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Do you live in the city but long to reside in the country? If so, consider adding a rustic rock fireplace to your home in order to mimic the look and feel of a country lodge. If you already have a fireplace, changing the appearance of it is relatively easy. You will need to remove the existing mantle first, so that there is a smooth surface to secure your rock fireplace. Installing a rock fireplace is like tiling a fireplace, only less precise. With a rock fireplace you are focused on fitting rocks of various sizes together to create a harmonious look, as opposed to ensuring that all the tile is level and that the space between each tile is exact.
When actually building your rock fireplace face, you use the same type of adhesive as with tile. If you are stacking the rock to look like it is dry stacked – with no mortar, you would want to ensure that each rock is placed as close together as possible with those surrounding it. Otherwise, like with tile, you would leave a space for grout to be added once the adhesive has dried and your rock fireplace front is secure. If you don’t have a fireplace, consider adding one. You can have a traditional fireplace; masonry built, or work with a builder to have one built entirely out of rock. Depending on the style of your home, this can add a tremendous amount of character to your home’s exterior. And, if you add a fireplace in a family room at the back of your home, you could consider making it two-sided. Then you would have a rock fireplace on your patio to enjoy – depending on the weather. Another consideration with a rock fireplace is the type of rock that you would like. A common look for rock fireplaces is river rock, which tends to be smooth and round, with a variety of colors to choose from. Also popular is a rock veener that is laid without mortar or a simulated limestone that does have mortar. While river rock evokes a rustic look and feel, rock veneer or simulated limestone, depending on the application, can work in anything from a modern to a traditional design. If you are really interested in installing a rock fireplace in your home, head to your local fireplace showroom to check out all the styles and finishes available. The staff will also be able to help you estimate how much a new fireplace will cost, as well as whether or not you will need a new fireplace insert. And, still another consideration is having a chimney sweep inspect your chimney before you install your rock fireplace, that way any repairs that are needed can be completed before installation.
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