How To Beautify An Ugly Surround

[Ralphie Boy]

Please help bring peace and harmony back to my home My wife loves the heat and no propane bills but she hates the way it looks. Have any of you talented folks been able to come up with a way to make these plain "black holes" more eye appealing? I've given consideration to attaching/gluing "cultured" stone on the surround so it looks like it was nicely dry stacked and the surround can still be removed as needed. Only an idea at this point as I have no idea how or if it can work. (Buck 80) Thanks Team!!

 

[KaptJaq]

We have decorated some plain surrounds with ornamental castings we have found in specialty home stores like restoration hardware, antique shops, pier one imports, etc...

Some examples of what is around...



Often they are in symmetric &/or asymmetric sets.

It may take a while to find what you like that will fit on your surround but they are out there...

KaptJaq

 

[coldkiwi]

By the looks of you install you may be able to cut down the surround and highlight the stove not the surround

 

[Pallet Pete]

How does it look without the surround ? I have seen a few installs that look great without the surround !

Pete

 

[mellow]

::Off topic::
You need to either plug that hole for the cat probe or put a cat probe in it.
(broken link removed to http://www.condar.com/cat_meters_woodstoves.html)

 

[Pallet Pete]

::Off topic::
You need to either plug that hole for the cat probe or put a cat probe in it.
(broken link removed to http://www.condar.com/cat_meters_woodstoves.html)

That looks like the install pic the inside is spotless.

Pete

 

[Ralphie Boy]

You need to either plug that hole for the cat probe or put a cat probe in it.

The probe is in there. The picture was taken before the probe was unpacked.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

you may be able to cut down the surround

That's "Plan B." which may soon turn to "Plan A".

 

[mellow]

Paint the inside of the fireplace with hi-temp black paint and go surround less.

 

[rideau]

You could likely tile the surround - dutch tiles? Plain with the occasional painted one? Of Plain tiles with occasional fruit? I've seen some beautiful tiles.

 

[Wade A.]

Me-my-own- personal-self? Brick + stone = mud fence. I think ornamental iron decorations or removing the surrond is the way to go. If you check flea markets and antique shops you'll occasionally see ornamental cast iron sections of porch support columns...open work oak leaf clusters were very popular at one time. They come in about 6" sections. I've got several of them I've hung on the wall at the house. I can't think of a more appropriate decoration, or some other sylvan theme.

 

[mellow]

See if you can make the Vermont Castings Montpelier surround work on your Buck.

(broken image removed)

 

[Tom Cat]

We have decorated some plain surrounds with ornamental castings we have found in specialty home stores like restoration hardware, antique shops, pier one imports, etc...

Some examples of what is around...

View attachment 96859 View attachment 96860 View attachment 96861

Often they are in symmetric &/or asymmetric sets.

It may take a while to find what you like that will fit on your surround but they are out there...

KaptJaq

I like the ornamantal castings.The trim also helps somewhat. I really don't like the large expanse of flat black and part of my insert selection is finding inserts with minimal surrounds.

tom

 

[ColdNH]

This is why i went with a freestanding stove inside my fireplace. I hate that big sheet of black sheet metal around the insert. One idea that I think would be good looking would be to completly reface the hearth and sheet metal area with that thin stone or brick, but you would have to research that more.

 

[Ehouse]

The problem with cultured stone is, well, it looks like cultured stone, especially if you're close to it. The only "fake stone" veneer that I've seen that I like is to use retired roofing slates cut with a slate cutter (leaving rough edges) into rectangles imitating a coursed ashlar pattern. Stick 'em on with a 3/8 space between and grout 'em in. If you have a corner, mix a little mortar the same color or a bit darker than the slates and butt two pieces with the mortar for fill. burnish with a piece of pipe when dry. You'll never know it's not a cut block. I agree with a nice tile job also.

 

[Dix]

We tiled around the insert over the brick. Still plan on metal grates for the "still working" heatalator vents, but for now....

 

[WoodpileOCD]

I had the same utilitarian black surround with my Buck. Decided to go without. I like the way it looks better and I'm convinced I get more heat out of the whole setup.

 

[rideau]

I had the same utilitarian black surround with my Buck. Decided to go without. I like the way it looks better and I'm convinced I get more heat out of the whole setup.

I like the way it looks without the surround much more than with the plain surround.

 

[dafattkidd]

Napoleon sells an add on cast iron decorative surround for this purpose. I don't know if it can work with your insert. Its may be worth looking into.

 

[69911e]

You could use 3 pieces of thin marble or granite and have trim around the perimeter to secure replacing the existing surround. If you are willing to pick through leftovers from a larger job, it does not cost more than nice cultured.

 

[ScotO]

maybe frame around your insert with metal studs, put up some durock board, and do a natural stone veneer over the whole face of your fireplace........I'll walk you through the stonework, Ralphie. I've done a little bit of it......

 

[Dix]

What's in the vent holes. Scotty?

 

[ScotO]

What's in the vent holes. Scotty?

Dix, they are there to ventilate the chase that surrounds the ZC fireplace.....
It gets humid here in central PA during the summer months, and I wanted to be able to balance out that chase with the rest of that room, to keep from ever having mold issues......

There are three vents (one on either side of the fireplace, and one at the top) all made from flagstone. When the fireplace is burning, you can feel the convection working in those vents.....

 

[Dix]

Hmmm, wonder if I could finish of m reface with that idea... vents are already surrounding the FP box.

 

[ScotO]

Hmmm, wonder if I could finish of m reface with that idea... vents are already surrounding the FP box.

I just put some pics on my last post, I'm sure you could do that with yours. You could do tile or even a marble vent. Yours looks very nice, BTW!