Call a contractor and ten thousand dollars later, your fireplace is installed chimney, hearth and all. But, you don’t need a fancy contractor to build you a fireplace wherever you want it. In fact, you don’t even have to worry about load bearing walls or any destruction whatsoever.
This is a fireplace design that is so easy and unique, you’ll wonder why the contractors haven’t thought of it themselves. The approximate build time for this particular fireplace design is four hours if you have all the supplies ready when you start. So, gather up your materials and get ready to build yourself a beautiful fireplace anywhere you want one around the home.
– Bricks – Brick Panel – 18″x18″ Paving Stones or Slabs – L-Brackets – Mortar – Trowel – Mantel Floating Wall Shelf – Fireplace Insert
Of course with a little planning, you can have a fireplace looking any way you want. If you don’t like the design layout outlined here, pick and choose your own materials and build it to fit your style. That’s the fun of DIY projects! Learn from the outline. Then, turn it into your own.
The exact materials that you will need depend on the dimensions of your fireplace. This design is based on a simple 4.5′ wide by 5′ tall fireplace, not counting the mantel piece across the top. The mantel piece should be long enough to cover the width of the fireplace with some overhang.
Locate the place around your home where you would really like to have a fireplace. Clean out the area and cut any borders you might have. You want the fireplace to be flush to the wall, even if it’s not going to be built into the wall. Make sure that the border you cut away is exactly the measurement of your design. You want your fireplace to sit against the wall like it belongs there.
Begin with a base of brick. Apply mortar to the wall to begin your first line of brick. Also, apply mortar to the floor for your bricks to adhere to both surfaces. Six bricks wide by four bricks deep will make for a good base of the hearth. Use mortar between the bricks. You can pick up instructions online or at a hardware store for techniques on how to apply mortar with a nice finish. But, this base will be underneath paving slabs. So, it’s not particularly vital that you get it perfect.
Apply mortar to the top of the brick layer. Lay the paving slabs one top. Three slabs across will give you a nice hearth with an overhang of three inches on each side and two inches in the front. The hearth is complete. Give the mortar some time to dry. It won’t take long.
Using mortar, affix your brick panel to the wall to create a back. Then, build two columns on each side. Using brick and mortar, each column should be 10.5″ wide by 54″ high. A solid column is created by stacking three bricks with one standing beside as a first stack. Apply mortar to the wall as you are building each stack.
Also, the mortar in between the stacked bricks should bring the height level to the one standing brick. Then, stagger the next stack so that the standing brick is on the opposite side. As you are building the third stack, use a trick that brings solidarity to the entire project.
Drill holes in the brick for the L-Bracket that will add extra hold for the paving slab. Screw the L-Bracket in place. Apply mortar to the column and put the paving slab in place. Screw the L-Bracket to the slab. Build each 18″ section in like manner until both columns are complete.
Install the mantel floating wall shelf in place at the top of the columns. Put your fireplace insert in place. You are finished. Bring the family in the room to see the awesome work you have just completed.
A fireplace like this can be built anywhere around your home. You can have one in the bedroom, the den and even in the bathroom if you have space. Cost to do this project is based on your location. But, I would venture to say you can manage it for less than three hundred dollars. That beats ten thousand and the outcome is much more aesthetically pleasing because it has your style all over it!