Question: My fireplace has me in a quandary. I'm putting in crown molding and painting. My fireplace is used brick, 8 feet by 5 feet 5 inches deep with a hearth 50 inches wide and 4 inches high. I don't know whether to remove it entirely or cover it with something more attractive.

TERRIE POWERS
Daly City

 

Answer: Modifying the appearance of a fireplace can be one of the most gratifying changes you can make to a room. There is some expense involved, but the payback is worth it. And, if you're somewhat handy, it's work you can do yourself.

First you have to determine the style you're striving for: contemporary, traditional or modern. Since you're working in a combination of wood, tile or stone, and maybe Sheetrock and plaster, proceed only after you've done your homework. Your home may be traditional, so let's use this style as our prototype, but many of these principles still apply if your home is modern or contemporary.

Look through shelter magazines that show homes similar in style to what you like to help you identify the details that will be useful in designing your own fireplace. After you have about 10 to 20 pictures, you will see a consistency in style.

Once upon a time, this fireplace had a 1950's style brick surround and no mantle. It's been handsomely transformed into an elegant and inviting focal point for a traditional living room.

And remember that elements from two or more different pictures can be combined to create the look of your own fireplace. Next assignment is for you to go to a hardware or home improvement store and learn more about the variety of "custom made" mantels and fireplace surrounds that are available. These are made to the dimensions of your own fireplace area, but are in predetermined styles and finishes. Work with a sales associate to understand how to measure your fireplace accurately before you place the order. As you educate yourself, you might learn that a pre-made fireplace surround won't work for your home for one reason or another. If this is the case, the next option is to learn more about the lumber and many different styles of moldings and detail trims that are available to custom make your fireplace surround to your own design. Mixing and matching these elements assures you that your fireplace will be like no one else's and a true reflection of your style and taste. The last part of your homework assignment is to visit either a tile and stone showroom or that section of the home improvement store. This will teach you what materials are available to cover the existing brick on your fireplace opening and hearth. You'll be looking for ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles that appeal to you. Another place to look for stone that can be used in this small area is at stone fabricators. They cut slabs of granite and marble into kitchen and bath counters, among other things. After the cutting there's fall-off that could be cut into just the right size for the area surrounding your fireplace opening. You won't need much, so this is a great resource for interesting stone at a reasonable price.

Now you're ready to apply what you've learned to design your own fireplace surround. Because this is a project that requires a variety of tools and exact measurements for the end result to be perfect, if your own skills at using a hammer and saw, cutting tile and spreading cement are somewhat limited, I strongly encourage you to work with a good contractor or handyman who can implement your design. Even the pre-made mantels require some carpentry to ensure stability and permanence.

Walk through your designs carefully with the person who will make it and make sure he or she understands the end result you want. Order all your materials and wait for them to be delivered to your home before you start the work so you don't get stuck in the middle of the project while you're waiting for something. Once you have everything, this project should take no more than a day or two to complete.

Now you're ready to apply what you've learned to design your own fireplace surround. Because this is a project that requires a variety of tools and exact measurements for the end result to be perfect, if your own skills at using a hammer and saw, cutting tile and spreading cement are somewhat limited, I strongly encourage you to work with a good contractor or handyman who can implement your design. Even the pre-made mantels require some carpentry to ensure stability and permanence.

With this information in hand you should have enough to redesign your fireplace surround into a more appealing focal point for your home.

 

 

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