Constructing your own fire surround is cheaper than buying one. Besides this, it enables you to produce a unique decoration that will complement the style and décor of the room. The basic principles for creating a wooden fireplace surround i.e. how to make a fireplace surround have been outlined in this blog. You can then paint and varnish the surround to your taste.
Fire Surrounds
Second hand fire surrounds are widely available, from specialist dealers and architectural salvage yards. If a period piece is your ideal, just make sure it fits before parting with your money. Buying a cast iron fireplace full of character that does not fit the fire opening is an expensive mistake. Wood surrounds, on the other hand, merely need to be of the correct proportion to the breast; a separate fire basket fits the opening. Plenty of reproduction wood surrounds are available too.
Components of a Fireplace Surround
The three major elements of a fireplace surround are – the mantel, the legs and the hearth.
- Mantel: It originated in the medieval period. It served as a hood that prevents smoke from entering the room, diverting it back into the chimney.
- Legs: It supports the mantel of the chimney. They are generally the deepest and the most prominent section of the fireplace.
- Hearth: It refers to the floor area of the stone directly in front of the firebox opening. Initially, it was used for cooking food and storing utensils. Today, it has become more of a decorative feature used for storing fire accessories.
Functions of a Fireplace Surround
From the broader perspective, a fireplace surround performs the following functions –
- It acts as a conversational piece owing to the element of style that it brings into the room.
- It doubles up as a barricade between an open fireplace and the room, thereby ascertaining that the fire remains safely contained within the firebox and the embers don’t land up on the flammable material in the room.
- It facilitates the placement of household decorations and mementos on the mantel.
- It keeps away smoke from fogging the room.
Making a Wood Surround
Making your own DIY fireplace surround requires the following tools:
- Three wide boards for fire opening
- Drill and drill bits
- Fluted dowels
- Glue
- Heavy duty plugs and number 8 screws
- Mouldings
- Paint
- Pins
- Shelf
- Varnish (if needed)
- Vertical/horizontal boards for sides and top
The Process
Here is a process on how to frame a fireplace surround, easy DIY fireplace surround how to build a fireplace surround, how to make a fireplace surround, make your own fire surround and build your own fireplace surround. Creating a handmade wood surround is quite an interesting project idea. All you need is a grid on the wall and a firm fixing for the initial lengths of timber –
- Measure up and draw the template grid on the wall.
- Depending on the dimension of the surround you are intending to build, you’ll need to buy wooden boards. Here are using boards of about 3m/10 feet of 2.5 cm X 5 cm/1 inch X 2 inch; 2.5 cm X 10 cm/1 inch X 4 inch; 2.5 cm X 15 cm/1 inch X 6 inch and; 2.5 cm X 20 cm/1 inch X 8 inch sizes.
- Fix the wooden board of lengths- 2.5 cm X 20 cm/1 inch X 8 inch to the wall with heavy-duty plugs and countersunk 5 cm/ 2-inch number 8 screws.
- The principle here is layering; each wood piece added to the surround hides the previous screw head.
- Each completed layer can have its own colour. If you wish to, then simply apply individual water-based mix as you proceed.
- Fix the largest size to the wall and then fix the remaining timbers to each other, centering the uprights in descending order of size, countersinking the 3.2 cm/1-one-fourth inch in number 8 screws.
- The horizontal wood pieces are fixed in the same order and following the same principle, but you will note that each piece fitted is longer than the previous piece by the width of the step at each side.
- Screw heads in the final wood pieces can be covered by a centered molding or edging strip pinned into position. Alternatively, they can be hidden with filler.
- The two vertical sides act as supports for the mantelpiece, which is cut from the 2.5 cm X 10 cm/ I inch X 4 inch stock or wider if you prefer.
- Secure it with glued, fluted dowels into the top of the side supports and the underside of the mantelpiece.
- If you have coloured the wood pieces, several coats of varnish are needed to protect the finish. If not, use any paint finishing of your choice.
Installing the Fire Surround
- Begin the installation of this ‘stepped’ design of fire surround by screwing a wide board to each side of the fire opening. Then screw the third board above the opening between the first two.
- Add the vertical boards to each side, fitting progressively narrower pieces to hide the fixing screws of the previous boards fitted and create ‘fluted’ columns. You can colour the boards as you add them.
- Continue by adding the horizontal boards. Again, use progressively narrower boards to gain the stepped effect, but note that each is longer than its predecessor to fit between the sideboards. Conceal remaining screw heads with pinned-on moldings.
- Cut the shelf to size and centre it on the surround so that you can mark the positions of the fixing dowels. Drill holes for these in the underside of the shelf and the tops of the side columns. Apply glue to the dowels and fit them in place together with the shelf.
Trivia
The widespread popularity of central heating system has led to many fireplaces being things of the past, especially in bedrooms. However, the fact that no one can deny is that a fireplace gives a bedroom a wonderfully cozy feel.
Now go ahead, bask in the glory of your fire surround, and enjoy the admiration that it draws from your guests…!
Now that you know how to make a fire surround, it is time to learn about designing your fireplace, ideas for fireplace surround, fireplace surround designs and DIY fireplace surround ideas. Furthermore, we have expert ideas to cover your fireplace:
8 Tips to Design Your Fireplace in a Home!
Industry Expert Ideas to Cover Fireplace Opening
Image Courtesy: Image 3, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.