Do-it-yourself drywall fireplace: options, photos, how to make, projects, drawings, tools, step-by-step manufacturing instructions

For the conditions of a city apartment, a drywall fireplace will serve as a good substitute for brick or stone counterparts. You can create such a design yourself, given the easy processing of the base material. After performing decorative finishing, the hearth will bring a feeling of comfort and tranquility to the home atmosphere.

Implementation Options

Installing a false plasterboard fireplace is easy. Depending on the dimensions and external decor, they select an option that fits well into the already created interior.

Available materials are used for assembly. Installation does not require special skills. Since it is planned to manufacture a false fireplace from drywall, it is allowed to install heating devices inside, but only if fire-resistant materials are used in the decoration of the firebox.

Advantages of decorative fireplace portals:

• Fire safety;
• inexpensive consumables;
• fast installation;
• installation in a convenient place in any room;
• variety of external design;
• the possibility of using the upper surface of the portal for installing candlesticks, figurines and other items for decorating the interior;
• no need to remove soot in the chimney and coals in the firebox.

Conditional

The drywall construction is made voluminous, providing for a firebox. Its internal planes are tiled with tiles with high resistance to heat. In such a fireplace, you can put a household appliance with the function of simulating flames.

A mesmerizing fire dancing inside the firebox of an indoor fireplace enlivens the entire space. This effect is due to LEDs that do not heat up, ensuring safe operation. As a result, a false fireplace can serve not only as an imitation conventional fireplacebut also a night light.

Reliable

Refractory drywall is used when sheathing a volumetric fireplace portal. Additionally, the firebox is trimmed with fire-resistant materials. This allows you to install inside the heater, powered by the mains.

More often used devices equipped with 2 functions. They can, if necessary, serve as heaters. If the supply of heat is not required, switch to the mode of maintaining imitation of flashes of flames.

Can embed biofireplace. It is considered safer for drywall sheathing compared to electric heaters. In modern foci, biofuels such as ethanol are predominantly used. It decomposes during combustion into carbon dioxide and the same safe water vapor. Such a device does not pollute the atmosphere of the room.

Easier to use automated biofuel fireplaces. They have the option of performing ignition using the remote control. The intensity of combustion is automatically controlled, fuel sensors are built in.

Symbolic

A feature is the complete absence of heaters. Mostly such a fireplace looks like a three-dimensional three-dimensional plasterboard panel. Its firebox is often decorated with dummies of logs.

The fireplace insert looks interesting, for the back wall of which a mirror is used. Interior items reflected in it create a perspective effect.

Imitation of a flame that creates an atmosphere of comfort when the lights are off in the evening is created by burning candles. With this approach, you need to consider finishing the internal planes of the firebox of a false fireplace made of drywall with non-combustible materials.

Inside the stylized firebox of a fireplace made using drywall, if desired, you can put beautiful decorative objects. Look great, for example, vases of unusual shape.

If desired, a stylized fireplace insert is used as an additional storage space. Here you can put books, a small pillow. Even model shoes will fit.

corner

For a small room, this option is considered suitable. Compact corner fireplaces take up little space. They are conveniently placed in a free corner, increasing the feeling of comfort. You can put an armchair next to the plasterboard portal, equipping a cozy relaxation area.

wall

For a small room, a good solution is to fix the fireplace portal on the wall. Such a drywall construction does not clutter up the space, it looks aesthetically pleasing.

wall

In a spacious room, a decorative fireplace frame made of plasterboard can be conveniently placed against the wall. With the right choice of finishes, this design becomes the central accent of the interior.

A strict drywall fireplace often serves as a TV stand. This option allows you to create a cozy, peaceful environment.

An interesting nuance to the interior is made by a built-in false fireplace. It can be supplemented with shelves that serve as additional storage places for memorable accessories, photographs, books.

Even an ordinary Smart TV can turn into an original fireplace. It is enough to download applications that are focused on transmitting a realistic flame in a fireplace insert. A symbolic plasterboard portal is constructed around the screen.

A two-tiered plasterboard portal looks unusual. It has a place for a fireplace from below, in which biofuel creates an imitation of flames. On the second tier there is a TV. There remains a place for a forged candlestick, an elegant vase.

A false fireplace does not weigh down the space, which is built into a niche specially made of drywall. Neutral surface finishes in light colors not only of the portal, but also of the adjacent shelves and fronts of floor cabinets create a unified sound.

Central

In the spacious living room-kitchen, a decorative plasterboard fireplace box is erected in the center. It serves as a visual boundary between functional areas. More often, a portal in such a situation is built high. It must have good stability. For this purpose, the portal is fixed on the floor or ceiling.

Projects and drawings

When building a false fireplace from drywall with your own hands, you can use ready-made projects.

After analyzing and choosing an option, a drawing is selected or independently developed, on which the required dimensions are applied.

If there is a nuance in the idea of ​​​​using a liquid crystal screen, then you need to select its dimensions in advance. This will allow you to more accurately apply the dimensions of a stylized firebox on the drawing of the facade. It is envisaged that on the wall next to the portal there should be a socket equipped with an automatic fuse, which is designed for the rated power of the screen.

When drawing up the drawing, all the details that will be included in the overall design of the fireplace are taken into account. For clarity, an axonometric projection is built. From a three-dimensional image, it is easier to understand how the fireplace portal, which is planned to be built from drywall, will look like in space.

In addition to the basic dimensions, additional clarifying inscriptions are made on the drawing. They allow you to easily cut and then connect the necessary parts.

For clarity, the options for finishing are fixed on the drawing. With this approach, errors in the design work will be excluded.

You can pick up a project of a decorative fireplace almost up to the ceiling. This solution is more suitable for a spacious living room. The vertically elongated frame visually raises the ceiling.

For the corner version of the fireplace, at least 2 types are made in the drawing. This allows you to correctly fit the decorative structure into the interior at the installation stage.

It is more convenient to build a fireplace if the drawing is developed in full size on a large sheet of paper. This will allow you to attach it to the selected section of the wall to make sure that visually the fireplace fits well into the allotted space.

Tools and materials

To make a decorative fireplace quickly and correctly with your own hands, you need to immediately prepare all the material and the necessary tools.

When buying drywall, preference is given to varieties with a high moisture resistance index. This will then allow for a rough finish and finish cladding without the appearance of deformation.

In accordance with a pre-designed drawing, they acquire a profile (guide, rack). To fasten structural parts, you need to stock self-tapping screws. You will also need dowel-nails to fix the frame to the floor or walls.

To prepare the plasterboard portal for finishing, you need to buy putty, primer, reinforcing tape, fine-grained sandpaper.

In accordance with the chosen cladding, tile, wallpaper, film or other type of finish is purchased. As well as adhesive, grout (for tiles).

In addition to the basic materials, prepare tools:

• jigsaw (or wallpaper knife);
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• metal scissors;
• level;
• metal ruler (or square);
• roulette;
• pencil;
• brushes, rollers, spatulas.

Manufacturing

It will be possible to create an interesting form of a drywall fireplace in an apartment if an exact scheme is developed at the preparation stage. Strictly follow the step by step instructions.

Frame construction

When the preparation stage has already been completed, the material has been selected, the scheme has been developed, there are all the necessary tools, they proceed to the construction of the main structure.

Algorithm:

1. To make the frame reliable, you must first inspect the wall, next to which it is planned to put a fireplace, for which drywall is used. Clean the identified crumbling areas, remove crumbling paint or plaster. Identified cracks, cavities, cracks are puttied. Then the leveled wall is primed and painted.
   
2. On the prepared and dried wall, in accordance with the drawing, markup is performed. Vertical lines are controlled by a plumb line. Additionally, the level is used to check the exact direction of the contour lines.
   
3. Guides are fixed on the wall plane. Self-tapping screws are used for this. For a solid concrete plane, dowels are required, under which holes are pre-drilled. The interval between fasteners is kept within 30-40 cm.
   
4. Racks are inserted into the fixed guides. Self-tapping screws are used for fixing. Screw them in with a screwdriver. Each part of the frame is checked so that it is installed in the right direction without deviations. Then jumpers are added to ensure the rigidity of the structure.
   

If the project provides for a smooth bend, an arched profile is used.

Plasterboard cladding

After the complete installation of the frame, proceed to the construction of the box. Use prepared drywall sheets.

Focusing on the drawing, they transfer the main contours of the parts to the plasterboard panels.

Using an electric jigsaw, drywall is cut. You can work with a knife. The blade is drawn along the line, having previously attached a metal ruler to it. After the cardboard is cut on one side, the sheet is broken. Then the cardboard is cut from the opposite side and the part is separated.

The cut drywall parts are fixed on the metal profile with self-tapping screws. When working, they try not to drown the hats much. But you should not leave them above the surface of the drywall.

It is more convenient to work with a screwdriver. Fasteners are distributed, maintaining a step within 10-15 cm.

With careful cladding, a home fireplace will turn out to be the desired shape. When performing all operations, be careful, given the fragility of drywall.

putty

After completing the stage of sheathing with plasterboard parts, the artificial fireplace must be puttied.

This procedure allows you to mask potholes, traces of self-tapping screws, joints. It is possible to obtain even planes on the first layer of putty that covers the irregularities, after drying, stick a fiberglass sickle or reinforcing paper tape.

Perforated corners are useful. They allow you to well align the edges of the firebox. They are glued to the outer corners of the portal, if you need to hide the drywall defects that appeared during the installation process.

When the mesh is fixed, the putty mixture is distributed both inside and outside again. Trying to level the surface. After they dry, they are treated with fine-grained sandpaper.

decorative trim

When the frame of the indoor fireplace is completely ready, they begin to design its portal. The choice of material for decoration, palette, texture depends on the overall solution of the interior.

Heat resistant plaster

If it is planned to install an electric fireplace in the portal, then a composition for plaster is selected with the inclusion of fire-resistant components in it. To obtain the desired shade, pigments are used. They are added at the stage of preparing the plaster mass. They use different technologies for its application. As a result, the surface gets a smooth or embossed texture.

Ceramic tile

The variety of such finishing material allows you to make an ordinary fireplace from affordable drywall an original decoration. Use tiles of different sizes. It is easy to choose options that resemble colorful tiles.

When facing, you need to use adhesives that are suitable for the selected type of tile. If they take ceramics for finishing, they buy a special highly elastic glue.

Decorative rock

To get an imitation of a fireplace will allow facing the portal using an artificial stone coating. Light elements made of polyurethane with stone imitation are popular. They are fixed with special glue. Finishing does not visually differ from natural materials. Heavy natural stone for a plasterboard portal is not used.

decorative brick

Finishing the fireplace portal in the form of brickwork brings a touch of home comfort into the atmosphere. Such cladding is made both from individual rectangular tiles and brick-like panels. Suitable for drywall lightweight plastic.

MDF canvases look good. In home interiors, flexible self-adhesive soft panels with a surface imitating brickwork are often used.

Painting

The most affordable technology for designing portals created for a decorative fireplace is to apply paint. Take when making drywall varieties without a strong odor. These are latex or acrylic paints.

You can leave the facades plain. To obtain a different decor, for example, an imitation of brickwork, a background is first applied, often light. This layer should dry well. Then a narrow masking tape is glued horizontally, where, according to the plan, the seams between the bricks will be. Short tapes glue vertical joints in a checkerboard pattern. Now the area to be drawn up is painted with a roller in the desired brick tone. When the paint dries, remove the tape.

stucco work

Skillfully executed stucco details give the fireplace elegance and lightness. You can buy them ready-made. Popular varieties of such finishes include polyurethane stucco. It is light in weight and does not cause problems when sticking.

painting

At the first stage, a background is applied. More often it is made neutral so that the color nuances stand out well without losing their brightness. To obtain an elegant pattern, it is not necessary to have the skills of a painter. You can purchase stencils with the desired ornaments. They are fixed on the surface of the portal, and then paint is applied.

Wallpaper

The portal of a decorative fireplace, created from easily processed drywall, can be quickly transformed by pasting it with wallpaper. This technique should be used if heating devices are not installed in a stylized firebox.

They prefer washable non-woven vinyl-coated canvases. Such material allows you to apply different patterns, as well as select the right types of imitation of natural objects (wood, stone).

Decoupage

It will be possible to get a painted fireplace without the use of paint. Take paper napkins with an elegant pattern. The top layer is separated, from which motifs are carefully cut out. Thin rice paper will do.

The surfaces of a plasterboard puttied fireplace are evenly coated with white or light pastel paint. Leave to dry completely. Then liquid PVA glue is applied to the desired areas with a thin layer. Apply and carefully smooth out the cut parts. Glue is applied on top of them again with a soft brush. When the facades are completely decorated, you need to wait for the glue to dry. Then be sure to apply a clear varnish.

Self-adhesive film

A film with an adhesive layer will allow you to quickly arrange all the planes of the fireplace. First, cut it in accordance with the dimensions of the hearth. Then gently stick, smoothing from the center to the edges.

It is important to avoid the accumulation of air bubbles. If there are still small swellings, they are pierced with a needle, and then smoothed out. The film, like wallpaper, is easy to use. It attracts a large number of options for shades, patterns, stylization of natural materials.

Since drywall is not very durable, when decorating fireplaces made of this material, cladding with low weight is used. The use of forged openwork details adds interesting notes. It can be fireplace screens, doors, tongs.

The decorative fireplace portal is easily transformed if you need to bring a sense of celebration into the room. When decorating, heavy parts that can damage the fragile frame are excluded.

Installing a fireplace in an apartment is possible if a decorative option is chosen. It is not difficult to make it, using drywall for sheathing a metal frame. This material is easy to cut, easy to fix with self-tapping screws. After puttying, it remains to perform a decorative finish suitable for the interior.

What do you think, is it worth making a decorative fireplace on your own or is it easier to buy a ready-made portal? Share in the comments! Bookmark useful instructions so you don't lose them.