Jun 23

Picture this big, spacious fireplace in your favorite lawn or garden spot with perhaps lawn chairs and picnic table nearby Jt would provide a lot of entertainment as well as good barbe­cue foods. It’s a very popular design that can be built at sur­prisingly little cost. And if you’d build it yourself, cost is still less. All needed materials are available from your local building supply dealer. See Page 58 for details on the OF-48-S Majestic Metal Unit. Caution: Block sizes vary in some localities be sure the blocks you get are the same as those listed here.


LIST OF MATERIALS

1     Model OF-48-S Majestic Unit
39   Blocks 8″ x 8″ x 16″   (Header


or Double Corner type)


 14  Blocks 6″ x 8″ x 16″

2     Blocks 4″ x 8   x 16″

13   Blocks 2″ x8″ x 16″ (Note: It will be necessary for 3 of these to be split to 2″ x 6″ x 16″)

 4   Chimney Blocks 8″ x 12″ (16″ x 21 ” overall size)

Blocks should be fire-resistant blocks. (Plus necessary sad, gravel and concrete for foundation and mortar. “Ready-Mixed” packages and ideal and usually sized for your requirements. Ask your material supply dealer.)


 

Select a suitable spot for the fire­place, giving thought to the notes on “Location” given on page 53. Mark off the desired size with stakes and string. The base should be at least 62″ x 38″, and should be larger if extension be­yond the block walls is desired. Follow the directions for a float­ing slab foundation as listed on page 56.

Lay out the first course of blocks as shown in Fig. 1. Then start mortaring these blocks in place. It is probably best to start with the center blocks, which pro­vide a solid   floor  for  the metal

unit and the ashpit area. Be sure

that this is wide enough to ac­commodate the assembled metal unit. Cementing this area with a rich mixture will give a smoother cleaning area, Be sure to slope slightly to front of unit for drainage.

Now proceed with the con­struction, laying out each cours:1 of blocks as indicated by the drawings.

Be sure to provide proper al­lowance for metal parts to ex­pand as the result of heating. This can be accomplished by placing sheets of corrugated paper between the metal unit and the blocks. When the first fire is built, this corrugated paper will bum away, leaving space for expansion. Lay the 8″ x 12″ (overall size 16″x21″) chimney blocks last, putting them in place with the front sides exactly flush, vertically, with the wall that en­closes the back of the metal unit.

Now, with the Majestic metal unit installed, your fireplace is completed. But do not fire the unit for at least two days, giving the mortar and concrete ample time to set and harden. Use only small fires at first to cure fire­place mortar. If desired, the masonry may be finished in an attractive color, using any good paint or compound recommended for block surfaces.

 

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Feb 16

Some basic principles of outdoor fireplace construction

Until recent years, a major handicap in building an Outdoor Fireplace was the difficulty of locating essential metal parts, such as grilles, doors, grates, and the like. Now, metal fireplace units and a wide variety of parts are manufactured by The Majestic Company, Inc., of Huntington, Indiana. Your Lumber, Building Material, or Masonry Supply Dealer will be happy to assist you in your needs for Majestic Barbecue Equip­ment. Don’t take substitutes.

With these metal units, anyone can create an attractive fireplace by using a complete unit as a building form and setting up masonry around it. in any desired design.

First essential for a good fireplace is a strong, solid foundation. In warm climates, where frost is not a factor, your fireplace can be set on a firm bed of tamped ground, cinders, or gravel. In cold climates, where deep frost occurs, your Outdoor Fireplace should be built on either a floating slab of reinforced concrete, or on a solid foundation of concrete or of brick or stones set in mortar and extending 4" or 5" or more below the frost line. You can learn the details on building a floating slab on page 56 of this booklet. For a below-frost-line foundation, see a local authority such as your building supply dealer.

Be sure to provide proper allowances for the metal parts of your fire­place to expand and contract as the result of heating and cooling. When using a Majestic Fireplace unit, this can be done by placing sheets of corrugated paper between the sides of the unit and the masonry. When the first fire is built, this corrugated paper will burn away, leaving space for expansion.

A chimney is not always necessary. If you plan to burn only charcoal in the fireplace, the three masonry walls around the metal unit are all that is required. However, if either wood or coal is the fuel to be used, the fireplace should have a chimney. It is also wise to provide the chim­ney with a cap to keep out water and possibly a screen to check flying sparks from wood fires.

It is wise to provide a means of adjusting the depth of the firegrate beneath the grill, since a charcoal fire should be placed much closer to the grill than a wood fire. In the Majestic metal units, this adjustment for charcoal or wood is provided.

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Jul 3

My husband and I just bought a new house. In the corner of the living room, the previous owner built a brick foundation on the walls and floor to hold an old wood burning stove. We wanted to know how hard it would be to build a fireplace out of the pre-existing bricks? There is already a hole in the roof for the small pipe that was for the Wood stove, so would it really be that hard? Some advice would be AWESOME!

sorry but diy has taken the skill out of skilled trades. you could build anything out of fired clay bricks as was most of european ancient history but it requires a fundamental understanding not a couple hours at the home depot. respect that bricklayers are not lego builders and it actually takes some skill other wise you will end up with a very temporary, fairly dangerous, fire box. most of what we build today in america is a weak structure with a veneer not a solid structure.

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Jun 28

We found the perfect home in Buford, GA -but it does not have the wood-burning fireplace that I've always wanted. Gas, electric will not do. We figured we knock a hole in it and install a wood-burner. Feasible? If so, how much should I budget for it? Who should I get to do the work for me, what kind of professional?

I am a general contractor in California. A pot bellied wood burning stove installed in your average 2000 sq. ft. house in CA wood be about $3,000.00. A real brick fireplace would start at $10,000.00 and go up from there. These are CA prices I don't know Florida prices. A general contractor preferably to get the job done, because they will take into consideration anything else that you might need to change to accommodate your new fireplace. A masonry contractor will only do what his trade entails.

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Jun 12


I pretty much do what Green Bulb does, except I put my newspaper balls in the grate, not under it, and I just wad up full-sized sheets.

Then, I stack some dry twigs and kindling at 90 degree angles to one another, on top of the newspaper. I also add a few dry, quarter split logs, about 3-4" thick, on top of the kindling, at 90 degree angles to one another but on the diagonal to the grate. Then, light the paper and get the kindling and split logs burning really well before you add round logs - dry, and usually three at a time (depending on size). Keep the logs spaced apart by adding them at the diagonal to the grate and at 90 degrees to one another - the more space between, the more air circulates, and thus the more fire/better burn you end up with.

Oh, and ALWAYS check to make sure your flue is open before you start! It doesn't matter how nice your fire looks or burns, if your house is full of smoke….

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Jun 9


/* i thought the Amish do not use electricity…*\

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Jun 6

I am pretty handy, and am confident that I can handle it with some instruction. I already priced the block, liner, and assorted pieces at a brickyard, so I have access to all the parts.

My question then becomes other than mortar on the block do I attach the tile liner sections together as well, or just stack them. Does the liner get attached to the block? is this harder than it seems?

also have you done this before? and how hard was it for you…would you do it again?

Just anecdotal & to add to screwits response.
A neighbor added a fireplace & brick exterior chimney himself.
Did a beautiful job inside & out, but without a permit.
He had to tear it down to the footing ( which passed) , file for a bldg permit & have the work inspected & approved..
Aside from bldg & fire codes it would have voided his homeowner’s insurance.
Rebuilt exactly the same way & passed.
Got the skills , go for it but notify the ins co, get plans approved & work inspected.
All about the paperwork.
Best regards

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Jun 5

It will be 55 outside this evening.

not sure tbh you could always choose a cold evening and arrange it in advance x

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May 29

want to build a fireplace more or less, that only looks like one but no chimeny and can have a ventless natural gas log set to heat a small room. i really dont like the firebox inserts although thatt would be the easier and logical way to go but i dont like the appearance it gives

YOU DON’T NEED TO BUILD A FIREBOX,THEY MAKE UNITS THAT HANG ON THE WALL, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS RUN A 3/8″ GAS LINE TO IT.THEY ALSO MAKE MANTLES TO GO AROUND THE UNIT.TYPE IN VENT FREE FIREPLACES ONLINE YOU WILL FIND ALL YOU NEED…

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May 25

I want to make my pokey fireplace larger. How can I do this? As a girl with not much experience of diy need some easy to follow expert advice, even if that is to get an expert in! thanks.

You would be better off leaving this little project to a mason experienced in building fireplaces. Without looking at what you currently have & what you want, it's a bit hard to give you credible advice.

Good luck…

Posted in How To Build A Fireplace | 4 Comments »

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