves are always made in a very stylish design, ranging from classic, traditional designs (often used in the case of small cast-iron hearths), to ultra-modern high-tech (for boiler steel and metal models). The designs of such products delight with their originality: there are both classic square and rectangular shapes, as well as very unusual ones: round, elongated, on a rotating leg, minimalistic, on a stylish bench, and so on.

MODERN

Modern metal fireplaces of original shapes and designs in high-tech design also fit the definition of mini hearths. In terms of design, such hearths are full-fledged fireplaces in a ready-made configuration with a firebox, body and chimney. They have very unusual designs: prismatic, triangular, round and many others, and are also often painted in bright, rich colors. Often such hearths can not only be installed on the floor, but also suspended from the ceiling or wall, which is an indisputable advantage in the context of saving usable living space.

ELECTRIC OR BIOETHANOL

This type of equipment is an excellent alternative for those spaces where the chimney is technically impossible or undesirable. Most often they are installed in city apartments, loft studios, restaurants and cafes, as they perfectly complement the interior, bringing life, beauty and dynamics to it. The advantage is that, being not tied to the chimney in any way (which is simply not needed), such foci can be installed in absolutely any part of the room, and if desired, rearranged from place to place at any time.

Both electric and bioethanol hearths are often equipped with such realistic systems for simulating live flames, smoke, smoldering wood and even the sound of their crackling that they create a full-fledged aesthetics of a real wood-burning heater. Such foci can also effectively perform the functions of heating a room, with the only clarification being that the fuel for them is quite expensive.

If the technical possibility of conducting a chimney into the room is still present, finding mini fireplaces for a wood-burning apartment will not be any problem. For urban spaces, the type of hearths that we considered a little higher in the paragraph “stove-fireplaces” is excellent.

HEAT STORAGE

Some compact models of heaters with talcomagnesite lining can also be attributed to miniature hearths. This natural stone wonderfully accumulates thermal energy during the burning of firewood in its structure. After the end of the active phase of heating, the lining of talcomagnesite begins to slowly but effectively distribute the accumulated heat in all directions, providing heating of the space up to a day - even at a time when the fire in the furnace has long been extinguished. Due to the unique natural properties of talcomagnesite, even a very small hearth will provide excellent warming performance.

Everyone can afford a real hearth!

Due to their small size, the price of wood-burning mini fireplaces for summer cottages, houses, apartments or restaurants is most often at an affordable level. And if we talk about compact cast-iron models, then you can generally get off with a slight fright, spending only a couple of tens of thousands of rubles on a hearth, which in a small space will cope with heating tasks at the level of a large full-fledged fireplace product.

Long gone are the days when the hearth was almost a member of the family - after all, he helped cook food, was the only source of heat for all the inhabitants of the house, and every evening he gathered around him a close circle of household members. However, those times when the hearth was a kind of indicator of the special status and prestige of its owner are also gone, remaining in the distant 90s. Indeed, today almost everyone can afford a real fireplace, regardless of income level.

With the soft warmth that the fireplace creates in the room, you don’t want to part even if you spend time in a country cottage. Moreover, there he will serve for his intended purpose. A house that has stood without tenants for some time is filled with cold, dampness, loneliness, sadness and other negative energy epithets.

The heating system, which the summer resident immediately uses, will not be able to quickly warm up the entire room, so it is useful to use a fireplace. Although it has the function of local heating, it will allow you to wait a certain time, admiring the picturesque picture of the flame from burning firewood.

Nice and useful tool

Ready portable options

To quickly create a cozy atmosphere in a small country house, small fireplaces that can be easily transported to any place will help. Consider their main types:

Metal or cast iron wood burning fireplace. It is unrealistic to transport it constantly, as you visit the dacha, but its dimensions allow you to install it in rooms that experience a shortage of free space. The downside is the need to design a chimney. This is done once, so you can try not only to look at the fire, but also to heat the whole room with it.
A special mini fireplace for a country house, powered by biofuel, is convenient and compact. You can bring it with you every time and, in the bedroom, in the hallway. In a word, move it to its place of residence. However, such models are not able to heat the house, albeit a country one. Also, you will need to bring your own.
Electric fireplace, built-in or freestanding. A variety of models will allow you to choose the option that suits your room. There are two outcomes here: buy a free-standing mini fireplace or. This portal can be of the smallest possible size so as not to lose the usable area of an already small room.

Electrical analogue of the traditional system

Almost all of the listed options in terms of their functions will not yield to real fireplaces and can easily cope with a room of 15-20 m 2. In addition, do not forget about the appearance and combination of the device with the interior. A dacha is not always a temporary place for storing agricultural tools. In most cases, it represents a full-fledged house or cottage, which is decorated in a single way. Therefore, the selection of a fireplace should be treated like painting a picture.

11. Smoke tooth bricks are even more shifted towards the firebox. The arch is made of the same bricks. The thickness of the middle is somewhat reduced.

12. The arch is covered and the smoke tooth is formed.

13-14. In the side walls, the heater channel has holes through which heated air will enter the space of the room.

15-17. The firebox is covered, forming a ledge, which is decorative. In the middle, the future chimney is laid. Traditional brick fireplace

A small firebox, when properly installed, can provide enough heat to heat a small room. On the back wall, above the smoke tooth, you can install a door that will make it possible to clean the fireplace from soot and dust. However, if such a fireplace is located close to the wall, then it is almost impossible to perform this procedure through the indicated door. Therefore, its installation is just a recommendation. With this arrangement of the fireplace, carbon deposits can be removed through the firebox, especially since the inclined screen is easily dismantled.

It should be noted that this type of fireplace refers to instances with an open firebox. This means that there is a possibility of hot coals falling out. So that this unpleasant fact does not lead to a fire, it is necessary to equip a semblance of a platform of refractory material around the base of the fireplace.

In all other respects, this device is safe and functional. Once again, you can experiment, but this design is the most optimal and has high heat transfer rates.

Our effort to follow the most profitable path leads to the fact that many, at first glance, complex designs can be made in ordinary home conditions. To do this, we need to be patient and follow the appropriate instructions.

A handmade fireplace seems to become warmer and more comfortable than the one purchased in the store. But we do not reject alternative options. In addition, purchased models are equipped with a number of additional useful options. These are remote control, constant temperature control, automatic flame control.

Each person chooses for himself the best option, which is based on the cost or cost of the product. In this regard, a homemade fireplace has a huge advantage.

The services of a master - a specialist in chimney masonry are not cheap. The price of building one structure from scratch starts from 350 USD. e. (20 thousand rubles), reaching 1500 c.u. e. depending on the complexity and scope of work. Imagine how much money you can save if you fold a brick fireplace with your own hands. But the task is not an easy one - you need to learn the basics of furnace business, choose the appropriate design for the hearth, build and melt it correctly. We will try to give maximum information on all of the above issues, we will provide drawings of fireplaces for self-production.

The device of a classic brick fireplace

Strictly speaking, open hearths are not very suitable for heating private cottages due to their low efficiency, which is only 20-30%. While the fire is burning in the firebox, heat is distributed throughout the room by means of infrared radiation. After attenuation, the intensity of heating decreases and stops after 2-3 hours, when the brickwork has cooled down.

An important point. It is unrealistic to build even a small wood-burning stove in an apartment of a multi-storey building - there is nowhere to lead the chimney, and the ceiling is not designed for such a weight. Reference: the mass of the mini-fireplace, whose project is presented below, is more than 700 kg, size - 0.5 x 1 m (load area - 0.5 m²).

Despite the low heat output, fireplaces remain attractive to homeowners, as they create a unique atmosphere of home comfort. The device of a classic English hearth is shown in the diagram and includes the following elements:

underground part - foundation;
base of 2-3 rows of bricks;
a hearth with a protruding pre-furnace platform;
portal - brick frame of an open firebox;
smoke collector - a channel narrowing upwards in the form of an umbrella above the combustion chamber;
the chimney tooth at the beginning of the smoke collector serves for better heat removal from hot gases;
chimney pipe leading to the roof;
traction force is regulated by a valve.

Scheme of the device of a classic open hearth

If the construction budget allows, then the outside walls are tiled, as is done above in the photo. It is not necessary to decorate the walls of the structure - the correct brickwork looks quite neat.

The size and location of the hearth in the room

When choosing the design and drawings of the fireplace, pay attention to the dimensions of the portal, fuel chamber and chimney. The indicated dimensions are selected according to the area of \u200b\u200bthe heated room and are interconnected by the following ratios:

cross-sectional area of the chimney pipe - 1/9 of the quadrature of the portal;
the depth of the firebox is 1.5-2 times less than the height of the portal opening;
the area of the open opening is 1/50 of the quadrature of the room.

If you make a large fireplace in a small room, the chimney draft will not have enough air flow. The hearth will smoke into the room or “suck out” air from neighboring rooms, and along with heat. It is allowed to build a small structure in a spacious room, but the heating will be minimal - the fireplace will serve as a decoration for the living room and play the role of a barbecue.

For the convenience of determining the size of the firebox and the chimney, depending on the quadrature of the room, there is a ready-made table:

According to the shape, fireplaces are divided into 2 types - wall and corner. In the publication, we provide a description of the first variety - it is relatively simple. To build home hearths of the angular type, you need to gain experience in the furnace business. Having decided on the dimensions of the heater, allocate a place for installation, taking into account our recommendations:

Place the fireplace in the center of the room divider. If a private house is in the process of redevelopment, repair or construction, the back wall can be brought to the next room by making an opening inside the partition.
It is not advisable to make a fireplace near the outer wall - part of the heat will go outside.
Think about convenience - do not place the structure near interior doors and do not place furniture back to back.
Carefully study the design of the ceilings and the truss system so that the chimney pipe does not fall into the supporting beam or onto the edge of the reinforced concrete floor slab. The minimum distance from the flue wall to the rafters is 10 cm (taking into account the fire-prevention furnace cutting).

When choosing a platform for a fireplace, do not forget about the foundation. In a residential area, you will have to dismantle the floors, dismantle the screed and dig a pit without affecting the existing base of the building. Remember if house engineering networks have been laid in the chosen place - sewerage, water supply or heated floors. The basement under the room is also a problem, not every floor can withstand the weight of the masonry.

Construction technology

The procedure for preparing and laying a fireplace with your own hands is proposed to be divided into stages:

Selection and purchase of building materials.
Preparing a set of tools.
Foundation device.
Brickwork of the furnace body and chimney.
Drying and primary kindling.

Let us consider in detail each item on the list, then we will present specific projects and orders available for execution by novice stove-makers.

An interesting version of the fireplace stove, where 2 fireboxes are combined - open and closed

Choosing a brick and mortar

Choose an oven brick taking into account the following requirements:

for the main masonry, take a solid ceramic (red) brick of a standard size of 250 x 120 x 65 mm, hollow marks are not suitable;
the walls of the firebox are laid out from fireclay (refractory) stones of the Sh, ShA or ShB grades;
instead of refractory, it is allowed to use solid clay brick, carefully selected for quality - without cracks, chips and other defects;
the body of the fireplace may be laid out of used ceramic bricks, provided that the stones have retained their strength, have not been soaked with dampness and have not cracked;
if the budget allows, buy a figured brick with rounded edges, shown in the photo.

Note. The brand of fireclay stones is precisely indicated in the design of the hearth. Specify the number and shape of hewn bricks in accordance with the schemes - orders.

The easiest way to make a quality masonry mortar is to buy a ready-made clay-sand mixture in the store, designed for stoves and fireplaces. A similar product is commercially available for refractory masonry - fireclay and mortar.

If you are on the path of total savings, make the solution yourself:

The solution is considered suitable for work if the “sausage” rolled from it with a diameter of 10-15 mm does not crack and does not crumble when wound on a wooden stick Ø4-5 cm.

Reference. Ready-made clay-sand mortar is stored indefinitely. If the composition has time to dry before use, it is enough to dilute it again with water.

Methods for checking the solution by squeezing, tearing and winding the bundles on a round handle

Pure clay mortar for laying the foundation and the chimney is not suitable - you need to add lime or cement. Therefore, to build a fireplace, prepare additional building materials:

Portland cement M400;
sand;
roofing material for waterproofing;
felt (can be used), roofing iron;
broken stones of any origin;
boards or boards for formwork;
polyethylene film (used is allowed, but without holes);
steel knitting wire;
asbestos cord.

Advice. Instead of felt, basalt cardboard has been successfully used.

Ready-made masonry mixtures for stoves and fireplaces

Of course, the construction of a fireplace will require stove fittings - doors, valves, and so on. The exact number and dimensions are listed in the project. To form the arch of the portal, metal corners or fittings will also be required. In order not to plaster and decorate the finished hearth, purchase a special fire-resistant enamel.

We prepare the tools of the stove-maker

The complete set of tools used by kiln masters is shown in the picture. But since the average homeowner does not have all the fixtures depicted, we will give a list of tools that you cannot do without when building a fireplace:

pick;
hammer (preferably rubber);
construction level, tape measure;
square, cord and plumb;
the brush is wide;
Master OK;
pliers;
ruler and scriber - a pointed metal rod.

A beginner who is not trained in the techniques of hewing and splitting bricks will make a lot of marriage and ruin a lot of material until he gets used to the job. Hence the advice: cut stones with a grinder equipped with a circle on concrete. To reduce dust, go outside or to another room.

In addition to the listed devices, you will need a bucket and a thick cloth for wiping brick walls. A small spatula or a metal scoop with a broom is also useful.

Laying a solid foundation

How to make the base of the fireplace correctly is described in detail in another step-by-step. Briefly outline the stages of work:

Digging and excavation of soil from a pit, whose dimensions are 10 cm wider than the dimensions of the future hearth. The depth depends on the location of stable soil layers, but not less than 0.5 m.
Backfilling the pit with rubble stone, strengthening with liquid clay or lime mortar.
Laying 2 waterproofing layers of roofing material.
Installation of formwork, pouring a reinforced concrete slab with a thickness of 15-20 cm.
After 4 weeks (complete solidification of concrete) - laying felt soaked in liquid clay and erecting 2 continuous rows of ceramic bricks.

Note. Instead of a reinforced concrete slab, cement mortar brickwork can be used, ending at the level of the finished floor. In this case, the rubble foundation can be loaded much earlier - after 7-10 days.

The base of the fireplace to be laid is a completely independent structure, not connected with the foundation of a private house. The minimum distance between them is 50 mm, but it is better to keep 10 cm. Treat the accessible side surfaces of the foundation with bitumen for waterproofing.

A plastic film is laid over the backfill and formwork so that liquid concrete does not lose cement milk. The felt soaked with clay is placed on the finished slab, as shown in the diagram. The first two rows of stones are considered zero and are not reflected in the order of the fireplace, their task is to protect the felt pad from high temperature. For more information about the technology of laying a reinforced concrete foundation, see the video:

Instructions for chimney masonry

Before laying out the fireplace, select the best brick for the firebox, clean the used stones from soot, dirt and adhering old mortar. When ready, proceed to an important stage - laying the first row. Step by step technology looks like this:

Retreating 5 cm from the edge of the foundation, collect the first tier of bricks dry. First install the outer beautiful stones, then fill the middle.
Using a square and a wooden plank, align the bricks along the line at 90° angles.
Measure the length of the diagonals with a tape measure. The maximum allowable discrepancy is 5 mm.
Lay all the stones on the mortar, controlling the horizontal level.

The next rows are laid out in the same way - the formation of the model on a dry, fitting and trimming of stones, setting on the solution. The verticality and horizontality of the masonry is constantly monitored using a plumb line and building level.

Advice for newbies. There is a simple technique that allows you to ensure the verticality of the fireplace masonry. After forming the first two rows, project the corner points on the ceiling with a plumb line and drive nails or dowels there. Tie cords with weights to them, which will serve as markers for the dimensions of the fireplace. Instead of twine, you can use vertically installed iron corners, then it will become much easier to level the masonry.

When erecting the walls of the fireplace, be sure to observe the following rules:

Before laying, immerse the red brick in a bucket of water for 2-3 minutes - air bubbles will come out of the pores. Refractory stones do not need to be soaked, just rinsed from dust.
The maximum joint thickness is 5 mm. Press the brick against adjacent stones, while leveling and removing excess mortar on the sides with a trowel.
The walls of the gas channels must be smooth. Turn the bricks with a flat edge inside the flue, and every 3-4 rows wipe the masonry from the inside with a wet rag.
Before laying a smoke box with a chimney tooth and sloping walls, where you need to do a lot of trimming, lay out the element model dry. This will allow you to clearly fit the sawn bricks.
Fireclay and ceramic masonry, which have different coefficients of thermal expansion, do not connect with each other. Provide a gap of 3-5 mm where sheets of basalt cardboard are inserted.
Before installation, wrap fireplace doors with asbestos cord at the points of contact with the wall. Fix the elements with a knitting wire, aligning them vertically and horizontally.
Put the valve on the clay mortar - you need to open the valve and apply it to the frame.

The overlap is made of steel corners supported on the walls of the portal. The upper row of stones is laid on rolled metal without mortar, only the side seams are filled. Semicircular arched vaults are formed using special patterns of wood - circled, shown in the photo.

The circle can be made from plywood or wood of any quality, but the shape of the support must be clearly calibrated.

When installing a chimney, change the recipe for preparing the solution - add cement instead of clay. The ratio of the binder to sand is 1: 4, the density is medium. In the wooden floor of the house, cutting is performed, providing a fire indent of 38 cm from the smoke channel to combustible structures (see the diagram).

Above the roof surface, a thickening of the pipe is made - an otter that closes the joint of the roofing with brickwork. At the end, a closed-type head is formed, which prevents precipitation from entering the fireplace.

For stoves and fireplaces, fire rules are the same - the distance between the smoke channel and the wooden floor must be at least 380 mm (one and a half bricks)

Drying and first kindling

Sand-clay mortar does not harden, but dries. The drying process takes 10-14 days, during which monitoring is carried out. Small cracks that occur in the masonry of the fireplace are sealed with the same clay mortar. At the end of the specified period, make a trial kindling:

Having opened the valve, kindle a small armful of brushwood and wood chips on the hearth.
Gradually add small firewood, maintaining a small fire. This will allow the solution to dry completely.
If after 3-4 hours no cracks have formed in the body of the fireplace, you can increase the portion of firewood. Take your time and first make sure that the walls of the hearth have warmed up.

Advice. Due to the air lock in the chimney, there may initially be no draft. The pipe must be heated with a torch or a small fire kindled on a view.

Techniques for performing fireplace masonry, see the following video:

Project No. 1 - a compact mini-fireplace

This hearth is suitable for heating a room of 16-20 m² in a country house or a small country house. Another option for using the design is as an outdoor barbecue built in a garden gazebo. A feature of the fireplace is lateral convection channels that heat the air in the room. The size of the building is 102 x 51 cm.

To lay out a mini-fireplace, you will need the following materials:

solid ceramic brick - 240 pcs. (chimney not included)
revision door 24 x 14 cm - 1 pc.;
cast-iron grates 18 x 14 cm;
valve 25 x 14 cm;
stainless steel sheet 1 mm thick, 500 x 1000 mm in size;
a sheet of black or galvanized metal, laid in front of the firebox, dimensions - 70 x 50 cm.

Sectional drawing of a mini-fireplace. Outlets of convection channels are provided on the side walls

Note. The stainless steel sheet serves as the back screen of the firebox. It is allowed not to put it, but then it will be necessary to form an inclined wall of cut bricks.

The mini-fireplace shown in the drawing is laid out in this order:

The master will tell you in detail the algorithm for laying a mini-fireplace in his video:

Project No. 2 - a simple heating fireplace

The dimensions of this building are 112 x 65 cm, the height is 2020 mm. The internal size of the portal is 52 x 49 cm. Accelerated heating of the room is provided due to the convective air channel. The building kit looks like this:

clay solid brick - 345 pcs.;
valve used in the chimney - 250 x 130 mm;
2 steel equal-shelf corners 45 mm wide, 70 cm long;
metal sheet 500 x 700 mm.

A feature of the laying of the fireplace shown in the diagram is the setting of a large number of bricks at the base on the edge. A narrow long channel is arranged above, where the heated air of the room moves. Let's move on to the construction algorithm:

The method of trial kindling the fireplace is demonstrated in the last video:

Conclusion

We warn you that making a fireplace with your own hands from brick is a difficult task for a beginner. Aspects of construction, understandable in theory, turn into a problem in practice. Hence the recommendation: practice on simpler objects - make an outdoor grill, barbecue or barbecue. Hold brick and mortar in your hands, feel the nuances of masonry. It would be useful to consult a master stove-setter.