How to make an electric fireplace with your own hands

What should be considered before installation work?

Before you make a purchase of a heater and proceed with its installation, it is necessary to solve several important questions:

1. What is the main purpose of the device?
2. Where will the hearth be located?
3. What design will it have?
4. How will the electric fireplace be connected to the network?

We will briefly tell you about each nuance of self-assembly.

So, the first thing you need to decide is what this type of electric heater will be used for in the house and apartment. Most often, the installation of an electric fireplace is carried out for decorative purposes - to make the living room more comfortable or to give the bedroom a romantic atmosphere.However, this does not mean that such a device will not perform its main function - space heating. The power of an electric fireplace usually varies between 1-2 kW, which is quite enough to heat a room of 20 square meters. meters. If a room lacks a central heating system, such equipment can save the day and make the room warm.

The next, no less important issue is the location of the electric fireplace in the room. It is up to you to decide where it is best to place it, but consider the following requirements:

• Direct sunlight and bright light bulbs will degrade the quality of artificial fire, so it is better to place the device in a darkened corner or drywall niche.
• If you choose a suspended design option (more on that later), the hearth should hang no lower than at a height of 1 meter from the floor. Otherwise, the rest of the interior elements will close it.
• Complementing the previous requirement, it should be noted that the place of installation and connection of the electric fireplace must be such that it is the "highlight" of the interior of the room. Various cabinets, paintings and figurines should complement the electric heater, but not dominate it in design.
• If the room is spacious, it is necessary to install an electric fireplace in the center, but not in a secluded corner.
• There should be a socket near the selected connection point so as not to pull a new line from the junction box.
• We strongly do not recommend placing a fireplace under the TV, because. heat generation may adversely affect the operation of the screen.
• If you want to make an interior according to Feng Shui, place a fire in one of the corners.It is believed that negative energy accumulates in the corners of the room, which is neutralized by the positive energy of the corner electric fireplace.
• In the event that the area of ​​​​the room is small, but you still want to install this type of electric heater in it, buy a corner case. In this case, you "kill two birds with one stone": save free space and make your dream come true.

The third question in a row is the choice of a suitable design, depending on the installation location of the electric fireplace in the apartment with your own hands. It should be noted here that electric fireplaces are corner, wall-mounted, built-in and attached (all 4 options are shown in the photo below). As for the last two options, the attached hearth does not need to be mounted into the wall, but it is enough just to move it to a suitable place, which greatly facilitates installation work. With the installation of a built-in electric fireplace, things are more complicated, because. for installation, it is necessary to make a special drywall construction or a niche in the wall. The advantage of a portal heater is that it can be lined with natural stone or wood, making it look like a real wood-burning fireplace.

Well, the last nuance is the way to connect the electric fireplace to the mains in the apartment. Everything is quite simple here - due to the low power, the fireplace can be connected to a regular outlet, the main thing is that powerful electrical appliances should not be connected to this electrical point anymore. Pulling a new line from the junction box is not entirely reasonable, unless, of course, the place for the electric heater is chosen not at the stage of overhaul.If you're really thinking about installing an electric fireplace while you're renovating your apartment, run one separate outlet in the right place and you won't have to worry.

The wires are visible - the socket is installed incorrectly

the inside of the frame,

When making the inside of the frame, keep in mind that the dimensions will increase due to the hearth itself and the sheathing. Even if it is a fairly thin heat-resistant tile, you will need to "fit" into the dimensions. In the manufacture of the chimney is used partition wall profile. The frame for beauty is made up to the ceiling (you can do without a chimney). Then you solve the issue with electrical wiring (if you haven’t decided before). Inside a homemade portal, it is better to wind the wire in a metal hose.

For sheathing, we use prepared plasterboard sheets. To cut them, you can take a clerical knife with a retractable blade. But electric fireplaces should be sewn up with a screwdriver (for fasteners, use self-tapping screws for metal). After that, all the joints between the pieces of drywall are puttied. In this case, you should strengthen all the corners of your fireplace structure without exception with perforated corners.

Installation of a drywall portal for an electric fireplace - a step-by-step diagram

Step 1: Location

Of course, you should start by finding a place where you would like to observe your hearth. If there is a lot of space in the room, then you can place the fireplace in the middle of the wall, and put furniture for the whole family around it. If space is limited, then a corner portal for an electric fireplace or slightly raised above the floor is suitable. Estimate, based on the area of ​​the hearth, whether its frame fits in the chosen place, adding about a dozen to two centimeters on each side.It is even advisable to sketch your project, mark out all the blanks needed in the future and write down their dimensions.

Step 2: Frame

Since we decided to make a portal for an electric fireplace with our own hands from drywall, we should assemble the frame. To do this, we look at our drawing and markings, cut off the U-shaped metal profile 27x28 of the desired length and assemble the frame of the rear of the frame, as a rule, this is a rectangle. We fasten it to the wall. Check the position of the structure with the building level, distortions will spoil the whole impression of the fireplace. Next, we cut the profile parts for the side walls and the front frame.

We connect all the parts with self-tapping screws and fasten to the back panel to make a kind of cage. Check all levels again. For greater reliability of the structure, it should be strengthened with a profile of 60x27 cm. For each wall, 2-3 pieces of the appropriate length are needed. We fasten them with self-tapping screws to the main guides (27x28), from which the entire frame is assembled, at the same distance from each other and from the upper and lower guides. This will prevent the frame from warping under the action of any loads.

Step 3: Sheathing

At this stage, take the hearth and place it inside the frame, set the profile strips holding it so that they exactly match its perimeter, and secure the frame well, its design will not change anymore. Now cut the sheet of drywall (GK) into the necessary parts, do not forget that the hearth itself has holes for air exchange, there should be holes for them in the GK blank.Another consumer of slots is the electrical wiring of the fireplace, mark the corresponding parts of the Civil Code for these needs. And on the top panel of the HA, make a rectangular hole for ventilation, which will be located in the pipe if you plan to make it. Now, with self-tapping screws 25 mm long, attach all drywall blanks.

Step 4: Trumpet

Next, we make a frame for the pipe from the same profiles (27x28 cm), according to the drawing, we strengthen it along the perimeter, as described in step 2. In some places (preferably every 20 cm along the guide) we fix the structure on the wall using dowel-nails or large-threaded self-tapping screws. Checking the horizontal and vertical is also carried out using the building level. We fasten the resulting frame with the bottom of the portal. We cut out the necessary blanks from the GK and fasten them to the profile with self-tapping screws.

Step 5: Finishing

Everything is ready, it remains to give the portal decoration. You can do it as you like, the main thing is to protect the drywall

Step-by-step instructions for making an electric fireplace portal

The question arises, how to make an electric fireplace with steam with your own hands? Let's figure it out. Models of electric fireplaces are different and they are made from different materials. For example, such as: drywall, stone, noble tree species, chipboard, plywood and many others.

To create an electric fireplace with your own hands, special skills are not required, the main thing is to follow the instructions clearly

In order to create a portal to an electric fireplace with your own hands from drywall, special skills and any specialized tools are not required. Facing the portal of the electric fireplace with your own hands is done in this case from finishing tiles, although other options are possible.

Before making a portal, you should:

• choose a place where the electric fireplace will be installed;
• buy or create an electrical element of the hearth;
• draw a drawing;
• prepare the necessary materials and tools.

In order to make a portal for an electric fireplace from drywall, the following materials will be required:

• metal profile, to create the design and fastening of drywall;
• drywall sheets;
• putty diluted with water;
• primer;
• mesh for seams;
• insulation;
• pre-created drawing;
• self-tapping screws;
• metal corner for fixing corners;
• facing tiles;
• furniture board;
• special glue.

Earlier, we already wrote about making portals for electric fireplaces with our own hands and recommended bookmarking the article.

Required tool:

• spatula;
• screwdriver;
• stationery knife;
• sandpaper;
• metal scissors.

After preparing the necessary tools and materials, you can get to work:

Stage 1. Preparation of metal profiles and drywall. Cut to the dimensions that were thought out in advance. Based on them, a drawing was built;

Cutting drywall to the required dimensions, which are planned according to the electric fireplace project

Stage 2. Installation of a metal profile according to the drawing;

Fastening of a metal profile cut to size into a general structure according to the drawing

Stage 3. Fixing drywall with self-tapping screws to the metal profile;

Fixing the prepared drywall sheets to the metal structure of the future electric fireplace

Stage 4. We completely sew up the frame with drywall according to the drawing;

Sewing metal with drywall and forming a recessed portal for installing a firebox

Stage 5. We carefully and accurately seal all seams and corners with a putty mixture;

Applying putty to a structure sheathed with drywall sheets

Stage 6. After the putty has dried, you should walk with sandpaper to remove all irregularities;

Sanding the portal wall for an electric fireplace with sandpaper to eliminate surface irregularities

Stage 7. At the corners on top of the drywall, we install a corner metal profile;

Fixing the corner metal profile for better fixation of corners and strengthening the structure

A facing tile is fixed to the primed surface with glue. In this case, the bottom of the portal is lined with bricks.

Portal with a hearth installed in a recess, but with unfinished cladding tiles

A portal with a table top and hearth set up. The tabletop in this case is painted yellow. You can choose the most suitable color for the interior of the room

Stage 11. The portal for the electric fireplace is ready.

The wall decoration is fully completed and the do-it-yourself electric fireplace harmoniously blends into the interior of the room

wall fireplace

One of the popular types of heating appliances are electric wall-mounted fireplaces. The main difference from other types of fireplaces is that they are installed on the wall. How it looks, look at the photo.

Wall-mounted electric fireplaces are widespread and very popular, as evidenced by the reviews.

This type of heating equipment differs in:

• functional value (can be used for heating, lighting and/or decorative purposes);
• dimensions (wall-mounted electric models differ in size (length, thickness, width) and weight, the main selection criterion is the wall, that is, its dimensions, for a small wall area, for example, in the bedroom you can choose a compact version, and in the living room you can install a model of decent sizes);
• additional functions (for example, the presence of a remote control, an on and off timer, a sensor for stepwise adjustment of the heating force, image and music playback systems with USB ports, and a number of others);
• shape (the classic shape is a parallelepiped, although recently devices with a convex front panel have appeared, which creates an additional effect and allows you to fit perfectly into any interior);
• materials of manufacture (metal, ceramics, plastic and glass are most often used, including black matte, less often there are inserts made of precious wood or stone);
• characteristics of imitation of a burning hearth.
• a number of other parameters.

Main advantages

Electric fireplaces, the installation site of which is a wall, differ in:

• economy;
• high degree of functionality;
• ease of maintenance and operation;
• compact dimensions (most models are commensurate in their panels with conventional plasma panels);
• accessibility in the installation (no need to obtain permits from various regulatory authorities).

Criterias of choice

Before buying a device, you need to decide on such parameters as:

• functional purpose, that is, what the fireplace will be used for - for heating, lighting or for decorative purposes;
• the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room where the installation of a wall-mounted electric fireplace is supposed to be installed, the size of the equipment depends on this;
• interior and stylistic concept of room design.

Based on these criteria, photos and reviews, you can choose the perfect model.

Installing a wall-mounted electric fireplace

The wall on which electric fireplaces are installed must be prepared in advance. First of all, you need to connect the electrical wiring, install a socket and a switch. It is also necessary to decide how the heating equipment will fit into the interior of the room. The fireplace can simply be hung on the wall or installed in a niche (portal) made of plasterboard (look at the photo and be guided by the reviews).

Installing fireplaces is quite simple. It is necessary to attach the mounting plate to the wall and hang the product. Please note that its weight can be from 10 to 25 kilograms, so you need to use three or four fasteners.

For a brick or concrete wall, dowels 60 mm long and 6 mm in diameter can be used.

On drywall walls, the mounting plate is attached using polypropylene dowels with an Alpha drill, self-tapping screws or metal anchors (MOLLY bolts). Yes, and do not forget, the mounting plate must be attached to the profile and it is desirable that a wooden beam be placed in this profile.

Next, the device must be connected to the outlet located behind the rear panel (so that the cord is not visible), and the equipment is ready for use. That is, the technology is similar to the technology of installing a plasma panel.

In this case, the installation must be carried out in accordance with fire safety standards, according to the photo and instructions of the manufacturers.

Possibilities of using the device

Any electric fireplace can combine several options. Usually fireplaces with humidification are endowed with the maximum number of them. Consider issues related to the features of operation.

Imitation of a flame may be the only reason for buying a device. But don't forgetthat the fireplace also heats the room. For these purposes, it is equipped with a heating element. In heating mode, the appliance consumes up to 2 kWh of energy. If you use only a dummy of a flame on water, then the performance will decrease tenfold.

The maximum realism has an electric fireplace with a humidifier and the sound of a firebox. The sound is played by the built-in player and is crackling, hissing and other etudes characteristic of burning, and if you add special flavors, you can completely forget that all the effects are artificial. The impact on three sense organs at once is so powerful that the connection with reality is lost.

An electrical device stylized as a fireplace must meet all electrical safety requirements. Therefore, you should carefully fill the tank with clean water to prevent it from getting into the open parts of the electrical circuit. For safety reasons, do not allow children to carry out such manipulations, as the temperature of the lamps can be quite high. Despite this retreat, a fireplace with a "live" fire function is considered absolutely safe. You can put your hand under the flames and feel nothing but warmth and moisture.

One of the useful options is the sleep timer. To conserve lamp life and save energy, it is recommended to set a timer value. The fireplace will turn itself off after the set time has elapsed.

Features of installing electric fireplaces

After a model that is suitable in all respects is selected, the question arises of its installation. You can do this yourself, or you can involve specialists in this process. In the latter case, all that is required of the owner is to pay the craftsmen and, after a while, enjoy the reflections of the flame in the fireplace.

If you decide to carry out the installation yourself, then you should carefully study the main stages of the installation:

• in the chosen place, it is necessary to install the base for the hearth. For these purposes, a thick board or wooden shield is perfect. If a decision is made to buy a built-in electric fireplace, then it is necessary to prepare a niche or furniture where the installation will be carried out. Do not forget about such important points as the proximity of the outlet and the possibility of further maintenance;
• if the portal or base for the built-in electric fireplace is made independently, it is imperative to carry out subsequent finishing work with paint or stain;
• when installing a new outlet for connecting a fireplace, experts recommend placing it behind the appliance;

The most popular and traditional way to install an electric fireplace is to place it in a special niche.

• corner portals for electric fireplaces are assembled in the same way as for built-in ones. The only difference is the installation of the structure in the corner of the room;
• the easiest way to install wall-mounted electric fireplaces.They are mounted on suspensions that come with the device itself. Before installing them, it is necessary to determine the type of wall: capital or partition wall. In the first case, it is necessary to make four attachment points. When installed on a pier, additional reinforcement is carried out. Without it, the wall may not support the weight of the electric fireplace.

Useful advice! Nothing limits the imagination of the owner of the fireplace. He can show his creative abilities and decorate the electric fireplace with various finishing materials: artificial stone, marble, wood, granite tiles, stucco, etc.

Firewood for electric fireplaces

As decorative elements used to simulate a "live" flame, you can use combinations of lamps, artificial firewood and coal, reflective elements. To create the effect of movement, cloth patches and fans can be used.

For example, you can make a decorative hearth using artificial homemade logs and LED lamps with randomly switching red, yellow and white lamps.

The procedure for making decorative logs:

• From corrugated cardboard tightly twist oblong rolls of different lengths and thickness and with the help of glue to fix the cardboard in this form. To fix the shape, tighten the ends of the rolls with rubber bands;
• Using the differences in the size of the rolls, glue the blanks in the form of logs with knots. Use adhesive tape to fix knots;
• Remove fixing strapspaint the resulting logs with paint;
• Separate branches can be made, painting sheets of paper crumpled into crumpled rolls.

The theater uses this method of simulating a flame:

• Placed in a cardboard box small fan;
• Multi-colored LEDs are installed above this fan. appropriate colors (yellow, red, orange, etc.);
• Directly above the LEDs are small mirrors, which will reflect electric light, creating the effect of fiery highlights;
• Strips of different sizes and shapes are cut out of white fabric. These strips are placed inside the box around the fan. They will play the role of tongues of fire.
• The box can be decorated with artificial charcoal, branches, decorative logs and place in the hearth of an electric fireplace.

The inner surface of the electric fireplace portal can be isolated from warm air jets using reflective thermal insulation.
This will increase the heat transfer of the device itself and extend the life of the portal body and its finish.
It is strongly not recommended to use candles, as well as any other open source of real fire, as an imitation of a fire flame in an electric fireplace.
In addition to the obvious risk of fire, the source of an open fire almost always smokes, which negatively affects the appearance of a decorative fireplace, especially if it is made in light colors.

Before buying, you should carefully study the functions of the device.
If you cannot adjust the brightness of the simulation, prolonged operation of the device can cause eye fatigue.

It is advisable to ask to turn on the device and pay attention to the noise level during its operation.Here it must be remembered that in a store any noise is not as noticeable as in residential premises, and if the noise level of a new product is higher than desired, then with further operation, the noise of working mechanisms will only increase

To design a composition with a hearth, you can add elements
, accompanying the maintenance of a real fire: tongs, a poker, a bundle of firewood, etc.

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The role of the fireplace in our lives: the process of operating the device

Today, traditional bulky fireplaces, consisting of a firebox and a chimney, have already become a thing of the past, and their construction is extremely rare and requires significant costs. And not all premises are suitable for their construction, which also contributed to their partial oblivion. However, such difficulties do not mean that the fireplace should not be used at all.

Electric fireplaces are a kind of example of modern technology, which made it possible to enclose the energy of a fireplace in a small box and curb it.

A modern version of an electric fireplace. Portal cladding made of wood

In itself, a similar product is absolutely safe, since it does not heat up at all during operation, takes up little space and makes it possible to admire a full-fledged hearth. However, the main advantage of the product is the absence of combustion products, which allows it to be placed in any room, regardless of its size and stylistic orientation. At the same time, the appearance of the electric counterpart resembles a small rectangular box, which, when turned off, does not at all look like a traditional fireplace. The construction of a portal, which is a distinctive feature of any fireplace system or even its business card, will help to give it a classic appearance.

Portals for electric fireplaces are purely decorative structures designed to structurally highlight the hearth against the background of the entire interior, separating it and visually delimiting the room. They can be made of absolutely any materials, without fear of fire or damage, since the body of the product practically does not heat up during operation, projecting an image only on the screen. Based on this, we can conclude that the portals are used only to create an accent on the fireplace and should not violate the integrity of the existing design.

No. 2. False plasterboard fireplace

Of course, the cost of the finished composition also plays an important role. Let's start with the most affordable material, not counting cardboard - drywall. It is a pleasure to work with him due to the fact that details of any configuration are very easily cut out of it. And the installation of such elements is very simple. For the construction of a medium-sized fireplace, one sheet of plasterboard is enough for you, because its dimensions are 1200 × 2500 mm. It is better to use a wall view that has a thickness of 12.5 mm. For work you will need:

• sheet or trim GKL;
• profile or wooden planks;
• roulette;
• level;
• stationery knife;
• putty knife;
• finishing putty;
• primer;
• perforated corner,
• painting net;
• screwdriver and drywall screws.

In order to most accurately represent how much space the fireplace that you depicted in the drawing will take, mark the installation site on the wall and transfer the external dimensions to it. Move to the opposite wall and evaluate the result. You may need to slightly reduce or increase the size, or change the location. At this stage, you can still make all sorts of corrections.Only after you are completely satisfied with the dimensions and place, proceed to cutting out the parts and attaching the frame, taking into account the changes, if any.

• The basis for the frame can be the remains of a special profile for drywall or even wooden planks. According to the markup, screw the first elements with self-tapping screws to the wall. It is not recommended to use nails - threaded connections are much more reliable. If the dimensions of the fireplace are quite large, for its stability and reliability, make additional attachment points on the floor. Use horizontal lintels to stiffen the structure. In the case of fixing profiles to a concrete base, first simply attach it to the wall and drill a hole together with it. After that, insert the dowel and secure with self-tapping screws. The evenness of each element must be controlled by the building level.
• After the frame is ready, transfer the dimensions of all the walls to the GKL sheet, trying to place them as close as possible so that there is less waste. For cutting, you can use both a regular clerical knife and an electric jigsaw. True, the latter will be a lot of dust and the cardboard around the edges can wrinkle and tear if you move too fast. All details must first be tried on and finished with sandpaper if necessary. When you make sure that all the elements fit perfectly in size to the frame, you can begin to fix them.
• Be careful when tightening screws. With proper installation, their hat should be buried in the drywall surface to a depth of about 1 mm. This will greatly facilitate the further cladding process. The recommended distance between fasteners is 10-15 cm.
• After sheathing, it is necessary to hide all joints and irregularities. For this, the finishing putty is best suited. Surfaces must first be primed. If the wall does not consist of a single piece, then the joints between the fragments must be glued with masking tape. All corners should be leveled with perforated corners, and then the first layer of mortar should be applied. The putty should be spread evenly in a thin layer. After it dries, bumps and sagging must be cleaned with sandpaper or a special metal mesh. Prime again to remove dust and apply a final layer of putty again.

At this stage, the construction of a false plasterboard fireplace is considered completed. Then the small thing remains - the decor of its surface, which we will talk about a little later.