We all love a good brick fireplace, but how many of us actually have an area that is dedicated to for a fire place.
If you live in a modern home or a new build then there is a good chance that you haven’t got a brick fireplace. New homes are built without fires now and with advances in central heating and thermal insulation the need for a fire place has almost been extinguished.
This being said there is something alluring and romantic about a brick fireplace. We all have images of winters nights and a fire burning, the radiance and head coming from that area brings a huge sense of comfort and warmth. This is only one aspect of a fire places desirable qualities.
The decorative nature of the family fire and chimney breast is one that can be seen in the background of almost every bill board poster that features a family or home.
A real brick fireplace and chimney breast can be a glorious feature in the home. Brick is naturally a comforting and homely, texture and colour give a great sense of solidarity and security within an internal design.
What if i don’t have a brick fireplace or chimney breast?
Fear not… building a fireplace and or chimney breast is not the huge task you think. In the past the only way to create such a feature retrospectively would be to get the local builder in. A job and task that would inevitably be messy, expensive and extremely disruptive.
Real clay Brick slips have changed the way we create and develop fireplace feature walls. Ideally a blank canvas can give you the perfect space to create the brick slip fireplace of your dreams.
How do I create a brick slip fireplace from scratch?
The easiest and most common way of building a fireplace feature is to use timber stud work and plasterboard to box our the area.
Some key tips can help you on your way.
1: Think of the size of the area and the size of the brick slips. If you have scope to make your fireplace whatever size you like then plan your area to minimise cuts. Try work to the nearest full brick or half a brick, by doing this you avoid creating an unnatural looking wall .
2: If you are installing an electric fire or log fire always leave between 100-150mm clearance between the inside of the fireplace walls and the fire or heat source.
3: Make sure your stud work is securely anchored and fixed to your donor wall. Once fully clad the last thing you would want is for your fireplace to fall over. Brick slips weigh approximately 25kg per m2 once installed.
4: Where possible always use corner brick slips. Corner brick slips are the key to creating a believable illusion and help to make the structure much more sturdy and robust.
5: Allow extra strength in your stud framing if you are planning on installing shelves, TVs or mantels.
6: Always point the inside of an active fireplace with Fire Cement. This will stop any heat from making its way through the mortar joint to the stud are behind.
Do it yourself!! You certainly don’t need a builder to create a brick slip fireplace from scratch. This is a project which can be achieved by any budding DIY enthusiast.
If you are still a little weary of getting your hands dirty we advise using a tiler to install the brick slips. Brick slip installation is essentially the same method as tiling so they wont have any problems installing.
Summary
Our biggest piece of advice when planning your brick slips fireplace is to just have fun.
Have fun designing the area and location. Choosing the brick slips can be a great task especially when you have an idea in mind.
We always advise that our customers order a few samples and offer them up to the area. We manufacture the largest range of brick slips in the UK and there is sure to be a product that will fit the bill.
If you are planning a new project and would like some advice please give our team a call.
We love to help and advise.
