I will be building a fireplace surround this week and am wondering if anyone has a few do’s and dont’s they would care to share. They have a fireplace insert sitting on a 3′ x 6′ plywood box right now and I am supposed to turn it into a beautiful fireplace with an oak surround, mantel, etc.. I have been looking at a lot of pictures and have gotten a few ideas but would appreciate any helpful advice I can find. The HO picked up some nice 3/4″ oak-veneered MDF and I am going to the local lumberyard tomorrow to pick up an assortment of moldings and such. The hearth will be tiled and she wants a 6″ band of tile around the insert, and the rest is up to me. I have a general grasp on the basics but any tips or techniques on the details would be greatly appreciated! I’m thinking maybe square pilasters,some fluted oak on the front atop an oak plinth block,(she has decorative corbels for the top). One question I have ,should the columns (pilasters) be built out very far or be kept close in to the surround as the insert face is already 18″ from the wall?? How far past the corbels should the mantel shelf extend and should the shelf return back to the wall?? The corbels are 6″ deep. Also I want to use as much of the MDF as I can as he already has it on site! I realize I have to plan it so that the edges are covered with trim or molding and this presents more of a trim detail challenge. Thanks for helping!
Duey
Replies
Duey,
My only advice is do not rush into it without a plan or at least a good idea or picture of what you'll finish with. There's a few things that require absolute perfection when it comes to design, and a focal point such as a fireplace surround is one of them. If you haven't already, get a copy of Mario Rodriguiz's book (published by Taunton) and look through it. There was also a fireplace design article in FB in the past year or so.
Main thing to consider is what the surrounding parts of the house look like. I was stumped on a similar project last summer on a 1770's farmhouse. Then it hit me like a sledge hammer when I was sitting in my truck in the client driveway. The front entrance of the house had pilaster/plinth/etc. details that were perfect. I copied the basic design as far a proportions for the basic elements of the surround and tweaked it just a little bit more.
Just to be safe, I did little mock ups of molding details for the client to look at before I nailed anything to the wall. Also, I played with different size overhangs with samples until it looked right. The client really like being a part of the process (it was a T&M job).
Unless it's an ornate Victorian, keep it simple.
And don't forget before and after shots.
I totally agree with Redford. I used the same approach for a plate rail, and many people have commented on how nice it reflects the eaves of our house. The exact details of the plate rail I got from a book on Craftsman interior moldings.
Duey,
One very important thing to consider is how close flammable materials can be to the firebox as this will impact your design. For most fireplaces this is normally spelled out in the install manual. You may also want to contact the local inspectors office as their restrictions may be more restrictive than the mfg.
Regards,
Dennis
Dennis
You may also want to contact the local inspectors office
Oh that's rich!!! I see, it's one of those "do as I say, not as I do" things.
BTW, I saw your e-mail that you sent the other day and just keep blowing off the response.
Pictures are still a few weeks out, should rap up probably the week after the super bowl, hell that's only one week over schedule! Then is off to vacation in Ia. Not many people doing that in Feb.
Doug
Oh that's rich!!! I see, it's one of those "do as I say, not as I do" things.
Well I won't make that mistake twice. And I just thought it would be nice to try and spare someone else the headache.
Besides, just think of how much extra work I had to go through get that mantle to pass inspection. Anyway, I had the right numbers for the mantle/firebox offset, I just thought they were in centimeters not inches.
Now no more smart a$$ comments, or I won't let you buy me a beer when you are in town next month. :)
Dennis
Ditto on djj's post. Around here, you need 12" between the opening of the fireplace and any combustible material. I've had to disappoint a few customers when I couldn't build what they wanted and meet the 12" rule.
The inserts I use call for one inch vertically from the unit to the bottom of the mantel for every inch of projection of the mantel from the front plane of the unit. Example ... 9" deep mantel requires 9" of clearance from unit to bottom of (combustible) mantel. Bruce
Between the mountains and the desert ...
As previously mentioned, use the existing trim style throughout the house to help design your surround. Speak with the HOs and find out if there is any specific detail in the home that they especially like that you might incorporate in the design.
Last thing you want to do is build a victorian era surround in an arts and crafts house.
Also as another mentioned, pay close attention to your clearances. The fireplace unit came with an owners manual that will include a chart with specific measurements. If the manual is no longer available, often times a version is available to download off of manufacturers website.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Here's one I finished just before Xmas, (the wife said she needed something to hang stockings on).
It's all solid oak. I ended up mocking a lot of it to see if it would look good. Got some ideas fromm google/images/fireplace mantel.
I just built the fireplace too. 12 years here and finally we have a decent fireplace, the other one was horrendous.
I tried not to rush the mantel..............took my time..............this has got to look right. I made it with equal reveal on all sides, next time, maybe I'd shorten the top reveal a bit.
It's my house, so I wasn't restricted by codes. Heck, in colonial times the reveals were much smaller..............and plenty of those old houses are still standing.
Rod
Nice mantle - let's see the wife's stockings =)Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
A pic is worth something...I can not remember what, but I think it saves on typing time. Thanks Irfanview, these were originally huge, making it tough for the dialups.
These were painted, but could have been done and stained.
We found the corbels on the Raia Fireplace at an antiques store. They had fluted shafts to match the other fluted lumber.
Edited 1/26/2006 1:55 am ET by txlandlord
You need to get the install manual. Clearences can very greatly. I have a high-efficiency Quadravent and need 12" non-combustable to a 1" projection; anything deeper needs 18". And they ain't fool'n - the granite gets HOT!