Fireplace cladding with artificial stone: what you need and how to do it

A fireplace gives your house charm and character and serves as more than just a source of warmth. It is frequently the focal point of a room. Many homeowners decide to cover their fireplaces in artificial stone to improve their visual appeal. This material is a popular option for both traditional and modern interiors because it provides the appearance of natural stone without the heavy weight and expensive price tag.

With the range of styles, colors, and textures available in artificial stone, you can personalize the look of your fireplace to fit your preferences. There is a choice to fit your vision, whether you want a sleek, modern appearance or a rustic, earthy feel. Furthermore, it’s

We start with the selection and end with the cladding

There are three steps involved in applying artificial stone to fireplace faces. Let’s check what needs to be done right away:

  • Choose parts that are multiples of the surface width, then there will be less waste;
  • We make sure that the material can withstand high temperatures;
  • We make sure that it fits into the overall interior.

Advantages of using artificial stone for fireplace decoration

The primary benefits of the content are:

  • It has soft mechanical properties, as a result of which it is quite easy to work with it during finishing;
  • The preparation of the parts of the structure and their installation will not be a labor-intensive process, from the working tools you may need only a grinding machine;
  • The structure will have a small weight, since the material consists of light and flexible fillers;
  • The market offers a wide variety of finishing stones in various shapes and textures, which allows you to lay out any pattern from it;
  • The price of artificial stone is much lower than the cost of natural stone, as a result, you can save a lot on finishing the fireplace;
  • Using artificial stone for finishing, you can fully express your imagination and make the fireplace original and unique.

What to look for when choosing finishing stone

Making a skillful selection of materials will enable you to complete the fireplace’s decoration with superior quality. Selection criteria:

  • Pay attention to the price of artificial stone. Domestic material will cost several times less than foreign products.
  • Before making a purchase, check whether the material has the necessary certificates. There must be a certificate of conformity and hygiene. If the seller cannot provide you with the required documents, it is not recommended to buy such material. Since artificial stone is produced chemically, the quality of the material should be given the closest attention.
  • If the manufacturer is well-known in the market, has been working in this field for a long time and has a positive reputation, you can safely buy such material.

When making a purchase, be mindful of the material’s quality. This will serve as assurance regarding the caliber of your output.

  • It is necessary to check all parts of the material and pay special attention to its structure. If the manufacturing technology was violated during the production process, the outer surface of the brick will be porous. This will not have the best effect on the strength of the material, and, as a result, on its service life.
  • Good quality material will always have good packaging with the logo of the manufacturer.
  • Pay special attention to the date of manufacture, which the manufacturer must indicate on the packaging. The material gains the strength necessary for operation only 28 days after it was manufactured. If the material was manufactured later, it is worth thinking about the quality of the product.

Decorating a fireplace

There are several guidelines that must be followed when installing artificial stone to finish a fireplace:

  • Artificial stone can be used when finishing metal, wood and other structures, for example, from chipboard. The surface of each material must be prepared for work in its own way.
  • Finishing work can be carried out if the air temperature in the room exceeds 5 ° C.
  • Artificial stone should be laid out first in the upper part of the fireplace, gradually moving down. This is necessary in order to avoid contamination of the material during the finishing process.
  • To attach the elements, it is better to choose the glue or solution recommended by the manufacturer of the artificial stone.
  • For cutting the stone, it is best to use a hacksaw for metal, just make sure that the tool does not have large teeth, as this can damage the material.

How to prepare the surface for finishing

You can lay artificial stone on practically any type of surface. Each person may have a unique one. Now let’s look at some things to consider when facing various surfaces:

  • Wooden surfaces are very susceptible to moisture, so before processing with artificial stone, it must be covered with waterproofing materials, for example, pigment. This material is used to cover the entire wooden surface of the fireplace before work.
  • The next necessary stage of the work will be the installation of the plaster mesh using special fasteners.

Note: To accomplish this, use a hammer drill to drill holes in the masonry and insert screws into them. Washers must also be installed on the caps. When under load, the mesh won’t come off.

  • The fastening points should be located at a distance of about 15 cm from each other vertically, and about 5 cm horizontally.
  • Plaster must be placed directly on the mesh so that its layer is at least 1 cm.
  • The plaster must be allowed to dry completely, after which you can continue working.
  • All these same steps can be done when laying artificial stone on a metal or concrete surface, with the only difference being that there will be no need to do waterproofing.
  • It should be noted that on a concrete or brick surface covered with plaster, it is advisable to make notches on the entire surface before starting the finishing process.

What tools will you need for the work

Make sure you have all the tools you need on hand before you begin working:

  • Nails or screws that will be used to attach the elements;
  • A small brush or a special sprayer to moisten the surface of the fireplace before laying the stone;
  • Trowel;
  • A regular hammer;
  • A grinder;
  • A drill;
  • A wooden block with a flat surface;
  • A container in which to mix the mortar.

It should be noted that only materials that can tolerate high temperatures can be used for masonry. The best person for this is Clay. You must mix fireclay into cement mortar if you plan to use it. If not, the masonry will split very rapidly.

The initial stage of work

The start of the bricklaying process is the most significant point. If the task is started correctly, the outcome will be outstanding:

  • At the beginning of the fireplace facing with stone, the finishing is carried out from the corner part of the structure. When facing, you should alternate materials of different lengths.
  • First, you need to fix the largest elements of the stone, using a small amount of mortar. This will simplify further laying of the material.
  • The fireplace will look more natural and attractive if the stone is adjusted to size during laying. For these purposes, you can use a hacksaw or pliers.

  • Using a trowel, it is necessary to apply a solution to the stone in a layer of about one and a half centimeters. Make sure that the surface of the facing material is covered with the solution evenly.
  • When laying the stone, press lightly on it, moving it to the desired place. This way the element will be better fixed, and the seam will be completely filled.
  • Please note that the solution during laying should slightly extend beyond the edges of the seams.
  • If you use seamless stone laying, pay close attention to the side seams. They should be filled with solution as much as possible. Apply the mortar to the entire area of ​​the element, lay the stone in the desired position, press it well and remove excess mortar with a trowel.
  • If you are doing the facing in a very dry room and you see that the surface of the finishing material is also too dry, moisten the surface of the fireplace and the inner surface of the artificial stone with a spray or go over them with a wet brush. You can also hold the stone in water for a while, a couple of minutes will be enough.
  • If you are using seamless masonry, the stone needs to be moistened regardless of the room temperature.
  • If the solution gets on the surface of the artificial stone during work, do not remove it immediately, it is better to wait until it dries a little.

Note: You should first examine the arrangement, paying particular attention to the corners. If not, you might receive a wrong geometric shape from your job.

How to properly finish with facing stone

The masonry is completed virtually in accordance with the same plan; there is no discernible difference between finishing with natural and artificial materials. In order to effectively work on the cladding, every component of the future structure must be laid out at the work site:

  • When laying artificial stone, you should alternate its types, change the colors, size and texture of the stone. Thus, the fireplace will look natural.
  • It is advisable to start installing the bricks from the top of the fireplace if the joints will be used when laying the material in the future.
  • The seams during finishing should be made approximately the same size, but at the same time make sure that they do not turn out too even. The ideal option would be if the seams become different in thickness, but are located in the same plane. Avoid horizontal seams located one under the other.
  • The surface of the stone may be uneven, have different thicknesses. You should not pay attention to this, since this will not affect the finished appearance of the structure.
  • If you are laying stone without seams, start fixing the material from the bottom of the structure, gradually moving up. The elements need to be pressed tightly against each other.
  • If the artificial stone has a rectangular shape, pay close attention to the vertical seams, monitoring the intersection of their lines with horizontal ones. The intersection of the lines should be at a right angle. This can be controlled using a template.

Correct execution of joint expansion

For the stone to appear both natural and aesthetically pleasing once the cladding is finished, all of the seams must be fully filled with mortar. Using branded materials during expansion is advised by experts.

It is not advised to use mixtures for tile installation:

  • To completely fill the seam, you can use a special bag, which is quite easy to make. To do this, you need to take a regular plastic bag and cut off one corner. Please note that the hole that is formed as a result should be slightly smaller than the width of the seam.
  • After filling the bag with the solution (there shouldn"t be too much of it, about the size of a palm), you need to press and squeeze the solution onto the seam. Make sure that the solution gets as little as possible on the outside of the stone.
  • As soon as the solution begins to harden, you need to remove the excess with a trowel, while driving the solution into the seam. If there is unnecessary solution left on the surface of the seam, do not remove it immediately, you need to let it dry slightly. This way you will avoid excessive contamination of the facing surface of the stone.
  • As soon as the excess is removed, the seams need to be cleaned again. For this, it is better to use a small broom made of natural materials. Never clean the seams with chemical solutions.
  • Grouting is one of the final stages of the fireplace cladding work. When carrying out this work, you should completely prevent moisture from getting into the inner surface. If this happens, the stone may crack soon.
Materials Needed Steps to Follow
Artificial stone Measure the area of the fireplace
Adhesive mortar Prepare the adhesive mixture
Notched trowel Apply adhesive to the fireplace surface
Level Place the stone pieces, starting from the bottom
Grout Fill gaps b

Using artificial stone to cover your fireplace is a wonderful way to give your house more charm and coziness. If you have the right supplies and a little patience, the process is simple to complete.

Selecting the appropriate kind of artificial stone is essential. It should withstand the heat from the fireplace in addition to complementing the design of your room. For the stone to adhere well and last a long time, the surface must be properly prepared.

After gathering your supplies and setting up the workspace, take your time in the interior

You can give your fireplace a sleek, contemporary look without having to deal with the weight or expense of real stone by covering it with artificial stone. Even if you’re new to do-it-yourself projects, we’ll help you achieve a professional-looking finish with our step-by-step instructions and a walkthrough of the supplies and tools you’ll need.

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Veronica Gerasimova

Interior designer, author of books on the design of residential premises. I will help you make your home not only functional, but also beautiful.

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