The fireplace in the apartment is the dream of most of the urban residents, who are deprived of the opportunity to look at the real fire in the furnace, as private property owners can do. A well-chosen and tastefully located hearth is not only a heating device. This structure can radically affect the style and interior of the room, becoming its main detail. In order to make the right decision, which fireplace to choose for an apartment, you need to familiarize yourself with the types, principles of operation and installation rules of these beautiful and presentable objects.
The main criteria for choosing
When choosing fireplaces for an apartment, a number of aesthetic, technical and legal factors should be taken into account. These structures have a specific device and require a different approach to the issues of installation and subsequent operation.
The main parameters that you should pay attention to before buying or making fireplaces with your own hands:
- Type of fuel. The decisive role is played not even by its presence and price in the region, but by the volume and toxicity of combustion products. If the electric hearth does not produce any waste, then the combustion of firewood and gas produces carbon dioxide, which requires the installation of a chimney or hood.
- The size. The dimensions of the product must be proportional to the room where it will be installed. Otherwise, the hearth will either be lost in the interior, or it will look bulky and ridiculous, making it difficult for people to move around the room.
- Weight. In urban apartments, floor slabs are designed for a certain load. Its excess will lead to uneven shrinkage, up to the deformation of the walls and the destruction of the foundation.
- Type of firebox. In open type constructions, the flame is not covered by anything, only the grate separates the hearth from the room. Such fireplaces are beautiful, exotic, but extremely dangerous in fire. In addition, due to poor traction, there is always a risk of smoke. Closed furnaces are equipped with hinged, sliding or folding doors. The solution to the issue of fire visibility is solved by installing transparent doors. Such centers are absolutely safe and more economical due to the installation of fuel afterburning devices.
- The layout of the room. The choice of the shape and volume of the fireplace depends on it. For narrow rooms, wall models are a good choice. Corner structures are suitable for hallways and small bedrooms. Island and pendant designs will look great in spacious kitchens and living rooms.
- External design. The decor of the product is selected in accordance with the style of the room. At the same time, you should be prepared for the fact that the design of the room can change. Based on this, it is advisable to take universal classic models with clear lines and minimal color gamut.
- Destination If a fireplace is purchased as an element of the interior, it is better to opt for products with imitation of flame and fake firewood. On sale is the widest selection of products where the fire is reproduced on a monitor or a steam generator with backlight is used. If the hearth is needed for heating the room, it is better to give preference to models with a closed chamber that runs on fuel with high heat dissipation and equipped with a long burning function.
After comparing all the criteria, it remains to remove unacceptable positions and choose the right option.
Documentation for installing a fireplace in an apartment
The desire of apartment owners in multi-storey buildings to have their own real, rather than an artificial fireplace, is understandable. For the installation of foci on biofuels, electrical and electronic devices, no approvals are required.
For the installation of wood and gas equipment, it is necessary to obtain a special permit, in the preparation of which several authorities are involved.
The first condition for obtaining a building permit is the total area of the apartment. According to current standards, it should be at least 50 m². In addition, housing should be on the top floor of the house so that a chimney can be removed, and the products of fuel combustion do not get into the windows of the neighbors.
The next limitation is the weight of the structure, which cannot be more than 150 kg.
To obtain permission for a fireplace, the property owner needs to prepare the following papers:
- An application to the management company indicating the request for redevelopment and its volumes.
- Technical passport of the apartment received in the BTI or its notarized copy.
- Design documentation. It shows the place of installation of the fireplace, electrical wiring, ventilation ducts and the scheme of the chimney.
- Certificate of family composition. The presence of young children is an obstacle to the installation of a gas and solid fuel hearth.
- Certificates from a psychiatrist and narcologist. Registered persons are not allowed to use open flame devices.
- A situational plan for the location of a multi-storey building, indicating nearby residential buildings and their characteristics.
- Certificate from the hydrometeorological monitoring center with information on the concentration of harmful substances in the area where the building is located.
Given the large volume and complexity of obtaining the necessary securities, you can contact the intermediary company. However, they will not be able to give an absolute guarantee of obtaining permission due to various objective and subjective circumstances.
Types of fireplaces for an apartment
A wide range of fireplace-type appliances is available at retail outlets and on Internet portals.
- Electric fireplace. Structurally, it is a heater of a spiral or discharge type, stylized as a fireplace. Since there is no open flame, a chimney is not needed. You should only place a container of water near the heater to maintain the necessary humidity in the room. The advantage of this option is that the device can be placed in any place where there is an outlet of the corresponding power nearby. Properly selected electric fireplace in the interior of the apartment looks beautiful and organic, complementing it and being the center of attention. An alternative to a bulky heater is electronic devices with the function of supplementing the flame with the sound of burning logs.
- Gas fireplace. It is equipped with an open or closed combustion chamber and an efficient exhaust hood. Products work from cylinders or from a household highway. In order to be able to move the devices within the apartment, a gas pipeline is laid out within the housing.
- Biofireplace. The flame is generated by burning denatured alcohol of plant and animal origin. The volume of combustion products is negligible, so the hood is optional. Enough conventional supply and exhaust ventilation. Due to the lack of a chimney, all the heat produced goes to heating, and the natural color of the fire is obtained by adding special additives to the fuel. Some models have an additional heating mode. Combination is achieved by installing a fan heater in the lower part of the hearth.
- False fireplace. These are purely decorative products that do not have a heating function. Inside the portal there are fake firewood with steam, light or electronic illumination.
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- False fireplace
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- Gas fireplace
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- Bio fireplace
If there is sufficient free space, you can not be limited to one hearth and purchase for each room the product that is best suited for it by all criteria.
Rules for installing fireplaces in the apartment
Regarding the location of fireplaces, not only aesthetic priorities apply, but also technological standards.
Basic installation rules:
- the presence of effective ventilation;
- installation of a separate chimney;
- reliable protection of an open fire chamber from loss of smoldering fragments;
- placing heavy appliances right next to a wall or in a corner;
- installation of a fire blind area around wood structures;
- strengthening the floor under the island focus;
- durable slab for pendant construction.
If even the slightest doubt arises regarding the choice of the installation site and the connection of the fireplace, you should consult with specialists.
Do-it-yourself fireplaces and finishes
A good way to save a considerable amount of money is to make a prefabricated hearth with your own hands. The advantage of this solution is that the product can be removed at any time to move to a new location or for storage.
The manufacturing process consists of the following steps:
- Design, coordination, if necessary. Calculation of needs and procurement of building materials.
- Foundation preparation. Antiseptic and flame retardant treatment. When it is needed - reinforcement of supporting structures.
- Making a frame from metal or wooden beam.
- Installation of a fire chamber of open or closed type.
- Installation of decorative elements, connection to communications.
- Exterior finish of the portal.
In conclusion, a check is carried out of the quality of the work performed and a control run of the created structure.
