The times have come when traditional stoves began to seem like a dense relic of the past, because the total gasification of private housing has practically replaced alternative fuel. Over the years, they have undergone virtually no special changes in decoration, since new materials have not actually been developed.
In the photo - plastering the stove
This, of course, is in vain, since the stove is a fairly reliable source of heat that does not suffer from interruptions in the supply of gas, electricity, diesel fuel or pellets. It’s enough just to make a timely supply of firewood and coal, so the services of stove makers will most likely be in price again. In the article below we will try to reveal one of the secrets of what a solution for plastering stoves should be.
This question will inevitably arise when building a new or repairing an old heating device. Agree, the finishing conditions will be akin to extreme, since it will have to periodically heat up very much and then cool down. Not every modern mixture can withstand this.
Modern technologies
In addition, you should not lose sight of the environmental friendliness of the plaster, so that toxic substances do not enter the room when heated. It must also be elastic and have good thermal conductivity. The price of the finished mixture is very, very low.
Advice from professionals
To ensure quality work when plastering a stove, professionals recommend:
- Proper mixing of the solution. To do this, you can take a small amount of the mixture and roll it into a ball in your palm. If cracks form on it, you need to add a little water.
- The mixture should be viscous so that it can be easily applied.
- Before starting work, all cracks must be repaired.
- To strengthen the plaster, use reinforcing mesh.
- After plastering, you cannot immediately heat the stove, otherwise the coating may crack. You need to wait until it dries completely.
For high-quality plastering of the stove, the main thing is to mix the solution correctly - it should not be too liquid or thick. Following the instructions will allow you to avoid common mistakes and get a durable and aesthetic lining for your home stove.
Surface preparation process
It is important to start work by treating the surface of the oven. If there is old plaster on it, it must be removed
Exposed brickwork must be perfectly clean. You can use a spatula to clean it. The surface must be cleaned carefully, avoiding sudden movements that could damage the masonry.
If cracks are found on the surface, they should be treated with special oven glue.
To treat cracks, the glue is brought to a thick sour cream state, after which the surface must be cleaned of dust using a brush
Then, it is important to moisten the same brush with water and treat the holes. Next, this defect must be treated with glue using a spatula
After all defects have been eliminated, it is necessary to apply a primer mixture to the working surface. An acrylate mixture is suitable, which is capable of penetrating deeply into the material, filling all the pores, and forming a film on the surface.
This will ensure a stronger connection between the primer and putty. The mixture should be applied with a brush and rubbed in. After this, you need to dry the oven, leaving it on for a day.
General rules for carrying out work
Before directly plastering the stove onto the work surface, the following work must be completed.
- The plaster must be stirred to achieve a homogeneous mass and the consistency of thick sour cream.
It is important to remove all contaminants from the working surface of the stove (dust, remnants of the previous plaster that were used when laying the stove). To improve the “grip of the mortar”, you need to clear the masonry seams to a depth of about fifty millimeters
Before application, it is important to heat the oven a little in order to achieve 20–25 degrees of heat; On warm walls, the plaster will lie more evenly, and an excellent level of quality will be achieved.
After all the preparatory procedures, you need to proceed to the main part:
- Additional surface cleaning.
- Treatment of cracks.
- Surface primer.
- Installation of reinforcing mesh.
- Plastering the stove
Plastering stoves with your own hands
When building a stove or creating a fireplace, you will need to decide not only on their design, but also on the facing material, mortar for fireplaces and stoves, chimney, and backing brick. A direct component of the process of creating a fireplace or stove is the solution for lining the stove or fireplace. The appearance of unlined stoves, as a rule, is not aesthetically pleasing; in addition, dust accumulates in the masonry seams, which, when the stove is heated, becomes a source of unpleasant odors. You can avoid such unpleasant consequences by plastering the stoves yourself or by covering them with decorative ceramics, tiles, glazed tiles, etc.
Composition of solutions for plastering ovens
The composition of mixtures for stoves and fireplaces may be different. To plaster the stove, you can use simple clay or complex mortars: lime-clay-sand, lime-gypsum, cement-clay-sand. The mortar for plastering the stove can be prepared either independently or purchased ready-made. Which dry mixes for the oven should you prefer in your case?
Plastering stoves with clay is the most common application. Plastering of the front surfaces of the structure begins after the brickwork has completely hardened, when the possibility of its further shrinkage is excluded. As a rule, this requires at least a month. Properly prepared composition of the mortar for plastering the stove is a guarantee of a long service life.
To prepare a clay solution, the clay must be soaked the day before work begins so that it absorbs water. The sand is pre-sifted. A mixture consisting of soaked clay, sand and water is stirred with a hammer drill with a mixing attachment until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
The amount of sand required for mixing into the clay is determined by its fat content. At a high value of this indicator, the proportion of the constituent components of the mixture is either 1/3 or 1/4. The strength of the plaster is increased by adding crushed glass fiber or asbestos fiber (0.1/0.2 share) to the clay solution.
PLEASE ATTENTION: a high-quality solution for plastering a stove should lie relatively easily on its surface and at the same time be smoothed out well
How to properly lay plaster on the surface of the stove?
The start of work is preceded by cleaning the front surface of the structure from dirt, dust and remnants of masonry mortar. To improve the adhesion of the mortar to the brickwork surface, first clear the seams to a depth of about 0.5 cm. Before lining, the oven is heated so that the mortar is applied to the warm walls.
How to prepare plaster for a stove? Below are the proportions of the most common types of plaster mixtures for plastering stoves:
Stage 3: plastering the stove
Plastering a stove with your own hands.
Plastering stoves is done in a special way. There is a technology here that must be adhered to. So, you need to start with the first layer, which is called spray. Here the solution is taken and applied to the hot walls of the oven. Its thickness should not be more than 7 mm. Be sure to level the plaster layer with a spatula to get a smooth surface without any defects. In this case, it is necessary to use a more liquid solution for spraying. Then you will need to prepare a new one, but with a thick consistency. It must be applied when the first layer has dried a little. Its thickness should be approximately 5-6 mm. After this, you need to leave the oven for several hours so that the plaster dries a little.
Next, take a grater and grout the surface with it. Here you can use plastic or metal equipment. You will need to take a brush in the other hand; if necessary, you will need to moisten it in water, and then moisten with it those areas of the plaster that have dried out too much. During this work, it is necessary to achieve the most even surface possible. If any defects are found on it, for example, cracks or potholes, then you need to prepare a little solution and cover it with it. As soon as it dries, it will need to be rubbed down.
Then you need to do the finishing plaster. Here you need to take a different solution. It must be prepared from the following ingredients: lime whitewash, water, salt. The first step is to dilute the salt. Take 100 g of salt and 1 liter of water. Then the finished mixture is poured into whitewash (10 l). All this is thoroughly mixed and, if necessary, additionally diluted with water. After this, the solution is directly applied to the surface of the oven. It will be enough to cover everything in one layer to avoid further cracking of the finished coating. This completes the plastering of the stove with your own hands. You can enjoy its attractive appearance.
Useful tips from professionals
When making mortars, be sure to monitor the proportion of sand; if it is exceeded, the plaster will lose its elasticity.
It is necessary to carry out external finishing of the stove only after the brickwork has become completely solid, otherwise cracks will appear on the plastered surface.
To get the highest quality solution, be sure to sift the sand before preparing it and soak the clay in water for a day. Thanks to this, the plaster will be very durable, and in the end there will be no need to carry out finishing work again.
After plastering is completed, do not forget to hang decorative elements on the stove.
Necessary tool
When carrying out work on plastering the stove on your own, you should prepare in advance the appropriate tools and containers for the solution:
- trowel or plaster spatula;
- falcon;
- grater and grater;
- rule;
- metal brush;
- brush or brush for wetting the surface;
- construction mixer;
- corner rail.
When preparing the solution, you will need a shovel, scoop, measuring containers, sieve, scales, and a container for mixing ingredients. It is better to control the leveling of the surface using a building level. A chisel and hammer may be useful for removing old plaster. A vacuum cleaner will help get rid of dust.
How to plaster a stove - step-by-step instructions
Plastering a stove with clay is like a whole ritual from ancient times. This is not surprising, the operating conditions of the stove are the most difficult in the house, so it needs much more attention than other furnishings. Before plastering the stove, prepare all the necessary tools and materials: a wooden grater, a container and a spatula for mixing, reinforcement materials, and mortar components.
Choosing the composition of the plaster
The question of how to plaster brick stove walls is the most important one when planning such an event. It should be said right away that the usual cement-sand mortar used for plastering the walls of a building is not suitable for stoves. It will simply crack in a very short time. For plaster, you can use a ready-made mixture intended specifically for this purpose, or prepare it yourself, but according to a special recipe.
To solve the question of what to plaster with, simple 2-3-component mixtures and complex compositions with the addition of various ingredients (fiberglass, asbestos, salts, plasticizers, etc.) can be used. The composition of the mortar also depends on the type of brick used for the construction of the stoves (fireclay, red brick, silicate varieties, etc.). Certain components added to the plaster increase its adhesion to the material.
If you decide to use ready-made materials, then you need to purchase a stove or fireplace plaster mixture. All the necessary ingredients have already been added to it, and preparation for application consists of diluting it with water in the proportion specified in the instructions. When using them, one caveat should be taken into account: their long-term storage is undesirable, since atmospheric moisture can lead to premature hardening of the mixture in the form of poorly soluble lumps.
Most often, homemade solutions for plastering stoves are prepared of the following types:
- clay;
- lime-clay;
- calcareous-sandy-clayey,
- lime-gypsum;
- cement-sand-clay.
The practice of furnace construction shows that it is precisely such compositions that are least susceptible to cracking when heated. Other additives are also introduced to improve properties.
When preparing the solution, it is important to choose the correct proportions of ingredients. Precisely selected composition allows you to easily and evenly apply a thin layer to the stove wall
In particular, a certain consistency of the composition is used as grout. The viscosity of the solution is regulated by the proportions of water, the plasticity largely depends on the amount of sand, and the more sand there is, the less elasticity of the mass.
What solutions are used when laying individual brick oven elements?
The choice of solution for work must be carried out depending on which part of the stove it will be used for laying. Using the diagram below, we will consider each of them in detail.
General structural diagram of a standard furnace masonry
- The reinforced concrete base of the furnace foundation, which is also called the pillow or root. It is manufactured using standard technology, however, in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, it must be physically separated from the foundation of the house itself. The need to comply with this condition is explained by differences in the degree of shrinkage of the building and the furnace in it.
- Waterproofing layer. To create it, roofing material is perfect, which needs to be laid on top of the foundation in several layers.
- Actually, the stove foundation itself. Since it is not exposed to powerful thermal effects, it does not require the use of particularly heat-resistant mixtures when laying. At the same time, the reliability of the entire structure depends on the quality of assembly of this furnace element. There are cases when, due to errors in laying the foundation, it was necessary to completely disassemble the stove and redo it in a new way. Complex, three- or more-component cement-lime mixtures are used for work. Well, red solid brick is best suited here as the main building material.
- A layer of thermal insulation with a fire protection area. It is made from a mineral cardboard or asbestos sheet, on which a sheet of iron is placed on top, covering the entire structure with a finishing layer of felt cloth soaked in so-called clay milk (this is a solution of very thinly diluted clay; we will describe how to prepare it below).
- A heat exchanger that accumulates the energy released during the combustion of wood. It is one of the main parts of the so-called furnace body. During kindling, it rarely heats up above six hundred degrees, but is subject to very active influence from the smoke and other gaseous substances released during combustion. It is not uncommon for destructive acid condensate to settle on the inner surface of heat-storing masonry. The brick used here is special: stove type, M150 grade, solid red ceramic. The bricks are fastened together with a simple one-component clay solution. It should be noted that the term “simple” refers only to the composition of the building mixture. Its preparation is a rather labor-intensive process, the features of which we will consider below.
- The hot part of the stove body is also called the combustion chamber. It is subject to moderate chemical influence from gases, but heats up to very high temperatures, up to 1200 degrees. For masonry, so-called fireclay bricks and fireproof clay-fireclay mortar are used.
- The source of the chimney. It is made from the same brick and fastened with the same mortar specified in point No. 5, since this element of the furnace is subject to similar temperature and chemical influences as the heat-accumulating part of its body.
- "Fluffing" of the stove chimney. Its task is to create a flexible mechanical connection connecting the ceiling and the chimney itself. Allows you to avoid a situation where ceiling subsidence is possible. The fluff can be repaired separately; it does not require complete disassembly of the entire structure. The bricks used for masonry are standard stove bricks, and lime-type mortar is ideal for laying this part of the stove.
- A fireproof cutting is a special metal box filled with a non-flammable heat-insulating substance.
- Chimney pipe. This element is susceptible to wind and precipitation. It heats up weakly, so the pipe is laid from standard red brick. However, for greater reliability and heat resistance, they use lime mortar.
- Fluffing the chimney pipe (11). It is made from the same materials that are used when laying the main part of the pipe.
Features of the problem
Why is it recommended to plaster a brick oven? In terms of increasing the reliability of the entire structure, it is necessary to note the fact that the plastered brick is protected from the direct influence of aggressive bath factors (temperature changes, moisture, steam). The brickwork itself increases the strength and tightness of the seams. The bonding material is less susceptible to cracking. 2 important reason - improved appearance. After plastering, the stove has a smooth wall surface, which gives it neatness and makes it possible to create a specific interior.
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Brick oven plaster has its own specific characteristics. First of all, this is due to the high temperature on the walls during its operation. The plastered layer must withstand the following influences: prolonged heating and open flame, temperature changes, mechanical influences, smoke and steam, oil splashes during cooking. As the oven heats up, the brickwork tends to expand significantly, and therefore the plaster solution for ovens must have increased elasticity in order to withstand such loads without cracking.
One of the functions of the stove is to heat the room. This condition dictates one more requirement for stove plaster - good thermal conductivity. If additional significant energy is required to heat this layer, then the efficiency of the entire structure will significantly decrease. In addition, when heated, the material used for plaster should not release substances harmful to the human body.
Decorative design
The versatility of plaster makes it very flexible when it comes to decorative work. Since ancient times, stoves have been decorated with paintings, which can still be done by covering the walls with whitewash, as well as using water-based paints. Moreover, a damp, unbleached coating is an excellent opportunity to decorate the interior with frescoes.
Many types of decorative plaster can imitate noble stone chips. Special tools or the use of improvised means in the form of brushes, washcloths and even plastic bags will allow you to create a unique surface texture for every taste.
In addition, plaster goes well with decorative tiles, from which you can lay out interesting patterns, and, if desired, mosaics. Also, the presence of corner elements will make the creative process a little easier, and the appearance of the stove much more impressive.
Purchased heat-resistant mixtures
Ready-made stove plaster can also be used for finishing. There are many varieties of such mixtures. But the most popular are “Pechnik” and “Terracotta”. The advantage of such plasters in comparison with those prepared by hand is a high degree of heat resistance. “Pechnik” and “Terracotta” are able to withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees.
Whatever mixture is used for plastering the stove, purchased or homemade, there is no need to prepare a large amount of it at once. The volume of a single serving should not exceed 8-10 liters. In any case, the solution needs to be developed in a maximum of 2-2.5 hours.
Heat-resistant putties and mastics
In addition to fire-resistant plaster, there are also fire-resistant putties and mastics. They are also used quite actively. It doesn’t hurt to clearly know the difference between these three types of finishing materials.
Unlike plaster, the basic putty composition uses a filler of a finer fraction. Large fractions contained in any plaster make it impossible to apply it in a thin layer. Therefore, it is not suitable for filling cracks and small potholes, or leveling small irregularities. For these purposes, heat-resistant putty is used.
Fire-resistant mastic is used mainly not for leveling, but simply for insulating ceilings and walls. Relatively speaking, putty is puttied, and mastics are simply spread on the wall (that’s why they are sometimes called coatings).
The thickness of the mastic layer usually does not exceed 1 cm, while the optimal thickness of the putty and plaster layer is 2-4 cm. Also, fire-retardant sealing mastic is characterized by the fact that it does not increase in size when heated.
Fire-resistant mastics and putties can differ significantly in their properties, composition and purpose. In the assortment of specialized stores, customers can find, for example, putty for metal, concrete, wood, non-flammable, fire-resistant mastic for cables, and so on.
Finishing stoves and fireplaces after plastering
How to paint a plastered stove?
In the future, the plastered surface can simply be whitewashed with water-based emulsion, lime, chalk, painted with heat-resistant paint, colored varnish and decorated with stucco. Since oil solutions darken faster when exposed to temperature, it is better to use pentaphthalic paint or nitro enamel.
Please note that all heat-resistant compounds have a very strong odor and release toxic substances when dry, so it is better to work with them in a respirator. Such compositions take longer to dry than conventional ones.
Decorative plaster
As decorative materials, you can use mineral compositions such as Bayramix, Misan, Ortner, etc. The surface of a stove or fireplace, finished with stucco or a rough decorative primer, and then treated with latex water-dispersed dyes, looks very original.
Another interesting option is to add brick flour to the water-based emulsion and then coat it with colorless heat-resistant varnish. For decoration, special plastic stamps for plaster are also used, with the help of which all kinds of embossing are made on the surface. Material costs with this method are minimal, and a stove or fireplace finished in this way looks simply great.
Tiles and tiles
As mentioned above, ceramic tiles can only be glued to those walls of fireplaces and stoves that do not heat up very much, for example, to a fireplace chimney. Even heat-resistant tile adhesive will not last long on hot surfaces.
Tiles have been used for hot stove walls for centuries. This is a special ceramic tile with a rumpa - a frame on the back side, which is filled with clay or sand. In the walls of the pump there are holes for attaching the tile to the stove masonry with wire or pins.
This type of finishing has many advantages:
- The thermal cushion of the pump allows you to retain heat longer without additional heating;
- protection from burns and fire at home;
- reliable mechanical fastening will not allow the tiles to fall off;
- a beautiful front side will turn the stove from a heating device into a home decoration;
- The surface covered with enamel or glaze is easy to clean.
Tiles are not only a functional solution for cladding, but also a way to create a unique interior for your home.
So, finishing stoves and fireplaces with your own hands is not such a difficult process. If the sequence of work is followed and the correct choice of mixture for plastering and final finishing, such a structure can be turned into an original and unusual part of the interior.
Furnace painting
So, now you know how to plaster a stove so it doesn’t crack. Of course, after the applied solution has dried, its surface must also be whitened. It is best to use a milk-chalk mixture for this purpose. This whitewash tolerates temperature changes well and also does not get dirty. In order to prepare it, you just need to mix 1 kg of crushed chalk with 2 liters of milk. You can also paint the stove with regular lime. This finish will also not deteriorate due to high temperatures. In order for the lime to stick better to a hot surface, you can add a little table salt (35 g per 1 kg).
You cannot paint stoves and fireplaces using oil paint. The drying oil contained in such paints will begin to evaporate at high temperatures, and an unpleasant odor will appear in the room.
What are the features of mixtures for Terracotta stoves?
Construction heat-resistant mixtures have excellent technical characteristics. Branded packaging ensures safety, ease of transportation and storage. The mixtures are intended for use on objects of any size and level of complexity.
The quality and environmental friendliness of the products are confirmed by certificates and meet high Russian and international standards. The products are used for various surfaces exposed to heat, indoors or outdoors; heated floors, fireplaces, stoves, barbecues and more.
The line includes mixtures with heat resistance from 400 to 1780 degrees Celsius. All of them have excellent adhesion, are practical and easy to use, absolutely safe for people and the environment, and fireproof. To prepare the solution, the masonry mixture is diluted with a certain amount of water specified in the manufacturer’s recommendations. You can use a construction mixer to mix the mortar in large quantities. In small volumes, the solution can be easily prepared by hand.
Preparation of the solution
If you want to save money, make your own mortar for plastering stoves: the proportions and preparation technology are below.
Simple solution
Prepare a simple mixture like this: sift the sand, mix it with clay, pour it into a container, add water and stir with a mixer until creamy.
The proportions of clay and sand for plastering stoves depend on the fat content of the clay. If it is oily, add 3-4 parts of sand to one part. To determine the fat content of clay, put it in a bucket, pour in water and at the same time stir until creamy. Then scoop up a little with a board. If the clay covers it by 1 mm, it means it is not greasy. If it’s in a thick layer, it’s oily.
Conclusion
What is the best way to plaster a stove? No specialist can answer this question for you. Each stove maker has his own secrets and mortar compositions for plastering the surfaces of brick heaters at home.
You can make it from a mixture of clay and sand or knead a ready-made dry solution. This is a purely individual question. The main thing is to properly mix and apply a layer of plaster on the surface of the stoves.
Covering
The last layer of plaster is necessary in order to completely level the surface of the stove. The primer needs to be moistened quite generously before applying it. The solution in this case should be used even less thick than for the first two layers. The mixture should fill absolutely all cracks and irregularities remaining on the surface. The thickness of the covering layer can be from 2 to 5 mm. It is impossible to level the stove in planes with plaster. Ultimately, the total thickness of the finishing layer should be no more than 1-1.5 cm. When laying out brick stoves for your home with your own hands, this should be kept in mind. When performing this work, you should initially try to make the walls as even as possible.