It is a common design rule that fireplaces should be the focal point any living room, common room and kitchen (if you live in the country). A fire place is a key area to dress and customise from season to season. If you were to ask most designers, it would be a pretty safe bet that they are going to work very hard to make sure that the fireplace creates a statement and draws your attention.
Here at brickslips.co.uk we have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to jazzing up a chimney breast and boring fireplace.
Add some wow!
Brickslip fireplaces are a simple way to add some serious WOW, and dependent on budget it could be fairly inexpensive and an opportunity to splurge on something that may be out of reach cost-wise if you were to try to implement through an entire room.
Using Brickslips is fairly easy and well within the capabilities of any would be DIY enthusiast and is not considered major construction work, a fireplace can be added to almost any room creating a beautiful focal point.
Brickslip fireplaces can be as simple, plain or complex and artistic because at the end of the day your options are limitless. Anyone who has built with LEGO as a child will find using our Brickslips a grownup adventure.
Be unqiue!
The great thing about using Brickslips is that you can also use our headers, stretcher reveals and corners to complete your design with ease. Cut from whole bricks, these special bricks allow bricks to go round walls and create detail features that cannot be executed with just slips alone.
Installing Brickslips to create a fireplace raises obvious questions if the fireplace is going to have any element of functionality. A common question that is asked is with regards to heat and heat resistance. We would always advise that common sense prevails and to always point the wall with an approved fire cement and in addition always follow basic safety advice.
The great thing about Brickslips is that a basic fireplace could be accomplished with a minimum of 2 square meters.
So if you are feeling adventurous then go on give it a go!
For more visual inspiriation on how you can use brick slips in your fireplace, see our fireplace inspiration gallery.
Would you advise on what to use to fix the brickslips around the fireplace, would normal tiling grout be avoided due to the heat ?
Hi Sharon, We can supply a fire cement that is approved for such an install. Please see our accessories page for this product or click here: Brick Slips Fire Cement
Hi , I think i am confused. If you are using the brick slips inside a fireplace with a woodburner in it, what do you use to stick them on with, and what do you grout with? Do you use the fire cement for both ? Thanks Tracy Rist
Hi Tracy, Yes the brick slips are a 20mm tile that are real clay brick so exactly the same as real bricks. You fix them to the walls in the exact same way that you tile a kitchen or bathroom with tiles.
You apply the rapid set adhesive to the wall, then add the brick slip. You then use our 10mm spacers to gap them correctly and continue across and up. Once you’ve done the entire wall you leave it for a day allowing it to set. Once set you come back and use our pointing gun with mortar to fill in the 10mm gaps and strike it all off with a brick jointer as you go.
If you’re using them for a wood/log burner the rapid set adhesive is fine for all applications, however you need the fire cement instead of the normal mortar for the joints. Note we advise you leaved a 1-2inch gap around the log burner, it needs space for air to circulate and the burner to expaned etc.
There is a free installation guide in our accessories page that you can download for free if you need help with visuals. I hope that helps.
Do you have a catalogue that you can send me thanks
Hi Ali, We do indeed have Brochures for your use. If you give our sales team a call on 0844 567 8811, then we can get those sent out to you.
Hi, Are the brick slips ok to use on the inside faces of an open fire place with fire rated mortar?
I’m not installing a log burner and I’m concerned the heat from the open fire.
Hi Jerry,
We have tried and tested our brick slips with log burners, and open fires, and whist log burners are fine with an appropriate gap, an open flame fire isn’t suitable. The tiles being 20mm thick can cause heat expansion when exposed to an open flame. For this we advise you don’t use brick slips for an open fire, but instead use full bricks for this or any open flame fire application.
Can you place brickslips onto marble? If so what adhesive would you advise on?
Hi Claire, Whilst we’ve not tried and tested, there are products available that you paint on to surfaces like marble. It creates a special texture to allow the bonding of the adhesive to the marble allowing tiles and brick slip tiles to stick to the surface. We don’t supply this product however this can most likely be found at a local DIY merchant like B&Q or Wickes. I hope that helps!
Hi I have just exposed a brick chimney breast however the bricks are not good facing bricks and are in poor condition so can I brick slip onto an actual brick?
With such poor condition to your foundation layer brick we wouldn’t recommend that you brick slip on to this. The best method is to either plaster/render the wall first or use a ply board fixed securely to the wall. This way you will get a solid substrate layer for the brick slips to sit onto. I hope that helps.
Hi! What colour grout/mortar would you recommend to use with the Olde Bayswater blend Brickslips? I have a tiled terracotta hearth and I don’t want the overall effect to be too red, and the Olde Bayswater blend look More subtle. The grout is grey on the hearth should I follow with the grey mortar on the Brickslips too or would the natural white be better with Olde Bayswater Blend? Many thanks for your advice I look forward to hearing from you. Kindest Regards Julia
Hi Julia, it’s completely personal choice however we prefer the light grey mortal with our olde bayswater blend brick slips, for that very natural look.
Hi. If I used brick slips on a hearth can you supply a slip with 3 faces for the corners?
Unfortunately not, we’re not able to supply a three sided slip at this time. However we can suggest you can use a corner and a header together for a bonded look.
I want to reline a builders opening with bricks or brickslips for an OPEN fire i.e. wood logs. Would your brick slips fixed with fire cement/grout be suitable for that i.e. can they take the heat. Many thankstom
Hi Tom, We have a heat resistant fire rated mortar made especially for this job. See here for details:- https://brickslips.co.uk/brick-slip-accessories/207-brick-slips-fire-cement-2kg.html
Hello,
Could you send me some various samples please before I make my mind up?
Thanks
Jonny
Hi I need a box of brick slips, where are you based or do you send out ?
If you send out what is the postage for one box please?
looking to brick slip an old fire place, could you use plasterboard to cover the fire wall ( where the old fire was ), and then fit the slip bricks over the plasterboard , it is just going to be a focal point…if so what plasterboard would you recommend, and what thickness, thanks
Hi I have a brick chamber and brick pillars which are not the same colours. Can I apply brick slips on them Please?
Hi our originals bricks were badly damaged so the installer up fire resistant boards but that only leaves a 2” gap between the boards and the back of the fire. Due to regulations does this mean we cannot fit bricks slips on top of the board as there isn’t enough space? Thanks
Hello, please can you identify which brick slips were used for the middle picture above?
Hi, we are having a log burner fitted. The back wall behind the burner is a fire board and the sides are rendered, would the brick slips work in this case if so what do I use to fix them ?
Hi Gemma, Yes this would work find. Our Rapid set adhesive will bond to this no issue as long as primed prior to install.
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