Fireplace in the apartment

The fireplace gives the room a special cosiness. It is so nice to sit by the fire in the cold winter with a cupcake and a cup of hot tea, talk with friends, read a book. But is it possible to put a fireplace in the apartment, or can such luxuries be allowed only by the inhabitants of private houses? Read about it in our article.

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What are the fireplaces?

Many dream of a real fireplace - a beautiful appearance, warmth, the aroma of a burning tree. But such a stove will cost a lot, and not everyone can afford it. However, there are several types of fireplaces, depending on the type of fuel:

• solid fuel;
• electric;
• biofireplaces;
• gas.

Solid fuel - these are the ones where firewood or coal is burned. They decorate the interior and give warmth. But installation is troublesome and expensive.

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Is coordination necessary?

In a private house, as they say, the owner is the master. He can put anything at home without fear of conflicts with neighbors and proceedings with supervisory authorities. And what about the inhabitant of a city apartment? For example, is it possible to make a fireplace in an apartment on the top floor - or not even at the top?

The installation of a real fireplace in a city high-rise is a redevelopment. That is, it just won’t be able to take and build, because very serious troubles can arise. But there is legislation that states that in some cases this is possible. In principle, permission can be obtained. But this is one of the most difficult types of redevelopment, and accordingly - additional safety requirements are imposed.

Chimney

The fact that the device of the fireplace is not everything that the owner of the apartment will have to face. Combustion products must go somewhere. Accordingly - you need a chimney. He, in turn, passes:

• through the overlap;
• through the attic;
• through the roof.

This is regarded as a change in the appearance of the facade. That is, you will need to get two permissions:

• for the reconstruction of his apartment;
• for the reconstruction of the facade.

To get started, you should contact the local administration - the communal management committee or the department of the chief architect. There you will be explained the conditions that must be observed. For example, a project will certainly be needed, moreover, from a licensed company.

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Where can I put it?

Since installing a fireplace in an apartment is associated with a chimney device, such work is probably far from in any room. A solid fuel fireplace can only be done on the top floor.

And if you have, say, a two-story apartment? No problem if it is on the top floor. The fireplace can be installed at any level, but it should be noted that you need an autonomous chimney that will pass only through your apartments and rooms located above - it will not violate the interests of neighbors.

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What is suitable?

Even if the location of your apartment allows you to arrange a fireplace, this does not mean at all that you can put there whatever comes into your head. A number of conditions must be met. Before installing a fireplace in the apartment, take care of the following things:

• the firebox and chimney must have a certificate of compliance with fire safety for residential premises;
• weight should not be prohibitive - the normatively distributed load on the ceiling should not exceed 150 kg per square meter;
• if the fireplace weighs more, a podium is made that allows you to distribute the load on the ceiling more evenly.

Important! Since fireplaces are now in vogue, elite new buildings have a similar possibility in advance - the ceilings are made of materials that can withstand more than the standard load, and a special hole for the pipe is made on the roof.

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We begin the registration procedure

So, the arrangement of the fireplace does not begin with the purchase of brick under the podium, but with the order of the necessary papers:

1. Contact the organization for a Technical Report on the condition of the load-bearing structures of your home - the organization that deals with this is usually only one in a small city, and one in a metropolis.
2. Get a conclusion on the fundamental possibility of building a solid fuel fireplace.
3. Order a design for a fireplace device in a licensed architectural workshop.
4. Submit documents for approval to the local administration - this can be done through the general department, which receives correspondence and distributes it to other departments, or directly to the department of the chief architect.
5. Coordinate the project with the sanitary and fire authorities.
6. Take an extract from the house book.
7. Make a statement of the financial and personal account.
8. Send the package of documents with all approvals to the local housing inspectorate.
9. Get permission to install a fireplace.
10. Invite the acceptance committee to accept your apartment on the act.
11. Invite a technician from the bureau of technical inventory, which should make changes to the floor plan of your home.
12. Get ready for the fact that the apartment will slightly decrease in size.
13. After the plan with the changes is ready, contact the Registration Chamber with a request for amendments to the registration documents.

Permission is issued after a month and a half. It, among other things, indicates the period for which you must build your fireplace in the apartment - usually it takes four months. Keep in mind that almost all certificates and permissions are by no means free, so you should add to the estimate of the construction of the fireplace the costs of documentation. It is very useful to ask if there is any law firm in your city that deals specifically with redevelopment issues. Costs will increase slightly, but you will get rid of many troubles if you resort to its services.

Important! Get ready for the fact that your task may turn out to be impossible - it is possible that the chimney will interfere with the communal utilities passing through the attic, or one of the authorities will consider that the ceilings will not withstand such a load.

What should i avoid?

If you have not been given permission, do not persist. And in no case should you try to install a fireplace in the apartment without approval, even if there seems to be an opportunity to bring the chimney into a common house hood. Your arbitrariness will certainly be discovered, you won’t get anywhere from the complaints of neighbors, and very serious problems may arise with the supervision and sanitary-epidemiological station, and even with the prosecutor’s office.

The results are possible different, but all are worthless:

• they will write you a large fine and offer to dismantle the fireplace;
• you will be asked to agree on the reorganization, and this is already impossible, since you have already violated the norms and no official will assume the responsibility to legitimize what you have done.

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Wood burning fireplace

If nevertheless you are lucky and you have the opportunity to put a wood burning fireplace, pay special attention to monoblocks. These are modern models, which are much lighter than traditional ones, so the floor load is much less. Such models have a lot of advantages over conventional ones:

• simplicity of construction;
• ease;
• ease of installation.

Important! In this case, it must be borne in mind that fireplaces must not be built into load-bearing walls. When choosing a place, find the corner near the interior partition.

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Alternatives

The fireplace in the apartment on the top floor, as we see, is possible. But what about the rest who live below? Yes, and the inhabitants of the upper floors can not always afford a planned redevelopment. But there is always a way out, fortunately, manufacturers produce a lot of models of fireplaces that can be installed without any coordination and complex construction work. You just have to choose.

To begin with, it makes sense to figure out what can affect your decision:

• features of your home;
• room style;
• device power;
• its design;
• Type of fuel.

If you live in an elegant mansion, then you can afford everything your income is enough for. The inhabitant of a city apartment needs to soberly assess not only his own financial capabilities, but also the purpose of the acquisition.

What is the fireplace portal used for?

You should consider why you need a fireplace:

• for heat;
• only for beauty.

The second option is much simpler - any option will suit you. Maybe even an imitation, so no permissions are needed. In stores you will find a huge number of such products that are very beautiful, give the interior a magnificent look, but you will not need firewood. Mounting them is even simpler than a regular wall or partition. Nothing suitable was found in stores and catalogs? It also does not matter, you can always contact a design company where, for a reasonable price, they will do exactly what you need.

Decorative portal

A decorative portal is just a decoration, but there are models that can be used for utilitarian purposes:

• as bookshelves;
• as storage for family albums and various other trifles.

As a decoration, you can use natural elements:

• candles - wax, gel;
• slide of firewood.

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Electric fireplace

This is also a portal, but it can not only decorate the home, but also thoroughly heat it. Electric fireplaces vary in size, power and appearance. They started making them a long time ago, the first models were extremely primitive, and only a blind person could confuse them with a real fireplace. But technology does not stand still. There are models that a random guest from real ones will not distinguish. An electric flame burns like a real one, and even the coals smolder like in a wood-burning stove.

What to look for?

Since the fireplace in a city apartment is in any case set as an additional heater, and its main task is to decorate the interior, then you first need to pay attention to the design. The more he looks like a real one, the better. In addition, you need to consider the material, especially to those who live in high-rise buildings or wooden houses. A unit that is too heavy can break through weak floors.

Choose a fireplace

The fireplace should not only fit well into the interior. Be sure to consider the design. Electric fireplaces can be:

• outboard:
• built-in;
• outdoor;
• angular.

Outboard

Suspended made cheap models. They are very light and are a picture that hangs on the wall. Such a device can accommodate in any room, it can be moved.

Important! Great for modern homes in a minimalist and technological style, but you can find more sophisticated options with imitation carvings, for example.

Embedded

There is a more sophisticated version of the wall fireplace - built-in. Under it you need a niche. The built-in firebox looks completely natural. But, of course, for such an aggregate it is necessary to immediately find a place - it will not work to transfer it from room to room.

Floor

Floor devices come in all sizes. Miniature models are not much different from antediluvian heaters and do not look particularly presentable. But they are mobile.

Important! The most massive fireplaces are not even placed on the floor, but on a special elevation.A great option is a corner floor fireplace.

Power

If your fireplace is not only an ornament, you need to pay special attention to power. The calculation here is simple: 1 kW of power is needed per 10 square meters. Plus you need to have a small margin just in case.

Important! When buying, pay attention to the passport of the device - there must certainly be data on what size room can warm your chosen unit.

The brand

Products from trusted manufacturers are more expensive than fakes. But the game is worth the candle. A reputable company cares about its reputation, and therefore produces reliable products. In addition, the more famous the brand, the easier it is to find a service center and a store that sells accessories and care products. The most popular models are produced by companies:

• Fobos;
• Alex Bauman;
• Interflame Panoramic;
• EWT Bizet;
• Dimplex Danville;

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Bio fireplace

The installation of such a unit also does not require coordination. This is a convenient equipment, invented relatively recently.

Important! Lightweight and convenient aggregates, biofireplaces are placed anywhere; even a person with very limited physical abilities, such as an old man or a child, can move it from place to place.

Its advantages are obvious:

• ease of installation;
• lack of need for electrical wiring;
• lack of need for additional equipment;
• the use of environmentally friendly fuels;
• the ability to integrate into wooden furniture;
• spectacular appearance;
• security.

The most attractive in these models is that they are very similar to the real ones, working on wood. If we talk about the shortcomings, then there are only two of them:

• special fuel is quite expensive, but there are models that work on the most common ethyl alcohol;
• such devices provide little heat, mainly used for interior decoration.

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Gas models

One of the interesting options is a natural gas fireplace. It can become a worthy decoration of your room, if only everything is placed correctly. You can install it on any floor. However, a large gas fireplace has a significant drawback - like solid fuel, it will have to be coordinated.

The procedure is simpler, you only have to contact the gas service. The procedure will be as follows:

1. Locate the storage location for the gas bottle.
2. Obtain installation permission from the gas service.
3. Select and purchase a model.

Important! For installation, it is better to invite a specialist from the same gas service that gave you permission. But there are units that work on miniature spray cans - the same as, for example, for a camping stove. In this case, no permissions are required, and the installation is extremely simple.

Such fireplaces are safe, but mainly carry a decorative function. For more solid models, a coaxial chimney is required.

Important! The recognized leader in this market segment is Faber.

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Stock footage

In a word, you can give comfort to your interior in various ways. And an electric or gas fireplace in an apartment can be no worse than the present, not to mention the fact that even the most expensive model will cost much cheaper than paperwork and reconstruction of the apartment. And manufacturers are constantly improving their products, so it is possible that a unit will appear on sale tomorrow, which will be absolutely nothing different from a conventional wood-burning fireplace - but, of course, it will be much safer.