Building A Brick Fireplace

By mike mehaffey issue 284 july 2019.

Building a brick fireplace.

It s a lot easier learning how to build a fireplace like this in new. This is the companion video to our recent article on building a rumford style fireplace. Building your own fireplace will save you hundreds of dollars over hiring a professional and the task is easier than you might expect. While photographing the article build a fireplace brick by brick with experienced mason mike mehaffey deputy editor matt millham brought the fine homebuilding video team along to capture the process of building a modern fireplace inspired by the classic rumford design.

To build an outdoor fireplace make a detailed plan of what the fireplace will be for where it will go and what will go around it. Proper detailing and construction can also contribute to the overall performance of the fireplace. Brick masonry residential fireplaces can be made more energy efficient by providing a source of combustion and draft air drawn from the exterior of the structure. Brick fireplaces complement any home s interior decor and create a cozy inviting atmosphere in any room.

Once you know what you want to build lay a concrete foundation put a layer of cinder blocks over that then build the firebox and chimney out of firebrick and use a jointer and brush to remove bubbles from the. Masonry fireplaces take a standard fireplace up a notch or two on the elegance scale due to the amount of work it requires and the high quality materials used to build them. The proper construction of a masonry fireplace takes preparation to avoid costly mistakes but the payoff is. Brick fireplaces are timeless and stand the test of time.

On the exterior the chimney is brick and the wall is veneered with brick. A masonry fireplace consists of a brick or stone firebox a brick or stone chimney and more often than not a wood mantel. Rumford fireplaces are wide tall and shallow with sides that angle in from the back and allow heat to radiate from the firebox. Flush with the wall the fireplace has a raised hearth that projects into the room.