Hanging Fireplaces Make a Big Hit

The hanging fireplace is making a big hit these days. I’m not sure when they first came out, but people want them more than ever now. The thing is that it is quite expensive to buy one or hire a contractor to build one.

When it comes to contemporary fireplace design, there are so many safe and inexpensive ways to keep up with the Jones’s. Plus if you’ve been following me for years, you know by now that I’m going to want you to do it yourself. So if a hanging fireplace sounds like something you would want in your living room or bedroom, let’s take a look at how you might build one for yourself.

Of course, we should first begin by talking about the structural issues that arise with a hanging fireplace. A hanging fireplace can be a great looking contemporary feature in your home. But, it can also be a hazard if it is not secure. Anyone with any logic would understand that a fire hanging in the middle of the room would have to be somewhat dangerous if the structure isn’t solid.

There are several suggestions I would make so that the fireplace is secure enough that it will never become a fire hazard in your home. The simplest form that I would suggest would be to suspend it with cables from the ceiling. But, you have to make sure that the cables are securely attached to the ceiling. This is one of those critical areas you can’t cheat.

Have you ever heard the one about the guy who had a 10,000 pound hitch ball, so he thought he could pull a trailer that weighed a few hundred pounds less than maximum capacity? When he pulled away to start pulling the trailer, his car left out of the parking lot just fine. But, he left the trailer behind along with his bumper and the hitch ball.

That’s the kind of mistake you don’t want to make when it comes to suspending your fireplace in mid-air. So, make sure you have industrial strength materials. A plant holder and a piece of string aren’t going to work. If you look in any hardware store, you’ll find strong hangers and cables that you can use.

Screw the hangers into ceiling beams that support the structure of your ceiling. Hang a shelf with the cables. Simply drill a hole in each of the corners so that you can run your cable through. The best way I have found to do this is to create an eyelet on one end of the cable by forming a loop at the end and then crimping it with a fastener. Hook that end to your hanger. Then run the cable through one corner of the shelf and through the adjacent corner as well. Form another eyelet on the other end of your cable and run that to the ceiling. Perform those same steps for the other two adjacent corners and you have yourself a sturdy shelf that will safely hold your fireplace.

Of course, there are a few extra steps you are going to have to take. First of all, when you are sure that your shelf is perfectly level both front to back and side to side, you are going to want to secure the cable at each of the corners. Otherwise, your fireplace could take a chance on being tipped over onto the floor. You can place fasteners on the bottom of the shelf at each corner that will hold the cable in place. Or you can fasten the cables together where they meet in the middle. Either way works perfectly fine.

Now, all you need are your fireplace inserts, ceramic logs and Sunjel fuel to enjoy a fireplace that is suspended in mid-air. The hanging fireplace is a unique idea that has many solutions if you use your imagination. So, have some fun with it and make sure you keep your home safe at all times.