Omsa socks set
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Omsa socks set
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Modern electric heaters, as a rule, have an overly technological appearance, and the frames offered for them do not always meet the tastes of consumers. One of the visible solutions is to make a portal for the electric fireplace with your own hands. This approach will allow you to create a unique dummy that will successfully fulfill its aesthetic and decorative functions.
A dummy for an electric fireplace successfully performs aesthetic and decorative functions
What are and types of fireplace portals
An electric fireplace portal is a decorative frame located around the firebox. Inexpensive store-bought fireplaces are usually compact in size. Although they look quite attractive in the interior, it is difficult to create the most comfortable atmosphere with their help.
Making a frame for an electric fireplace with your own hands is a fairly easy task. Before you begin, please note that there are several types of frames that differ in style and size. The following groups are conventionally distinguished:
- wall-mounted - products rarely have more than 45 cm in depth and are located along the wall;
Wall portals are well suited for spacious rooms - corner - models are used in small rooms; they have a non-standard triangular shape;
Corner portals for electric fireplaces have spacious countertops - antique-styled - such products are usually decorated with columns and stucco moldings during production;
Antique portals are made of stone or wood or plastic that imitates these materials - in high-tech style - frames fit perfectly into a modern interior, are multi-functional and have a large number of shelves;
High-tech portals may contain disk compartments, additional drawers and even safes - in the style of minimalism - glass and metal are used to make products, the designs are distinguished by their versatility and strict lines;
Minimalist portals fit into almost any interior - in a medieval style - the main material is stone or its imitation, red brick and cobblestones.
Portals for electric fireplaces in medieval style look good in lofts and rustic interiors
Before making a frame for an electric fireplace with your own hands, you need to study the features of the room. The hearth should fit harmoniously into the environment and not look like an alien spot against its background.
Drawings and dimensions of portals for electric fireplaces
Before making a frame for an electric fireplace with your own hands, you need to measure the length and width of the room and imagine how the product will look in the interior. You can find many drawings with dimensions on the Internet. However, you need to focus primarily on the dimensions of a particular room.
The height of the portal for an electric fireplace should be 2-3 times greater than the hearth itself
If in small rooms it is recommended to install corner or narrow structures, then in a spacious living room the structure can be made wider. But if the frame is located in line with the furniture, it should not protrude forward.
Before making the portal, you can make a full-size mock-up and make sure that the structure will not interfere with the passage
It is also recommended to draw drawings before making the product yourself for reasons of economy. In this case, it will be easier to calculate the required amount of materials, and during the work it will not become clear that there are too few or too many of them.
Basic rules for construction and preparatory work
Before construction begins, the location of the fireplace is determined, which should give off heat in different directions. The structure is installed near the main wall, in which a chimney was installed during the construction of the house. In wooden buildings, protection of structures from heat should be provided; the pipe should not come into contact with rafters or ceilings.
Correct location of the fireplace in the room.
The room must have ventilation ducts, which are recommended to be located next to the chimney. If the house does not have such channels, then a separate room ventilation project should be developed. It is prohibited to use fireplaces in rooms without a supply of fresh air.
What tools and materials will be needed
What material to use to make the frame for a new electric fireplace yourself depends on personal preferences and capabilities. The most popular is plasterboard. You can also create a portal from wood, laminated parquet boards, plywood, chipboard and MDF.
In addition to materials, the following tools will be required to make the product:
- screws for wood and metal;
- jigsaw and screwdriver;
- primer and putty;
- high temperature resistant paint;
- ruler and pencil for marking;
- wood glue;
- sandpaper;
- metal corners.
For cladding, you can additionally prepare gypsum, artificial stone or natural chips.
A little about accessories
A hearth, even if it is not real, requires appropriate surroundings. Thus, the floor surface in front of the portal for an electrical device can be finished with stone.
A fireplace grate, a screen, a woodshed, a poker, a scoop - all these elements will perfectly complement the interior and create the appropriate atmosphere.
Usually the woodshed in which the logs are stored is located near the fireplace. The electrical device does not operate on wood, so we do not need a large structure. Instead, you can use a portable version with a comfortable handle. If the room is spacious, it is recommended to install a stationary firewood burner. It can be forged and stamped. This, in turn, affects the price.
The screen is considered a worthy decoration for an open fireplace. You can avoid fireproof glass, since sparks will not fly from the electrical appliance, but a forged screen with curls and patterns will perfectly complement the design. An interesting option is a screen made of brocade.
As a rule, a fireplace set consists of a poker, a whisk, a lance, tongs and an ash scoop. All these parts are hung on the side panel of the portal or a special rack. The latter option is more suitable for plasterboard construction. This set will favorably emphasize the style of the interior.
How to make a portal for an electric fireplace from plasterboard with your own hands
Drywall is especially popular in the manufacture of portals for electric fireplaces. The material is cheap and easy to cut into sheets of the required thickness. The design creation scheme looks like this:
- In accordance with the selected drawings, a rigid frame is constructed from a metal profile. It must be stable, without play, and able to withstand significant weight.
If the portal for an electric fireplace is narrow, for reliability it should be secured to the wall - Using metal self-tapping screws, sheets of drywall are attached to the assembled frame. The seams remaining after the manufacture of the body must be puttied, and a seam mesh and metal corners must be installed on them. After the mixture has dried, the joints are treated with fine-grain sandpaper to remove unevenness.
Strengthening the corners gives the portal for the electric fireplace a clearer outline and increases its strength - A purchased electric fireplace is installed in a prepared niche and put into operation. It is recommended to make a hole for the power cables in advance on the back wall so that the wires do not have to be routed through the front part of the structure.
Before making a portal from plasterboard, it is especially important to take accurate measurements of the hearth and make a niche for it in size
At the last stage, all that remains is to decorate the portal to your taste. The electrical hearth is removed from the niche, after which the drywall is covered with putty, plaster or paint. You can also cover the structure with artificial stone and even decorative relief wallpaper.
Attention! If the electric fireplace has a heating function, you must first make sure that it does not heat up to a high temperature.
Calculating the socket
The power cord coming from the fireplace can ruin the whole picture. But you still need to install the socket outside the portal in order to have free access to the plug. The distance to it is limited by the length of the cord of the artificial hearth without tension. But the technical side of the issue requires more serious calculations.
The outlet must be able to withstand the current supplied to the fireplace. It is not difficult to determine its amperage: you need to divide the power of the device by the network voltage (220 V) and add 10% reserve. Purely decorative models usually consume no more than 500 W, that is, the maximum current in the outlet will be:
500 ÷ 220 x 1.1 = 2.5 (A) - even old Soviet 6 A equipment can handle this load.
Electric furnaces with a heating function have higher power - about 2–2.5 kW. Using the same formula we get an amperage of 12.5. That is, you need a standard modern 16 A socket, to which you only need to connect the wire from the junction box. Use a copper three-core VVG cable with a cross-section of 2.5 mm2 - it can withstand a current of 19 A and a load of about 4 kW.
How to make a portal for an electric fireplace from wood with your own hands
You can make a homemade portal for an electric fireplace from wood with your own hands. The advantages of the material are its durability and strength. A wooden portal with a strong tabletop can simultaneously serve as a stand for massive objects.
Making the frame is done as follows:
- A rectangular frame of the product is constructed from timber about 4 cm thick. The individual slats are fastened together with screws and corners; the structure should be as strong and reliable as possible.
When making the frame, it is recommended to make the base raised so that the hearth is not located near the floor - Wide wooden boards or MDF sheets are attached to the frame. If the material is light, you can use wood glue, but it is better to resort to self-tapping screws - they will ensure reliable fixation. The attachment points are masked using plugs.
It is recommended to use cherry, pine and other soft inexpensive species in the manufacture of frames for an electric fireplace. - The electric fireplace is placed in a niche and the wires are passed through a hole previously made in the back wall. At the last stage of work, the portal is decorated with artificial stone or covered with acrylic varnish. You can also create an artistic pattern on the surface of the wood.
You can cut longitudinal strips on the sides of the wooden portal or attach thin slats to mark the columns
When making a portal, it is recommended to use fire-resistant impregnations. The wood is processed first until the frame is constructed, and then the finished product is coated with liquid again. Even if an electric fireplace does not get too hot, it is important to reduce the risk of fire to a minimum.
Advice! It is recommended to line a niche in a wooden product from the inside with a material that shields heat.
Tabletop
The tabletop is a lid that covers the portal. Factory-made products from artificial stone look the most impressive - they are commercially available. But if you wish, you can use an alternative option, for example:
- Order a tabletop made of MDF with plastic cladding.
- Make this element from a solid board, which can then be colored or brushed and varnished.
Tabletop above the fireplace
You can use plywood by gluing several sheets together, or using one thick one. This countertop is decorated with ceramic tile cladding.
Many people make portals for fireplaces with their own hands. This allows you to save a lot on decor and give the fireplace a unique look.
Recommendations for making burners for a biofireplace with your own hands can be found at the link.
You will find instructions for making a portal for a fireplace from plasterboard here:. Portal drawing and decoration tips.
How to make a portal for an electric fireplace from plaster with your own hands
If you want to make a lush portal in an old style for an electric fireplace, you need to use plaster. The material is characterized by high strength and good ductility, it is fireproof and does not emit toxic compounds when heated. From plaster you can create three-dimensional figures of almost any complexity.
To cladding an electric fireplace with your own hands, you need to use the following algorithm:
- A standard frame is constructed from metal profiles and plasterboard. When making a product, gypsum is used only for decorative purposes. The base must be strong and geometrically smooth.
Gypsum is a fairly light material, so it is well suited for fixing to plasterboard portals - Gypsum is diluted with water to the desired consistency. To obtain a thick mass, add 500 ml of liquid per 1 kg of material, for a solution of medium density - about 700 ml for the same amount of powder.
The gypsum must be mixed as thoroughly as possible, it is best to use a construction mixer - Patterns are preliminarily drawn on the surface of the portal. The prepared gypsum mixture begins to be evenly applied to the base, forming depressions and hills along the contours. Excess solution is immediately removed.
You need to work with plaster quickly, as it sets in just 10-15 minutes
When making decorative volumetric stucco molding for an electric fireplace, it is recommended to use pouring molds. In this case, frozen decorations are glued to the surface of the frame using a special composition.
Attention! Sanding the plaster with sandpaper with your own hands is carried out after it has completely hardened after a couple of days.
Frame assembly
The variety of shapes and designs of fireplace portals does not allow the use of a single step-by-step instruction for their installation. Each specific case will have its own nuances of assembly work. But their general course is as follows:
- Marking is carried out: the position of the guide profiles forming the contour of the portal and firebox is marked on the floor and walls.
- The base of the rear plane of the niche, consisting of two vertical posts and two horizontal crossbars, is attached to the wall using dowels. They are made from a guide profile. The height of the lower crossbar is equal to the rise of the podium on which the fireplace will be located.
- Guide profiles are attached to the wall to limit the space of the combustion chamber.
If the firebox has a curved shape, then the profile will also need to be curved. This is easy to do if you cut the guides at certain intervals. Another option is to use a flexible profile.
- The guides are fixed to the floor.
- The front struts are installed. They are connected to the rear ones by crossbars, the size of which determines the depth of the future fireplace. The position of the elements is controlled using a level and fixed with self-tapping screws.
- The pedestal posts are attached in the same way and tied using horizontal crossbars.
- At the final stage, the external arches of the firebox and other horizontal lintels necessary to impart rigidity to the structure are installed.
The following video will help you visualize the frame assembly process more clearly.
How to make a corner portal for an electric fireplace with your own hands
Assembling a portal for a corner-type electric fireplace is no more difficult than making a regular frame. You need to follow simple instructions:
- Profiles for the frame are marked in accordance with the drawings and cut with scissors or a hacksaw. The elements are connected to each other with self-tapping screws, tightening the fastenings securely, but not too tightly.
When making a corner electric fireplace, the base can be made wider than usual, by about 30 cm - Drywall is cut according to sketches and the frame is sheathed with sheets. In a convenient place, immediately make a hole for the electrical cables of the indoor fireplace.
When fastening drywall, screw heads should be slightly recessed to make them easier to disguise - After making the frame with your own hands, the seams are reinforced with reinforcing tape and perforated corners, then plastered. When the material has dried, apply the first layer of putty, and after it hardens, apply the second. If desired, you can cover not only the corners, but also the entire portal with the mixture.
A couple of days after applying the putty to the frame, the surface is properly sanded
When making a corner frame with your own hands, you must constantly fit the electric fireplace to the niche provided for it. It will be quite difficult to redo the design if a discrepancy in size is discovered at the last stage.
Chimney
To complete the illusion, a box should be installed on the portal up to the ceiling, which will imitate a chimney.
It can be a separate element, but it would be more correct to fasten its frame to the frame of the portal.
The depth of the box should be about 10 cm - this will be enough for the desired visual effect.
Most often, the lining of the chimney and portal is done in the same style, however, this rule is not mandatory: the finishing of the chimney can be made different from the main part, provided that both options are harmoniously combined.
Recommendations
When producing a portal for an electric fireplace, several important nuances should be taken into account:
- The frame for the device is built with your own hands only after purchasing the latter. You cannot start making a portal before purchasing a fireplace; the risk of making a mistake with the dimensions is too great.
- Electrical wires coming from the device must be placed in plastic cable channels. This is required by fire safety regulations.
- You can place household items and decorative elements on the mantelpiece. But it is necessary to take into account their total mass and structural strength. Plasterboard products are less resistant to stress than wood.
An electric fireplace should not be left on unattended. Even if fire-resistant materials were used in the manufacture of the frame and all rules were followed, the device is still started for a short time and its condition is monitored.
Variety of styles
Modern hearths are made in different styles; you can always choose the right option for a country house.
Classic
The concept of classic fireplaces includes all models made in the Renaissance, Baroque, Empire styles, etc. Their main advantage is their versatility and compatibility with different interior styles. Classic models fit perfectly into luxurious, richly decorated rooms. Their peculiarity lies in pomp, solemnity, and the presence of Roman motifs.
The presence of a fireplace in the interior of the apartment gives the room sophistication and chic.
Russian
Russian fireplaces are made in the traditional Russian style; very often there are tiles, thanks to which the model resembles a museum exhibit. They go well with traditional Russian interiors and add zest to the house.
Everyone can choose the type whose features best suit their personal tastes and preferences.
Rustic
The rustic style has no analogues, although some of their features are found in other directions. Visually, the structure resembles a primitive hearth in the rock. Installation of such a model requires a complete abandonment of closed structures with a door. Installing a special screen will help increase safety. Models made in this style are bulky, massive, and require the installation of a powerful foundation. When making a hearth, natural or artificial stones are used.
The presence of a fireplace allows you to implement the most interesting design solutions in the apartment, which would not be possible without the installation of a fireplace portal.
Modern
The basic design is borrowed from the classical style. The main difference from the classics is the abundance of straight lines and decorations in the form of bas-relief. The designs are lightweight; such fireplaces fit perfectly into the interiors of offices and country houses. Quite often, models are made according to the height of the ceiling.
In some cases, a fireplace is not only a tribute to fashion and decoration of a room, but also a source of warmth and comfort, especially in early autumn.
