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I made the foam form based on the dimensions of the fireplace in our lake house in Indiana. In order to make your own fireplace, simply glue on your choice of stone, brick, marble, or slate. Here are some ideas that I have done to create several different styles.
One can use a number of different items to glue to the foam board. The first one I did, I sat on the beach in front of the cottage and collected pebbles that looked similar to those in the fireplace. Later I started looking for an easier way to collect stones. I found several different stones at my local pet store. Decorative stone is used in the bottom of fish aquarium and terrariums. Also one can find small stone at a landscaping store. Just go through the bins and pick out the smallest pieces. I got five or six different type of stones for free: Just for the asking. The item I like to work with the most though is the composite flagstone or the cut stone. I take these stones and texture paint them with different colors to give them a very different and interesting look. One can also airbrush them to achieve a more precise coloring. One can also use small pieces of slate quite easily.
The Fireplace Kit contains the firebox, square stones, and two bags of stones of your choice. (enough to complete the fireplace. You also receive a hardwood mantle to complete your project. I use Mastic from Timberbrook Wood Products for the mortar mix. I like it because it has small fibers that help hold the stone. One can use a number of products though. I even use Premixed Ceramic Tile Adhesive and Grout that I buy from Home Depot.
Steps to complete Fireplace
1. Lay the small square tiles inside the firebox. One only needs to cover the two sides and back.
Apply Mastic with putty knife on area approximately 3 inches square. Spread a small amount of
Mastic over the back and side walls and push the tiles evenly into the Mastic. (Look above at the
pictures)
2. After choosing the type of stone you wish to use on the outside, you can begin placing them around
the outside of the foam block. Do a small area at a time and try to choose stones that will fit as you
move around the form. Take your time then let dry overnight.
3. After drying, I use a wooden match and burn carbon marks inside the firebox. This makes it look
like a real fire has been burning in your fireplace.
4. Spray all of the stone with a fixative or flat lacquer spray to seal.
5. Sand and finish the hardwood mantle to your liking and then glue to top of fireplace with adhesive
caulk. Do not use solvent based glue as this will eat the foam. A white adhesive caulk is a water
based glue. One can also use a white wood glue but the thickness of a caulk helps level the mantle
over the foam board.
Custom Cutting Flagstone
When I wanted to make an accurate 1” scale replica of the lake home fireplace, I did the following.
If you wish to make a copy of your fireplace you can do the following steps.
1. Take a front view picture of the real fireplace.
2. Print out two pictures at a size equal to the finished 1” model.
3. Take one picture and cut out each of the stones as if you where making a puzzle. Make sure you
number them so you can put them back in place after cutting the fiber stones. You can use the second
picture to number where the stones belong.
4. Take each of the cut pictures of single stones and find a fiber stone that you can trim to the same
size. I use a Dremel with a 1/8” milling cutter to trim the edges of the fiber. A single edged razor
blade or exacto knife will also help.
5. At this point you need to decide if the coloring of the fiber stones match the real fireplace. If not,
use whatever you need to do to come close in texture and color. I like the texture paints a lot and
I will mix two or more of them to color one stone. The Granite stone one matched a number of my
pieces.
6. You might like to glue the second picture to the front of the foam board form and then place the
numbered and cut fiber pieces on top of the matching number on the glued picture. Again, I apply
Mastic with a small putty knife on an area of approximately 3 square inches at a time.
7. Let dry overnight and then spray with a fixative to seal stones.
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