A marble fireplace is a luxurious interior decoration. It is an excellent choice for large houses, apartments, and villas. Facing the fireplace with marble will allow you to solve several tasks at once: give the equipment an elegant look, create a harmonious space, and ensure the durability and wear resistance of the masonry.
Marble-facing fireplaces are sold ready-made – if you have already bought such a portal, all that remains is to install it correctly. Stock up on the necessary tools and materials. You will need:
- composition of white cement
- level
- drill
- construction spatula with teeth
- trowel
- screws and screwdriver
- finishing cement
Finishing any stones with marble begins with the preparatory stage. Take simple measurements. If there are gaps between the walls of the fireplace and the marble portal, prepare marble slabs to close them. These additional plates are called selection. They will help to make the installation procedure of the hearth portal quick and easy.
To install the fuel chamber, prepare a niche in the place where you plan to place the fireplace. You can make an insulated box using GVL, thanks to which the reflected heat will be transferred to the room, turning the interior item into an efficient heating device. The use of thermal insulation will also avoid the risk of damage to the painting or plaster layer on the fireplace.
Before starting installation work, prepare the base for the firebox. The floor must be flat, supplemented with a special coating. You can cover the fireplace with marble if there is a reliable layer of porcelain stoneware, ceramic tiles, and marble panels under the firebox.
Facing the fireplace with marble: do-it-yourself work
How to install a marble portal without the help of specialists? The work includes several stages:
- place a marble slab in the location of the hearth and apply a small layer of cement mortar on its surface;
- a marble slab is placed in the upper area, the horizontality of which must be checked using a level;
- after complete solidification of the cement mortar, the portal is installed;
- the front part of the cladding must be carefully separated from the back panel;
- a layer of cement is applied to the sides of the equipment (use a jagged spatula);
- Press the side panels to the equipment, remove the excess solution with a trowel;
- the upper element of the rear part of the portal is installed in the same way;
- after all the cement hardens, the front part of the portal is attached;
- the finished portal is fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws.
All that will remain is the finishing of the fireplace with marble, which involves hiding all voids, and gaps, and eliminating traces of cement and other defects.
Full cladding of the fireplace with marble is a job for professionals
Another variant of the material for facing the fireplace is individual marble tiles, which must be assembled into the portal yourself. This work requires certain skills, a lot of time, and strong nerves. The raw materials must be measured and cut, after which they must be assembled piece by piece, like a mosaic. Think in advance about how your fireplace should look, and what amount of marble is needed for facing. Order marble cutting from specialists – this is the only way you will get perfectly even edges and the opportunity to lay out a beautiful pattern.
Remember – marble costs a lot and requires careful treatment. Special tools will be needed to clean such a fire. Regular care of the lining and chamber of the firebox will avoid the accumulation of dirt and preserve the beauty of marble splendor for a long time.
