DIY plasterboard fireplace: step by step instructions

Recommendation points

• Phased installation of a wall-mounted fireplace made of gypsum plasterboard
• Stage 1. We create a drawing and layout of the structure
• Stage 2. Preparation of tools and materials
• Stage 3. Surface preparation
• Stage 4. Surface marking and installation of guides
• Stage 5. Crossmembers – side guides
• Stage 6. Outer contour
• Stage 7. Portal formation
• Stage 8. Installation of gypsum board
• Stage 9. Rough cladding – puttying
• Stage 10. Mantel

If you have long dreamed of a fireplace, but for some reason cannot afford to install it, then a decorative drywall hearth is an excellent alternative to the present. And you can do it yourself with a minimal investment of time and finance..

The fireplace in the house is not just a stylish decoration, it is a symbol of warmth, comfort, family hearth. But if even a hundred years ago it was considered something quite commonplace, then today it is practically a luxury item, not available to everyone..

There are a huge number of orders, diagrams and installation instructions, thanks to which any owner can independently fold a fireplace made of stone or brick. However, there are situations when this is impossible..

In particular:

1. You live in an apartment where, according to SNIP standards, the permissible load on the floors is only 150 kg / m², and it is hardly really possible to install an independent direct chimney.
2. You don’t feel like messing around with regular cleaning of combustion products.
3. You do not have the opportunity to pay for the work of experienced stove-makers, but you doubt your abilities.
4. Installation of a foundation or a chimney is unrealistic due to the design features of the room.

But all this is not a reason to part with the dream of getting your own fireplace, because you can make a false construction with your own hands from gypsum boards and frame elements – bars and metal profiles. Outwardly, such a fireplace differs from a real one only in that there is no living fire in it, and besides, it also has undoubted advantages:

1. Ease and speed of installation.
2. Low material costs.
3. No need for foundation arrangement.
4. Light weight.
5. The reality of installation in any room of an apartment or house.
6. Possibility of facing with any finishing material.
7. In addition, it does not need to be cleaned of ash and ash.

Phased installation of a wall-mounted fireplace made of gypsum plasterboard

As already mentioned, it is easy to create such a structure. This requires only a minimum set of tools, care and accuracy, and you can do without professional skills in working with the material..

Stage 1. We create a drawing and layout of the structure

First of all, you need to prepare a drawing of the future design. It is not necessary to draw it; you can find a huge number of different patterns of decorative fireplaces. It will also be very convenient if you draw the diagram directly on the base wall, so it will be easier for you to check with it throughout the installation..

Examine the room again. Make sure that the decoration will fit into the interior, that you have chosen a good location for it.

Stage 2. Preparation of tools and materials

You will need the following materials:

Drywall.If installation is carried out in a room with high humidity, take GKLV. And although many advise to buy GKLVO, that is, GKL is fire-resistant / moisture-resistant, it is inappropriate to overpay for fire-resistant impregnation. Even if you put candles in it, of course, you will additionally protect the portal from fire. So resistance to open fire will not be of particular importance here. GKL should preferably be at least 12.5 mm thick.

Metal profile:

1. Wall guides PN (UD) 27×28 mm.
2. Rack PS (CD) 60×27 mm.
3. Corner PU.
4. Self-tapping screws for metal for the frame, for wood for attaching guides to wooden surfaces and for gypsum board.
5. Dowels (if necessary).
6. Putty.
7. Serpyanka.
8. Primer.

And prepare the tools:

1. Rotary hammer (if you will attach the guides to concrete or brick surfaces).
2. Screwdriver or electric drill with carrying.
3. Metal scissors.
4. Construction stationery knife.
5. Jigsaw (optional).
6. Roulette.
7. Pencil.
8. Beating.
9. Spirit level (spirit level) or level.
10. Putty spatulas.

Stage 3. Surface preparation

It is advisable to level the wall to which the fireplace structure will be attached. At the fireplace location, clean all loose and crumbling elements such as plaster, old paint, etc. Cracks and gaps in supporting structures should also be repaired..

Stage 4. Surface marking and installation of guides

Using a level and a puncture mark the surface according to the preliminary drawing.

First of all, fix the guides that will create a general wall contour of the structure..

You need to fix the starter strips on dowels and / or self-tapping screws, it depends on the material of the base surface. Step between fasteners: 30-40 cm.

When fixing with dowels, pre-drill holes for fasteners in the profile.

Remember to use a bubble spirit level during operation to check the horizontal and vertical installation. In places where the surface drops, fix the level of passage of the profiles using shims at the smallest points of the plane.

Stage 5. Crossmembers – side guides

At this stage, you need to fix the guiding cross members around the perimeter. The distance between them is from 20 to 40 cm.

Stage 6. Outer contour

Now you need to assemble the outer contour that creates the volume of the structure. It is fixed to the crossbars in place, in detail, or assembled separately and then fixed immediately as a whole, to whom it is more convenient.

Stage 7. Portal formation

To create a portal (firebox), install post profiles from the outer, side and upper contours at the required distance (depending on the desired dimensions of the firebox).

If, according to your idea, the arch of the portal will be arched, to form it, use an arched profile.

Stage 8. Installation of gypsum board

On sheets of drywall, draw a drawing of future elements, exactly according to the dimensions of the individual parts of the frame.

The parts should be cut with a special construction knife, also called a clerical or jigsaw.

Then the blanks must be fixed to the frame with self-tapping screws. In this case, the caps of the screws should be flush with the surface of the gypsum board, not sink into it and not protrude.

The twist should be at least 2 cm from the edge.

Cover the fireplace portal with heat-resistant elements (for example, asbestos or DSP), if required for its subsequent operation, for example, if you light candles in it.

Stage 9. Rough cladding – puttying

Puttying is carried out in several construction stages:

1. First of all, remove the chamfers and edges from the gypsum board joints, if they are not of a thinned type.
2. Apply a primer to the surface of the gypsum board and wait until it dries completely.
3. On the joints and inner corners, stick exactly the serpentine.
4. At the outer corners, fix the corner profiles with a construction stapler.
5. Then make the mortar according to the instructions on the packaging of the putty mixture..
6. Use 12-15 cm and 30-35 cm spatulas to seal the joints.
7. First, putty is applied in a thin layer to the corners, joints and grooves of the screws. This should be done carefully, trying to avoid sagging..
8. After the solution has dried, apply the mixture to the “body” of the fireplace with smooth wave-like movements with a wide spatula.
9. After drying with a special abrasive mesh, sand the surface and prime it again to apply the finishing layer of putty.

Stage 10. Mantel

Before applying the finishing material, the fireplace must be primed again. The choice of cladding depends on your preference. It can be ordinary paint, tiles, natural or artificial stone, wooden elements, moldings and much more to your taste..

As an element depicting fire, you can insert a special screen into the portal, put candles, just put logs as a decoration, or place an electric fireplace with an imitation of fire.

That’s all. A self-made wall fireplace will be an excellent decoration for any interior.