How to Build a Primitive Stone Fireplace
A stone mantel can turn your fireplace into a beautiful centerpiece, serving both to enhance the decor and to supply heat for your home. With some hard work, you can build your own stone mantel that friends and family will gather around for decades. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Stone of your choice for the fireplace, metal lath strips, painter's tape, mortar, mortar mix, towel, bucket or mortar pan, masonry saw, nails, hammer, damp cloth, grout
Instructions
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Building a Stone Fireplace
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1
Decide how large you want your mantel to be, taking into consideration its size in proportion to the room the fireplace is in. Outline the mantel dimensions in painter's tape. Determine how far you want the stone mantel to extend, and mark its footprint on the floor in painter's tape.
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2
Cut metal lath strips to dimensions that will fit inside the taped-off area, both against the wall and on the floor. The lathing will act as a base for the mortar, providing for a sturdier and more durable fireplace.
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3
Attach the lath strips with nails to the wall and floor. Remove the tape.
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4
If you are using large, round stones, you may want to saw some of them so they have a flat side to fit flush against the wall. This is an aesthetic detail, but you will need to have the necessary number of stones cut with your masonry saw before you start laying them inside the lathing.
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5
Mix your mortar, and have your trowel handy.
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6
Start at the bottom left corner of your mantel. Apply mortar to the stone you want to go in that spot, and then apply the stone. Then place the stone at the bottom right corner of the mantel. This will give you two points of reference as you apply the first row of stones.
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7
Apply a generous layer of mortar with your trowel to each stone. It probably will be necessary to also apply mortar between the stones. Use your hand to smooth the mortar in between the stones.
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8
Apply the stones in horizontal rows, always starting at the wall and moving from one corner to the other. This building pattern will keep your fireplace structure stable. Keep applying stones until the mantel reaches the dimensions you desire.
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9
Once you have finished laying the stones, wipe any excess mortar with a damp cloth. If any of the metal lathing is visible at the edges, apply a layer of grout to cover it.
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10
Give the mortar plenty of time to dry. The stone mantel will be stable, but not thoroughly dry, for at least 48 hours.
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