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A fireplace can easily form a beautiful key feature to a home. But coating it with a Cemcrete finish can make it even more striking.
With so many options and design elements to incorporate into your unique fireplace – making sure it is executed correctly should be at the top of your list.
Here are some helpful tips ensuring that your Cemcrete coated fireplace is functional, and prepared and finished in the correct manner.
With so many options and design elements to incorporate into your unique fireplace – making sure it is executed correctly should be at the top of your list.
Here are some helpful tips ensuring that your Cemcrete coated fireplace is functional, and prepared and finished in the correct manner.
Can I use Cemcrete products on my fireplace? Yes, you can! However, there are some important preparation factors that needs to be taken into consideration as well as design elements that might affect the success of your Cemcrete coated fireplace. How does it work? The biggest question of concern we receive from clients when considering whether to use a Cemcrete coating on their fireplace is “will it crack”. This is a very good and very important question. Insulation plays a big role in ensuring your fireplace does not cause the plaster and finished product to crack, whether the final finish is a Cemcrete product, or a general paint, or any other final finish for that matter. |
Why insulate? The heat that is transmitted from a fireplace into its surrounding plaster can reach up to 800˚C. Taking this into consideration means you will need to plaster your fireplace with an insulating plaster that will provide your wall the strength it needs to deal with intense levels of heat whilst having a durable substrate for your final decorative finish. What is thermal insulating plaster? A thermal plaster is made from key elements ensuring that the specific plaster has great thermal and insulating properties. The thermal plaster Cemcrete most uses is called Pratliperl. This special product is derived from a volcanic glass called perlite. The raw material is then expanded in special furnaces to create millions of small, well-sealed Pratliperl beads. Each bead has a small vacuum inside, giving the product its unique thermal insulation properties. These beads are then mixed into your plaster mix to assist it with its thermal properties. |
How to plaster your fireplace All internal surfaces of the fireplace should be plastered making use of Pratliperl. Please note that you will not coat the interior of your fireplace with the Cemcrete finishing / decorative product. All surrounds of the fireplace including the external chimney wall should also be plastered with Pratliperl. These newly plastered surfaces should be allowed to cure fully (usually 21 days) before the Cemcrete decorative product of choice is applied over. We recommend to allow your freshly Cemcrete coated fireplace to stand for another 2 weeks before using it for the first time, making sure the decorative coating has had time to fully cure as well. |
It’s all in the design
The design options for a fireplace are endless and inspiration for these might become overwhelming when deciding which will suit your home best. Even though the aesthetics of a fireplace is top of mind at this stage – practicality should also play a role in the design you choose.
There are a lot of design elements that one can consider incorporating into one’s fireplace that will hold great function as well. A mantel, also called Mantelpiece, hood or other similar projection, usually forms part of most fireplace designs. This mantel is typically ornamented and surrounds the opening of a fireplace and directs smoke up to the chimney flue. Even though the mantel does protect your fireplace, sometimes the mantel will need protection as well. A mantel protector (hood) or heat deflector should be considered as options for this. The mantlepiece also directs heat away from the wall directly above the fireplace opening. Without it wall heat damage can be expected.
The design options for a fireplace are endless and inspiration for these might become overwhelming when deciding which will suit your home best. Even though the aesthetics of a fireplace is top of mind at this stage – practicality should also play a role in the design you choose.
There are a lot of design elements that one can consider incorporating into one’s fireplace that will hold great function as well. A mantel, also called Mantelpiece, hood or other similar projection, usually forms part of most fireplace designs. This mantel is typically ornamented and surrounds the opening of a fireplace and directs smoke up to the chimney flue. Even though the mantel does protect your fireplace, sometimes the mantel will need protection as well. A mantel protector (hood) or heat deflector should be considered as options for this. The mantlepiece also directs heat away from the wall directly above the fireplace opening. Without it wall heat damage can be expected.
Now that you have chosen your design carefully and have ensured that your plaster can handle the heat of your fireplace, you can now select you favourite Cemcrete coating to add that final touch to your fireplace. Please contact you nearest Cemcrete representative for the best options for your fireplace.