Fire simulation scheme. Making an electric fireplace with your own hands

Initially, the fireplace in the house was intended primarily for heating. Nowadays, city dwellers are saved from the cold by central heating. At the same time, the fireplace is still associated with home comfort, a place for rest and relaxation. Therefore, in a modern interior, you want to acquire your own hearth, but solely for the sake of beauty. For this, a false fireplace is erected, in which fire is present as warmth for the soul, and not for the body.

You can make a home decorative portal yourself or involve a specialist, or you can purchase a ready-made dummy. It all depends on your desires and capabilities. To create a full-fledged decoration, it is necessary to pay attention to the main attribute of the fireplace - fire. Naturally, a real flame is not possible for every fireplace. But anyone can create an imitation of fire on their own.

Types of decorative fireplaces

There is a large selection of ready-made portals on the market. Do you prefer a ready-made version or want to do it yourself - decide for yourself. Before that, familiarize yourself with the features of each type.

1. The most democratic option is a portal made of cardboard and foam. They are easy to manufacture and affordable. Do-it-yourself imitation of fire in a fireplace is permissible only from sources without a flame as such. Such materials are highly flammable and require careful handling. Consider another feature of cardboard and foam - they will not withstand heavy objects. Therefore, all decorative attributes should be extremely light.
2. It is not difficult to build a plasterboard fireplace. The material is easy to process and affordable. Its feature is fire resistance, so candles can be easily placed in it. But, like the previous types, drywall does not withstand heavy loads.
3. Plywood is good for its ease of use, unique for its naturalness and environmental friendliness. It is important to know that this material does not like moisture.
4. Brick and stone are aesthetically pleasing materials that will last a long time. When creating a fireplace hearth, you will need basic skills in laying out bricks and stones. You will have to set aside a considerable budget for the construction. In addition, the final work can be quite weighty and not every floor in a high-rise building will withstand the construction.

Create a hearth

The fake fireplace is not intended for heating the room. For such a function, there are special electronic foci of various sizes, shapes, materials. For those who need a fireplace as a design solution, decide on the type of fireplace and consider options for parodies of fire. Let's start with the easiest ones.

Garlands

You will need the garland itself, a source of energy and decorative ornaments for it in the form of logs. It is best for the lamps to flicker yellow, orange and red.

DIY lace branches will help to add a realistic effect. To create an unusual decoration you will need: tree branches, foil, lace, glue, stones.

We wrap the branches with foil without gaps, glue lace on top of the foil. Let it dry for about a day. After, we cut and carefully take out the branches of the trees. We form a circle from the stones (if desired, the stones can be painted in any color), lay out a garland in the middle, and form the resulting lace branches like a fire. Turn on the garland and the logs will sparkle with fire colors. This is an amazingly simple and effective way to create a fake fire in a fireplace.

Candles

You can use candlesticks, candelabra, or simply arrange large candles to suit your design. We emphasize that this option is not suitable for every light fireplace, because tongues of flame can leave a black mark.

There is an interesting way to effectively serve candles in a fireplace. To do this, you need a few medium neat logs. In each we cut out 2-3 recesses the size of a small candle in a metal stand. The result will be a sophisticated imitation of a fireplace fire at a minimum cost of finance and time.

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Salt lamps

Special lamps made of salt crystals look great in a false fireplace. The salt lamp will be an interesting embodiment of real fire in the fireplace. The main disadvantage of such a design solution is the high cost. But there is a big plus - salt crystals will benefit the health of the whole family.

Lcd screen

Putting a screen in a fireplace is a rather expensive solution. The main difficulty of such a replacement for real fire is to install the screen. The image of the flame will dance elegantly and crackle soothingly in the fireplace portal.

Several mirrors placed in the hearth at different distances and at different angles will help to increase the effect of the fire burning on the screen. The screen image will perfectly simulate fire, and the mirrors will create the illusory effect of a three-dimensional image.

If you prefer more interesting solutions to your interior idea, then you will have to make some efforts. Let's consider how to make the fire more realistic and mesmerizing with our own hands.

Woodpile made of cardboard or real wood with fire from LED lamp and fabric

To make logs yourself, you will need cardboard, glue, scissors, paint, and a brush. We form logs from cardboard, paint them in the color we like, lay them out in the form of a well and glue them together. A well made of real wood is a little easier to create: we take the prepared logs and glue them with construction glue.

For a fire, you will need an LED lamp holder that randomly flickers in different colors (it would be ideal to combine red and yellow colors), a shade, a light uniform lightweight fabric that allows light to pass through, four strong wires from 15 to 30 cm long.

We push the plafond and fix the woodpiles on top, fix the wire on the logs, and the other ends together. We fix the fabric on top of the wire. Turn on the LED and enjoy the resulting small fake fire

Theater fire

A very effective type of artificial flame. For it you will need the following elements: a silent little fan, diodes of different colors (ideally red, yellow and blue), a reflective surface (these can be mirror fragments, foil, etc.), shreds of silk of different sizes and shapes, a small box where everything and place.

The box should be decorated, then:

• install a fan in it;
• place diodes next to each other;
• attach the finished shreds next to the fan

The fire will turn out to be alive. It remains to place the box in the portal and enjoy the beautiful view with a cup of fragrant tea in your hands and in the company of soul.

Aquarium as a simulated fire

The play of water and light is always fascinating. You can use this nice ensemble in a fireplace instead of a fire. Prepare the following accessories: an aquarium of any shape and size (the main thing is that it fits into the hearth), a fire-colored LED strip, water. Install a tape at the bottom of the aquarium, pour water into the aquarium. Decorate the structure of your choice with shells, tree branches, pebbles, glass, pebbles, etc.

Fire is one of the elements that has a truly magical effect on a person. It is impossible to get tired of contemplating a burning flame, which relieves fatigue, allows you to relax, or, conversely, to mobilize thoughts, to think about important things. In organizing a romantic dinner, fire plays the role of an irreplaceable addition.

An indoor electric fireplace can easily replace a real one, provided that the basic functions are performed with high quality: creating heat and simulating a flame. But a fireplace in a style frame, a three-dimensional image, a set of programs, not everyone can buy because of its high cost. Therefore, among novice craftsmen, more and more often a conversation is started about whether it is possible to make an electric fireplace with your own hands.

Just a mesmerizing sight

The manufacture of a heating element is a troublesome business, but it is quite clear. Basic skills and physical knowledge are required here. But the effect of a living flame, at first glance, seems unattainable. However, this is only a deceptive fear that prevents you from doing, doing and getting an excellent result.

Firewood layouts

Regardless of the type of construction that simulates a flame, you will always need a firewood layout. In this matter, the flight of the master's imagination is only welcome. Props can be bought in the online store. Components for fireplaces can be sent from China (we will use this fact in the future). In some cases, real firewood is used. With good lighting, a good result is obtained.

But if all searches were unsuccessful, then you will have to make a dummy yourself. But then it will be doubly pleasant to look at manual work. Corrugated cardboard is used as a material, it can be found in boxes for household appliances. There, it is often used as a filler between sheets.

Corrugated cardboard log

Having made tubes from such cardboard and painted them brown, we get a woodpile, to which a knot made of the same material, only with a smaller diameter and length, is attached to the tape. It remains to put the firewood in the fireplace, from a distance they look like real ones.

A purchased electric fireplace costs about the same as a large flat-screen TV. Without a heating function, such a fireplace is actually just a "TV" showing one 3D picture of an animated flame and making sounds that simulate the crackling of burning wood. This is an expensive pleasure of only aesthetic value. You can make such an electric fireplace with your own hands, while saving an impressive amount. We will consider the technology of manufacturing a device with a heating function.

So, we need a device that will not only please the eye and warm the soul, but also serve as a heater. Such electric fireplaces are equipped with tubular electric heater(Heating element), which, when connected to the mains, can heat up to 900 degrees Celsius and generate heat nearby, similar to what comes from a real fire.

Electric fireplaces with a heating function are usually equipped with reflectors that are installed on top and can collect, store and reflect heat.

An electric fireplace consists of two main parts:

1. , which simulates the firebox of a real wood-burning fireplace and the burning of a flame.
2. Portal, serving as a decoration to decorate an electric fireplace.

We will not consider the technology of making a portal for an electric fireplace with our own hands - this topic is worthy of a separate article. And it is best to do this during the renovation of the room where it is planned to install a stationary fireplace.

We are more interested in the device and manufacture of the hearth, which can be done by hand if you have the necessary elements and tools.

Device device

An electric hearth with a heating function consists of two parts: heating and decorative elements. The first one generates heat, the other simulates a fire in the hearth

As a heating element, you can use a conventional room heater if you don't want to do it from scratch (which may be unsafe). Therefore, here we will not consider in detail the technology of its manufacture. Let's just say that this requires another screen (reflector) to reflect the generated heat and a fan to ensure better circulation of warm air in the desired direction.

The decorative part of the electric fireplace consists of decorations of a stone or brick hearth, imitation of fire and smoldering logs. For the manufacture of all this, any available material available in the house will do.

Heater manufacturing

As mentioned above, it is better to use some ready-made factory heater, made in compliance with all safety requirements. But if you are well versed in what is written next, then go for it!

In all types of electric fireplaces, heating elements of various types are used for heating. This could be:

• spiral in a quartz tube;
• bio-spiral on ceramic bases;
• nichrome spiral elements.

That is, even a spiral from an iron in a ceramic shell is suitable for our purposes. Only such spirals may be needed some so that the total generated power is 1–2 kW.

Naturally, all this needs to be properly mounted on some frame, insulated, grounded and take care of the electrical wiring that could withstand the expected load. For the best distribution and preservation of heat, it is necessary to equip this entire structure with a reflector in the form of a cooker hood, for the manufacture of which you will need a frame made of galvanized steel corners and sheet stainless steel.

A heater made in this way can be additionally equipped with a temperature controller and even sensors that turn on the device automatically. You can always find them in the store.

Decorating an electric fireplace

There is where to turn around! It all depends only on the rampant of your imagination, the flight of which can be stopped only by the lack of necessary materials. To simulate fire, we need logs, lighting and something very similar to live fire.

Logs can be made from ordinary cardboard, rolled into rolls and fastened with tape, then wrapped in paper and painted in the desired colors. Also, nothing prevents you from using real dry logs for this, if you have where to get them.

It is best to use as illumination of the "flame" led light bulbs shimmering with red and yellow colors. They can be placed behind a flame or embers decoration made of transparent fabric or other material.

Here is a step-by-step process for making the simplest decoration for a flame in a hearth:

1. We take the most common branches of a tree of medium thickness (8-10 mm).
2. We wrap them with foil, on which we glue strips of tulle or lace on top.
3. After the glue dries, the branches are pulled out of the foil (if they are not pulled out, you can cut the foil lengthwise, and then glue the lace back into tubes).
4. Place pebbles on the bottom of the fireplace in a semicircle.
5. Put a folded garland in the center of the circle of stones.
6. Place logs of lace over the garland "hut" and fasten them at the top with remnants of fabric or threads.

To achieve the best effect, you need a garland that flashes alternately yellow and red. But even an ordinary light bulb that burns only yellow will do.

For more advanced imitations of flame, various tricks are used: mirrors, rotating light sources behind a panel with a fire image, or transparent fabric that can be rigidly fixed to the frame, or cut into shreds and install a fan under them, the air flow from which will make them "dance".

Simulated flame

In modern electric fireplaces, tricks of a completely different kind are used to simulate combustion. In them, a realistic fire is born using an ultrasonic steam generator on a quartz plate! The jets of steam from it, rising upward, fall into the rays of the backlight lamps and become visible to the eye. At the same time, the effect is so realistic that it is scary to touch the "tongues" of this flame with your hand. Although this just steam formed at room temperature by vibrations of a quartz plate under the action of an electric current.

It is quite possible to make a similar steam generator at home on your own, as the following video proves.

It is very difficult to do this, and this will require some knowledge or qualified help from an electrician.

To make our own version of a realistic electric fireplace, we need:

• Fan (cooler from the computer).
• Ultrasonic steam generators.
• DMX converter.
• LED lights.
• Waterproof box.
• Distilled water.

We attach ultrasonic steam generators (preferably several) to the bottom of the waterproof box. They will help the water evaporate, and the fan on the side will drive the vapors upward, preventing them from cooling prematurely, twisting and falling.

Lamps are needed to illuminate the rising steam, which in their rays will create the effect of "burning" decorative firewood, which must reliably cover this whole cunning structure.

Output

I hope you have no questions about how to make an electric fireplace with your own hands. Nothing is impossible for a person who is aflame with an idea. You just need to be clear about the end goal. If you need an electric fireplace in your apartment or in the country just for aesthetic pleasure, you can even make it out of cardboard. But a more functional model will require much more time, labor and financial costs.

Initially, the fireplace in the house served exclusively as a heating function, and only after that the role of interior decoration. Today, the central heating system is used as the main source of heating in an apartment or house. That is why, many began to give preference not to the classic solid fuel stove, but to a more modern variation called a false fireplace. Such models can be bought or made with your own hands from improvised means, since they have an exclusively decorative function.

A fireplace, the imitation of which takes place, can be assembled and designed by the hands of an experienced professional who will be able to recreate the necessary image, according to all the wishes and preferences of the customer. imitation of fire in the hearth of such a portal can be done in various ways, real flame in this case is almost never used.

Main varieties

Before installing an artificial fireplace in a house or apartment, first of all, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the main varieties and variations that you can both assemble with your own hands and meet in specialized stores:

• Fireplace simulated fire can be compiled and reproduced without fire hazard sources, environmentally friendly and durable materials. You can assemble a drywall or polystyrene portal with your own hands at home. Such materials are distinguished by their affordable cost and ease of use. You don't need an expensive and professional tool to work with them. The finished product will be lightweight, which is extremely important, especially when installed in an apartment or on the second floor of a private house. Due to its small mass, such a false fireplace should not be decorated and made out with heavy objects and purchased fireboxes. Drywall is heat-resistant, which in turn allows you to decorate its hearth and shelves with candles. The fireplace with candles looks very elegant and charming;
• A fireplace, an apartment with which will look original, can be assembled from plywood. The plywood fireplace portal is notable for its budget. However, it is not very stable and reliable. A plywood fireplace requires high-quality surface protection, since the material quickly absorbs moisture, swells and deforms. The advantages include environmental friendliness and naturalness of the material;
• A fireplace, stone or brick for which they serve as a base will be more reliable and as refractory as possible. Such materials withstand high temperatures well, their sharp drops, are distinguished by their strength and durability. Particularly large and bulky chimney portals may require a foundation. The price of a brick fireplace is quite high, and construction is time consuming. However, an electric fireplace can be installed in such a portal, if desired. Since the cost of natural stone is quite high, the facing of the portal can be done with artificial minerals.

Creating a hearth

A decorative fireplace can be decorated with a garland. Such a garland fits both in the hearth and can be located along its perimeter, or in a chaotic manner. It is recommended to choose garlands with traditional classic colors of burning lamps. To give an imitation of a fire burning in the hearth, you can add ceramic logs to the hearth.

You can add a false fireplace with the help of tree branches. You can arrange them in any way. Alternatively: wrap the branches with foil and lace, and then glue various stones, shells and other decor. At the exit, you get lace branches, which can be placed either completely apart or in vases.

Lace can be located both along the length of the entire branch, and only in a certain area, an interval. After gluing, it is necessary to let the product dry completely and only after that, use the decor to decorate a false fireplace. If desired, such branches can also be painted or supplemented with glitter. Alternatively, place them in the fireplace and illuminate them with an LED string.

You can also use candles for decoration. They can be located separately or located in various openwork candlesticks, candelabra. Install them inside the hearth or a mantel can also be added. You should not place candles in a stone of white, beige, cream shades, since during the operation of the decor, ugly black traces and prints from candles will remain on the surface of the portal and in the hearth.

Simulating fire in a fireplace can be done in one very interesting way. At the exit you will receive a fireplace with candles. To do this, find 2-3 beautiful logs of the correct shape and cut 2-3 holes in each of them. Dip one candle into the resulting holes. It is important that the candles are in candlesticks or in special protective frames. This will prevent the logs from catching fire while the candles are burning.

As a more expensive option, you can decorate the fireplace with a salt lamp. Such a device will look stylish and impressive. The disadvantages include the relatively high cost. The main advantages are the health benefits of salts, creating a cozy atmosphere in the house or apartment.

An electric fireplace can also perform an exclusively decorative function. It can be equipped with a steam generator and even a humidifier!

Modern technologies and fresh solutions

Electric fireplace live fire is the most realistic way to simulate a flame. In this case, imitation is carried out using modern technologies, namely an LCD screen with a voluminous and high-quality picture and animation.

To make any flame more voluminous and effective, you can install several large mirrors opposite and on the sides of the hearth, at a slight tilt. A fireplace with a mirror will create the illusion that the fire is real. You can also install mirrors in the hearth itself.

If you like to create various things with your own hands and want to get the best result, we recommend building an imitation of logs. To do this, we need decorative firewood, an LED garland or lamp, fabric and a number of other materials at hand.

The basis of our firewood is cardboard. Each log needs to be cut out of cardboard and given volume, glued. The surface can be painted with acrylic, gouache or watercolors of your choice, and then let the wood dry. The firewood is glued together in the shape of a well and placed in the hearth. If desired, such cardboard logs can be replaced with real ones. In this case, construction glue is used for gluing.

To create volume and characteristic shades, you need to buy an LED lamp in advance, which will flicker in different shades. It is recommended to give preference to the characteristic color spectrum - yellow, red, orange. A translucent white fabric is used as a shade, and the frame is constructed from four strong wires, the length of which will be 150-300 millimeters.

The light bulb is fixed inside the hearth, right above the imitation. A wire frame is installed in the center of the well and is complemented by a translucent fabric. When turned on, a rather realistic effect of a flame burning in the hearth will be created.

Realistic simulations

One of the most realistic options for creating an imitation is the so-called box of fire. To create this effect, you need to buy LED lamps, preferably red, yellow and blue. As a reflective surface, you can choose a small mirror, foil. Also, for this effect, you will need fabric or its scraps (silk). The so called fire will be housed in the box.

At the first stage, we decorate the base itself (box), after which we act according to the following step-by-step guide:

• We place the fan in the box;
• LED bulbs are located and fixed next to each other;
• The space around the fan is padded with rags.

Such a box with fire is placed inside the fireplace portal and allows you to reproduce a fairly realistic effect.

You can also simulate using an aquarium. More specifically, you will need to prepare an aquarium large enough to sit in the hearth. After that, a garland with LEDs is placed inside the aquarium and fixed, the container is filled with water. When you turn on the garland, the effect of blazing water will be created, which looks very original.

The interior of the aquarium can be decorated with shells, stones, algae and other elements of your choice.

Creation of the illusion of a flame burning in the hearth with the help of steam belongs to the category of the most realistic and difficult to implement variations. To generate steam, you will need to buy 2-3 fog-generating devices (ultrasonic).

You will also need to prepare a fan, a reservoir into which water will be poured, a frame for placing an imitation and an RGB lamp.

Devices that generate fog are installed in the inner part of the box together with a fan, then we place the lamps, and we install a prepared reservoir on the generators for pouring water. This effect is very realistic, but at the same time it is quite expensive to recreate it.

The fireplace in the interior of your apartment for home will become a real hearth and fill the living room, bedroom with coziness. The floor-standing fireplace can be either wall-mounted or island, corner, depending on your wishes and preferences. The false hearth is quite simple to install, it has small dimensions and optimal weight, and some models can be rearranged from place to place. To simulate a flame, you will need mostly inexpensive materials at hand, and the structure itself does not require the construction of an additional foundation and a chimney.

Such a hearth will allow you to arrange cozy family evenings with friends and family over a cup of warm tea.

In this video clip, you can see what an imitation of fire in a fireplace looks like with your own hands:

The device of the fireplace is one of the interesting interior solutions, giving the interior warmth, comfort and homelike appeal to the interior decoration of the dwelling. But it is far from always possible to fit a real fireplace into the design. As a rule, this is due to the inability to arrange a chimney, lack of space for storing firewood and other reasons associated with the use of open fire in the room.

There is nothing difficult to create an imitation of a fireplace without heating in an apartment with your own hands. This will require sheets of drywall, materials for outdoor decoration, imagination for the project and a good mood for work. The false fireplace is ready and all that is left is to fill it with tongues of artificial flame, sit in an armchair and enjoy the play of light and shadow.

The main task of the illusion of a living fire in the hearth is to form a spectacular, maximally realistic feeling of a burning flame. Visualization is the main element of the task, but far from the only one. For the full perception of the picture, not only the visual component is necessary, but also the corresponding crackle and smell of burning panels, as well as a physical sensation of the heat flow. For this, there are modern techniques for creating a "cold fire" in a false fireplace.

A bit of history

The first experiments in creating a safe fire and turning household heaters into decorative elements for living quarters have been undertaken for a long time. The origins of this trend include an electric fireplace with a heating shade and a decorative panel. It was made in the form of glowing coals with internal illumination with a conventional incandescent lamp. Similar imitators could be found in the middle of the last century.

A little later, the backlight was given dynamism. Electrical appliances were equipped with strips of foil that rose in streams of warm air and reflected bizarre reflections on the body of the device, creating the effect of a flickering flame.

The first successful illusion of living fire was the cutting of lightweight fabric. swaying in artificial air jets pumped by a built-in fan. This principle of simulating open flames formed the basis for the further development of the design direction and still has the right to life.

Cold fire obtained in this way "in its pure form" has a sufficient level of entertainment, light glare whimsically and uniquely changes its position in space. But the realism of such an imitation is low, since the picture looks like a hand-drawn one. To add volume and "visual vitality", a built-in system of mirrors and light filters is used, as well as electronic control of lighting elements.

In addition to electronic and mechanical methods of creating the effect of a living fire, digital and LCD technologies, cold vapor generators, 3D holograms with a stereo effect and other achievements of modern development of science and technology are widely used nowadays.

There are several ways to light a safe fire in an apartment fireplace. Let's consider them in more detail.

Method one. Simplest

If there is no desire or opportunity to engage in the manufacture of a complex electronic-mechanical structure, then the simplest solution to the problem can be used: to glue a photographic image of burning firewood into the fireplace hearth. To give some semblance of realism, it is necessary to install spotlights with filters of different colors.

The lowest cost, but no less effective, will be the use of an old Christmas tree garland. For this, the mini-shades are finished with reflective foil from the inside. The controller built into the garland will simulate the dynamics of light transmission, as from living flames. To give the picture a visual stereo volume, you can select a holographic 3D image of an open fire of a suitable size.

Method two. Theatrical

As the name implies, this method is borrowed from theatrical props. When, according to the plot of the play, it is necessary to make a safe fire on the stage, the decorators use just such a fire.

To light a theater fire in a fireplace, you need to stock up on the following elements:

• a silent fan of medium power;
• halogen lamps;
• color filters of appropriate shades;
• white silk.

The fan casing is dismantled. Its working part is rigidly attached to the bottom of your fireplace so that the blown air flows perpendicular to the base. The electrical wiring is laid in cable channels and led out of the fireplace.

Three halogen lamps are mounted below the working plane of the fan: one along the central axis of the fan, two at an angle of 30 degrees to each side. The direction of light to the future hearth should be from bottom to top.

Remains of a bent metal profile for gypsum boards can be used as brackets for lamps. At a distance of 1-2 cm in front of each lamp, light filters are attached. It is additionally recommended to put a blue light filter on the central luminaire, this will give the flame more exotic glare.

The next step is to simulate flames. Future flames of irregular shape are cut from white silk and attached to the fan grill in "artistic disorder".

An open fire simulator is ready for use. It remains to adjust the fan power, the angle of inclination of the filters and fill the artificial parts of the hearth with purchased birch charcoal.

Method three. Water vapor

All of these devices can be purchased at retail or removed from old concert equipment that creates a steam effect.

Mist generators are installed at the bottom of a sealed container for distilled water. Each generator in its design assumes a membrane, which, due to high-frequency vibration, creates a local reduced pressure. Under low pressure conditions, water evaporates at temperatures close to room temperature.

The fan is rigidly mounted in the zone of active evaporation and drives the generated steam upwards. LED illumination, controlled by a decoder and a controller, creates a very realistic visual feeling of the play of light and shadow of living flames.

In the lower part of the fireplace, the steam is illuminated more strongly and there is a feeling of the presence of an open flame. At the top, the illumination is less intense and the illusion of smoke is created.

To prevent the formation of excessive condensation, a diaphragm is installed in the upper part of the hearth.

Method four. Salt shade application

An electric salt lamp is a specific electric lamp. The plafond is made of natural crystal - salt. A conventional incandescent lamp is installed under such a shade. Passing through the edges of the crystal at different angles, the light flux is refracted and outwardly very realistic resembles the play of living tongues of flame.

Using shades of different colors, a realistic imitation of living fire is created. And using lamps with different configurations and sizes, a small fire is easily imitated.

This method has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages include the simplicity in the manufacture of such an illusion, its realism. In addition, when heated from an incandescent lamp, the salt cover saturates the surrounding air with negative ions. This leads to the neutralization of positive ions, which has a positive effect on the health of its owners.

The disadvantages of this method include the very significant price of such devices and their infrequent appearance on the free market.

The fifth method. TV instead of live fire

Using a flat-panel LCD TV in a fireplace is one of the most technically simple options for solving the problem. But, it should be noted, it is far from low-cost.

If the choice falls on this method of "kindling" an artificial flame in the fireplace, then at first it makes sense to choose an LCD TV, and only then, based on its size, mount the fireplace body. The TV screen is installed on a 10-12 cm recess in the fireplace hearth. Its plastic frame is hidden by decorative elements.

A recording found on the Internet is played on the screen through the USB port built into the TV. Depending on your mood and surroundings, you can choose from several recordings: the play of tongues of flame, embers or a bright fire. The selected recording with multiple repetitions will serve as an imitation of a live fire in the hearth.

If a system of mirrors and light filters is placed along the inner planes, then the picture will visually acquire volume and will look very natural.

Decorative firewood for fireplaces

To give a finished look to the fireplace under a cold fire, it is necessary to "put" wood and coals. On the windows of specialty stores, there is a huge selection of decorative firewood made of plastic or ceramics. Such dummies exactly repeat the texture of a dry or partially burnt tree. Imitation, purchased or made by hand, will turn the hearth into a center of home warmth and comfort.

In order to obtain more realism, a backlight with red light filters is installed under the wood-burning layout. In the more expensive versions of decorative firewood, an internal lighting with a non-repeating flickering cycle is provided.

To give the picture integrity, it is recommended to fill small gaps between decorative firewood with natural charcoal.