Build a Fireplace, Brick by Brick

Traditionally, a Rumford fireplace is characterized by a tall, shallow firebox designed to reflect heat out into a room instead of letting it all go up the chimney with the smoke. In this execution, mason Mike Mehaffey maintains the aesthetic but adds depth to the firebox to meet code, while tapering the back wall inward to maximize heat reflection. Although the entire assembly will eventually be surround by 8 in. of solid masonry, the focus in this video is on the layout and erection of the visible, interior fire-brick layer of the firebox.
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[@joshd1253]

this is the one of the best tutorials I've seen. Great work, thanks for posting!

[@Ariel-xz8lg]

NOOOOO, it was just getting started! Where's the rest of the instructions?????? More!!! Fantastic video.

[@jacobsvideo96]

Didn't realize how much of an art laying brick actually is and this is just a fireplace I can only imagine the time and energy that goes into a brick building

[@johnpyle8027]

"Just" a fireplace? Or, "that looks so easy"! If I had a nickle for every time I heard that I wouldn't have had to lay brick! People are enthralled with it! When my wife and I built our first house in 1990. It had a brick front and two wood burning masonry fireplaces. About 9500 brick. My wife is a Pharmacist and a downright genius, literally! She followed my dad like a puppy because I kept chasing her off. My poor dad didn't get a break once. Question after question and yes "that just looks so easy" too! When the brick work was done we left one brick out of the upstairs hearth. My wife showed up for her entertainment and wanted to know why the brick was not in place. My dad said "well that's your brick"! You have been telling me how easy laying brick is so the last one is yours. Passing out pills can't be harder can it? I set down a mud board and a trowel. She fought it for 20 minutes and eventually was balling her eyes out with mortar up to her elbows and her manicure somewhere in the mud board! She said she was so sorry for the disrespect she had unknowingly shown us (my dad) and it really is an art and worth the price. Her mom was a farmers daughter and school teacher and she warned my wife all the time that it takes us ALL to make things work. Her friends all thought she married some ditch digging penniless grunt. They always got chewed out after that day for comments like that and made sure they knew I made way more than she and many of them did. Ignorance isn't a bad thing, just don't let yourself get so important you forget, we are equal.

[@adrianricker]

@@johnpyle8027 Good job. Everyone should learn to treat their wife like trash because she isn't fully informed about the "difficulties" of masonry. You're a fukn joke, bud. Hope your wife is getting some good D on the side.

[@adrianricker]

Honestly, it's incredibly easy. The hard work comes in the form of carrying bricks, cement, sand, pushing wheelbarrows, etc. Like any industry the hardest workers get paid the least because the work doesn't require thought. The laborers eventually learn to become thinking skilled tradesmen, absorb masterful knowledge, move up in the company, and the cycle continues.

[@Aaron_S]

well, that looks easy 😉😂

[@ckschnider]

Is there a part 2?

[@adammosz2442]

Great video, nicely explained. Thank you.Nice work

[@gabethomas6978]

Honestly, WOW!

[@tubemember21]

I'm having a fireplace rebuilt. I couldn't wrap my head around the prices that I was getting quoted. I'm glad I watched this video because now I understand what I'm paying for.

[@bradleyzum]

Masonry is definitely a craft. Takes a lot of knowledge and practice

[@ignistactus1108]

Chim Chim cher…whoo-hoo😳 almost fell 40’… I wish there were more people like my mentor and I; doing it while standing on one foot on your toes. Rule 1: don’t fall Rule 2: don’t try to save the other guy if he does(you both could fall).

[@gregkeeyako]

Wow. Did they reinforce the floor from the basement?

[@zawhtikehtike2069]

waiting for next parts.

[@ArturoNava-yn6ko]

Hi. Csn you help me with some tips , i want to build a fireplace my first time. I'am in México city its cold in winter time where i bought a little house. Thank you

[@charliegalanti8765]

Good job homie!! Dont over cut your angle cuts, you could be more precise on those otherwise Awesome job!!

[@nikond90]

More video of this process.

[@mastersamurai7683]

I was wondering why he cut the bricks to 45 degrees instead of to the exact angle it would meet

[@brikkijim]

Why are the corners not weaved only stacked? That is not a strong inside corner. This will eventually crack and with the massive over cut on the backside of closure may leak heat or into cavity behind firebox.

[@josemauriciogonzalez7835]

Kudos for the Video clip! Excuse me for chiming in, I am interested in your thoughts. Have you thought about - Panilliaan Immaterial Prevalence (do a search on google)? It is an awesome one off product for protecting your family from danger minus the hard work. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my coo-worker after a lifetime of fighting got cool results with it.

[@jasonweiss5037]

Burning down the house

[@kevingraves7431]

@@josemauriciogonzalez7835 Does that have ANYTHING to do with building a fireplace? No? I thought not.

[@russellallen5482]

You cannot weave the bricks because as you go up towards the top the courses will not line up due to the angle on the back wall. Fireboxes are always built with an inside cold joint and usually backed up behind the box that you cannot see. One more note is if you use refractory mortar or heat stop like your suppose to then it shouldn’t crack. I hope this helps

[@brikkijim]

@@russellallen5482 The joints will not line up perfectly but close enough. Sidewall joints should be pin tight which helps. I only use heat stop 40 for all my fireplaces. It is only good up to 1/4 though. Cuts need to be a little more accurate to be effective.

[@desenutz2012]

Approximately how much would this cost if I did it myself?

[@waskito3443]

I really wouldn't recommend it, my uncle was a general contractor for 50 years before retiring. He always did an outstanding job on everything except fireplaces. He built one in his house and it lasted 5 years before crumbling. He then built another one and 5 years later it crumbled again. The advice he gave me was to just for up some cash and hire someone as brick laying seems to be an actual art.

[@michaelcampbell9284]

Thanks for posting these to KZbin!

[@sitioteologico]

Hi. Thank you for a very informative video. What is the purpose for the metal ducts?

[@Wrtvrxgvcf55]

air intake

[@Wrtvrxgvcf55]

and plumbing

[@alexg468]

where can i find a similar damper? thank you to the one that answers.

[@christophermeyers1]

Absolutely artful! Amazing video!

[@zawhtikehtike2069]

Thank you I want to build in my house.

[@quantumofconscience6538]

This may be a great fireplace that works well here, but it is not a Rumford. Not even close.

[@brikkijim]

This is not a Rumford. Not even close. From the dimensions to the damper and not even to mention the lack of a throat. Kudos for spending time to film a conventional fireplace that's a little taller. If you would like to advice on how to build this with a little more ease and speedier contact me.

[@prezucha]

Hi James, how to contact you? Thanks! Want to build a traditional Rumford.

[@julianportella836]

Aqui no Brasil, no sul, faz muito frio, porém os construtores não sabem fazer ladeiras

[@bethpersons7134]

what a master!

[@swedensy]

Isn't this place gonna crack in few years? I learned for this job must use bricks with holes for expansion to occurre.

[@lancerudy9934]

Refactory motor how much per bag

[@svenamundsen7958]

What are those tubes along side of the brick work?

[@kdoll1795]

What type of mortar is used for the brick outside of the firebox? Is that called the facing? I have some mortar that is crumbling on the facing and want to repair it. Not sure if I use high heat or something else. What do you suggest?

[@progamar3988]

There is no option for smoke exciting, there should be extend a chimney above top of fire place with brickwork for better suction.

[@heroknaderi]

Very COol I might try it one day.

[@brikkijim]

The angled back does add to radiation of heat. A straight back as per Count Rumford designed is more efficient. Heat is radiated at 45 degrees. With a slanted back you are directing heat down into fire instead of straight into room.

[@ignistactus1108]

So if you lay down next to a bonfire you won’t get burned? Air behaves differently at varying temperatures. Ponder this term for a good long while: baffling

[@brikkijim]

@@ignistactus1108 A bonfire has no walls to direct heat in one direction. It will radiate in all directions. Not sure of what the point you are trying to make. I'd be happy to forward links explaining the mechanics of a Rumford fireplace and how it heats a room.

[@kevineberle8037]

I am dealing with a restoration of an old house and need an especially shallow fireplace. Local building codes require 20" deep BUT allow Rumsford fireplaces of only 12". So, that might be the route for me. From what I have read, I thought the defining characteristic of a Rumsfeld fireplace was an especially narrow throad between the top of the firebox and the bottom of the damper. Is that not right? Does the curved wall do that same thing here?

[@jackwillie2729]

Well done,,just was in a house here in central Florida, wood burning fore place had 3/8" of fire brick mortar between fire brick,,,no one cares about why 1/8" or less is important,,

[@metal422life]

Is Possible to add bricks to existing fireplace? The the top of the front opening on my fireplace is not low enough I don't think and it lets smoke into the house I believe with that lip was about two bricks lower it would be able to catch all the smoke and go up and out. It's quite a huge opening it's got no door it's very old school. is it possible to do this

[@Hearthman1159]

Combustible foam for expansion joints around those conduits (which are encroaching into the firebox 8" wall thickness)? Setting a lintel onto foam? Haven't heard of ceramic fiber insulation? It's non-combustible and used to wrap chimney liners for a 2,100F rating. Code allows for a 12" firebox depth on Rumford fireplaces-20" min. for non-Rumfords. Very poor cuts on those back corners. Almost no brick in corner. Not supposed to be wide mortar joints even if refractory mortar. Why not keep the backwall straight up and use a top mounted damper on a listed factory chimney? Terra cotta flue tile chimneys are archaic and obsolete. They should be banned now that we have listed liners and chimney. Glad to see he's laying thin joints as required by code. That CMU block must be fully grouted. sides should be bonded in with rear wall. He needs to take a class from Chris Prior to learn how to build a firebox.

[@Andrico77]

Nice thin joints. The way a fireplace should be built

[@finders-keepers1518]

Looks great but say it with me....Course! Not Row.

[@steveleach1064]

what are the dimensions of the slab, overall?

[@rudymireles6917]

how many layers of brick by the time he finished

[@JoaoAmadoTV]

2:40 what fire-resistant mortar do you use to mix? please

[@walterheublein5848]

Took off 2 much on the brick on the angle cut.

[@jesusvasquez6157]

Thank you. I hope you have more videos on the same topic

[@paulmcdonough9319]

thought you needed to use 4 inch solid blocks? thanks

[@TeutonGuy]

What are those pipes shooting up?

[@Geolaw1]

Awesome! The best fireplace building video on KZbin! We need the rest of the build though, or at least the finished product!

[@dooshakhaboosha2573]

Wouldn't it be easier to build it with metal then encase it with cement sheet etc ?

[@MichaelJanzen]

Anyone know why he cut the side bricks at a 45 instead of a shallower angle? It left a gap. Was it for expansion?

[@matthewmillham2025]

The 45 makes it a bit easier to trim the bricks to fit. If the angle were shallower, he'd have a bit more material to hack through. The gap gets filled with refractory mortar - by code it needs to be filled solid. No worries of expansion. There's no reason you can't cut the bricks at a different angle, but a 45 is easy to lay out with a speed square.

[@MichaelJanzen]

@@matthewmillham2025 Makes sense. Thanks!

[@brikkijim]

Because they did not measure. It's pretty simple to get a line and cut .

[@kylemate3682]

How can you get 8 inches of masonry around the fireplace with the pipes being there? Is it 8 inches including the brick thickness as they stated earlier in the video?

[@mastersamurai7683]

I'd say, yes

[@austinb194]

Is there a part 2?

[@lisawintler-cox1641]

Som in 2020, how much would this cost fo you think??

[@progamar3988]

Please give some more details

[@jonathanbrazeau970]

does the box go inside or outside of the house? If a fireplace is placed on an exterior wall, how would you butt the framing up to it?

[@russellallen5482]

You leave a 2 “ gap and sheet rock up to it . You need 2” for combustion

[@keiththompson2172]

Great video & narration & animations !

[@rachelstrahan2486]

👍

[@mmozbourne2094]

Terrible concrete work

[@inthedarkwoods2022]

This is not good work

[@Dork151]

This is absolutely half ass backwards compared to the way we do it.

[@calebattaway8931]

How do you do it?