I owned a fireplace store for 38 years. For never laying block or stone before you did a very good job. We both know how much $$$$ you saved by doing it yourself. The rest of the people kept me in business. My son now owns the store carrying on the next generation.👍🏻
It's nice to hear a positive comment, especially when I had no idea what I was doing, even if I have built large stuff before. There can be a lot of "haters" on here so thank you for your comment.
Thank you for making this video! I've purchased a plan from the same vendor, but haven't jumped into building it yet. I'm hoping 2023 will see me build my new fireplace.
We installed veneer stone on our homes foundation blocks about 7 years ago. The blocks had been painted so I hired a sandblasting outfit to blast the paint from the blocks. We then used type S mortar and began laying the stone. The funny thing is you can actually start at the top and go down if you so desire . Its recommended to wet the block first to keep the block from sucking all the moisture from the mortar. It has been 7 years and no problems so far.. I consulted with a professional installer and he said no scratch coat was required.
Great video Will. Now that its built, and has been enjoyed for a few months, would you care to comment on what you may have done different or would add if you built one tomorrow? There has been a lot of people comment and have been interested in your video. Once again, great job and thank you in advance for any comments you would be willing to share.
Awesome comment and question. I asked my wife this same question. We both agreed that the mantle needs to be updated or changed. She would like to be able to add more decorations to it. Also she said a wider hearth for the same reason. Other than that we really enjoy the space and the fireplace.
@@WillMosbey Thanks for the response. Going off your design, my thoughts was building wood boxes on each side and extending the hearth in that fashion. Glad to hear you guys are still enjoying it. Thank you
Awesome. I think our next big home project will be to extend our travertine patio left of the fireplace and install an outdoor kitchen area. But we have to wait until the temperature is cooler. It's too dang hot right now.
You’re gonna eventually have issues with the block separating due to the heat from the fire - even with the fire brick, the block will heat up if you don’t use an insulated insert or physically insulate between the block and the fire box that you build out. This eventually will affect the veneer stone and cause it to pull off or even crack through. Also the lintel that you built out will have issues since the steel will expand whenever you run a fire, and then it will contract, etc. So what you have to do is protect the steel from the heat as well.
Great video! Probably the best I’ve found on this topic. I’m in the early planning stages of a DIY outdoor fireplace & pavilion project. Planning to permit everything but anxious about all the red tape. Can you elaborate on why the inspector refused to permit yours as wood-burning? I’d like to try and anticipate any objections they may have. (I assume it may have been an issue with standoff distance from the main dwelling or the fact that it touches your pavilion?) The only major difference in my plan is that I’m going to purchase a pre-engineered outdoor fireplace unit (FireRock or Isokern) and build it out to my dimensions with block. My pavilion will also be a separate structure, not attached to the house. Also might use double insulated metal flue inside the chimney as an extra safety measure.
Few tip for your next one but first of excellent work it is beautiful and better the most masons can do these days. The back wall of fire brick is should lean in a bit to “roll smoke”, I would of tan a course of fire brick underneath the bond beam, if not installing a damper which isn’t necessary for outdoor fireplace it’s nice to make a smoke self for a negative draft moment but everything else is perfection!!
Beautiful fireplace that looks professionally built. Thanks for sharing the source of the plans you used. I was not sure I understood that you were permitted the fireplace by the inspector if you kept it as a gas burning fireplace? or, would you have been allowed it as a wood burning fireplace had you sought the permit prior to the build? and now that a year has passed since completion of the fireplace, would you do anything different had you to do it all over again?
I finished it without the inspector's blessing. I use it as a gas starter but once the logs are burning I turn the gas off and it's wood burning. Wouldn't change a thing. We love the fireplace and use it all the time. Our space is large so I have a couple of propane heaters as well.
Great video Will, I am just in the process of starting one myself and basing this on your template, with a few minor alterations mentioned in the comments section. Thank you for posting
Great video!! I also spoke to the fireplace plans vendor and he was great to work with! I have not started yet but hopefully sometime in 2023/4. Only item I wished you showed was how you ran the electric and cable for the TV.
I used 100 ft of standard landscape lighting cable and ran it from the front of my house where the transformer is all the way to the back of the house where the fireplace is. Before putting on the hearth top stones I drilled a hole for the wire. The lights themselves had enough cord that I could tap directly onto that wire using yellow landscaping t-taps. All in all a fairly easy process and the great thing is everything still works today no issues.
@@thelaundryroomteam-orlando2051 had an electrician run conduit and mount a GFCI exterior box on the back side of the pergola. I ended up moving the TV but that outlet runs my led lights and string lights.
@@WillMosbey I couldn’t see conduit or a gfci anywhere in your video. Can you post a picture of it? I did the fireplace already and now want to mount a tv and need to add power so curious the best way to do this
Great job! Question about the firebrick - did you mortar between each brick or just put a thick base layer on the bottom and laid out the fire bricks snugly? Also, did you put firebrick on the ceiling of the firebox? Thanks!!
I'm considering doing something like this, but the biggest hurdle would be the permitting/inspector. Not sure if i want to open that can of worms, especially here in CA lol
I noticed that you had no rebar set in the foundation and running through the cider blocks and no concrete poured in with the exception of the row above the front lintel. Does this build satisfy your local building codes? I thought rebar would be needed through the blocks and connected to the foundation, in a similar manner that you build a column or a wall. Looks great but not too sure about its stability.
I built this in 2019 when we moved into this house. I believe the total was around $4k. BTW we use it all the time. Just used it Friday night while we sat outside and watched Fargo.
You guys did a great job. It doesn’t look so scary anymore to attempt to build one for our house. Question, if you had to build it all over again, would you still use cinderblocks or would you use solid rock blocks like similar to a rumble stone product? Just curious because I’m debating between the two. Not sure which would be better.
I think since I now have experience with cinder blocks I would probably go with that again and do a better job with the mortar. The stability is very good. It does make you appreciate the professionals and how good they are. Thanks for the comment.
Sorry but it's like finger nails on a chalk board. They are concrete block not cinder block. They stopped using cinders in block for filler in the mid to late 60s. But I do need to complement you on the work. For not ever doing it before it turned out like a pro did it. Well done.
Will. Great job. Thx for the video. I’m in Charlotte too and I was just curious why the inspector would not give you a permit for a wood burning fireplace? I’d like to burn wood in mine and was hoping to avoid whatever caused the denial. Could you elaborate? Thx
Actually we get a lot of heat out of the front of the fireplace but I also added two propane heaters that are about 12 ft away from the fireplace that covers the rest of the seating area. What we've done recently is added two roll down screens that help keep the heat in. It's actually pretty cozy in there even on cold nights.
@@WillMosbey I purchased some fireplace building books but are vague. You have a lot of details in your video that covered gaps in the books. Thank you 🙏🏻
In the Charlotte area. There's a piece of flashing with construction sealant between the fireplace and the pergola. Plus when the TV is not in use I have a waterproof cover over it.
Hi will Fantastic job I about to start my but I want to have it open on both side so do you just repeat the same thing on both side ? Thank you very helpful video
How did you run the wiring for the TV? Just bought some plans from Dan and not sure how this is done. Along the side under the masonry and over the mantle?
I meant to shoot a video showing this. But basically we tapped in to one of the exterior outlets and ran the romex through conduit along the side and over the top of the pergola (where you can't see the conduit) over to the fireplace. Then mounted another waterproof GFCI box on the last cross member of the pergola. I've since moved the TV under my overhang on the original patio. I got tired of putting on and taking off the TV cover. :)
I’ve followed your video and Dans plans. Wondering about the angle iron and does your fire heat it up causing it to expand? How did you protect against this? Also, is the firebrick on the floor of the firebox 1 1/4” or 2 & 1/2”?
@@KPuckett34 no issues that I can tell. Everything is still just how we originally built it almost 5 years ago now. Except for a few veneer stones that have come off.
Also your rock would have stuck better without using a scratch coat, if it's above 80 have a sponge and and wet the block in the area you are working, or mix a little thin set in with it, the biggest problem diyers have is they over use their mortar only mix what you can use within two shake ups once it gets shook up too many times it is no longer viable for sticking your rock on
Thanks for the advice. We were definitely novices when it came to this project. We ended up using our water hose with a fine mist adapter to just wet the area and the rock. This helped a lot. Mixing mortar is a fine art for sure.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing. I’d like to do something similar but have a two story fireplace (one for lower patio, one for elevated deck). Do you think that could work?
I've had countless fires in it since I built it and we've not had a problem with cinder blocks at all. The firebrick can definitely handle the heat. We've only had a few decorative stone disconnect from the mortar.
Ok. I don't see any masons commenting here so I'm going to be that guy. I get that it's common for different parts of the country to do things differently but a subgrade footing and a foundation below grade are so important in a fireplace build. Also important are that the rebar are embedded into the concrete. Either by setting them in the wet cement before it cures or by drilling, cleaning the holes of dust, injecting specific epoxy in to them, then inserting the rebar. This transfers the load to the footing. Otherwise you're just relying on the bond of the concrete and mortar. Please don't confuse bond with being tied in. A rebar that is embedded in the concrete and grouted in the place in the block is tying the block to the footing and transferring load to the ground making this a much more rigid structure. The head joints, vertical joints between the block, should be mortared and pressed into the adjacent block. This creates bond and rigidity in the over all structure as well as resisting water intrusion. There is so many voids in this fire place when it rains there is so much opportunity for water to get in and just sit. That is very bad for masonry. This is compounded by the courses of solid 2" or 3" block that are laid across entire courses. These interrupt any load transfer to the ground and collect water. Crossing the firebox with angle iron vs a precast concrete lintel put two materials with very different reactions to heat in very close proximity to the fire. Angle Iron reacts very differently to heat than cement with rebar in it. Also it's going to rust... One thing that I learned very early when laying block is that you shouldn't lay a block wall with the head joints lined up with the unit under it without having some horizontal joint reinforcement in every course this happens. There isn't any here. These are weak points in a structure that has a lot of expansion and contraction going on. The scratch coat had so many void where there were no head joints in the block that there is definitely going to be water getting in that fireplace in every section. Movement and water intrusion are the biggest issues here. I'm all about doing stuff myself. RUclips has taught me so many things in my trade and many others that has saved me time and money. Not to mention given me a reason to buy a tool. But one thing I've learned from trial and error is that you absolutely should learn how to do it right. Doing it yourself means that you've learned to do something yourself, not learning to take a shortcut to get the thing that looks like the thing you want. Learning to something incorrectly or thinking you're going to save yourself some time will end up with you having a decent looking product for a while but at some point things will go south. I can guarantee that the stone will start to pop off or crack because the block are shifting in the heat if the one's over the firebox on top of the angle iron haven't already. Block laying is not complicated to start with and it is just as easy/hard to do it wrong as it is to do it right. Doing it DIY is going to be slow and tedious and you will not do it as fast as someone who knows what they're doing so you may as well as use that time to do it to the best of your abilities.
@@WillMosbey It looks beautiful. I’ve been thinking about building a fireplace outside our 2019 build Dallas, Texas home, but I’m too afraid of the craziness the inspectors would entangle into the project. I’ve already had one inspector make us take down a fence in an area that our survey showed had no easements. After I showed her, she went back to a water-logged ancient plat from when the city first added the area that wasn’t available to the public, but when you squint and have your leg tied behind your back while upside down, that plat somewhat showed an easement there, though there was no official stamp of approval by the city council. For Dallas, however, that was proof enough my fence had to go. Best of luck with your city. Let’s hope I can have as good of a time with ours.
That was a thing coat of mortar called a scratch coat. You need the blocks to be pretty wet so the thin coat will stick. Then just run a trowel over it to give it grooves. Let it dry. Then you can apply your stone veneer.
No I did not. I spoke with the guy who sold me his plans and he said it didn't need it or require it. However if you are having it inspected I would check with your county. If you are DIY then everything should work fine without lining it.
Oh gosh. It's been so long since I did this project. For the firebrick I know we only used two. For the cinder block we used I believe something like 35.
Hey Will. Thanks for the video. Very informative. In the middle of my own build right now, same as your's plus wood storage boxes on either side. Couple of questions if you don't mind. Have you had any issues with not having a flue liner? Cinder blocks crumbling from the heat etc? Also, any problems with the fireplace pad shifting or cracking feom the weight? Thanks!
No problems at all with the flue. Fire brick is still looking good. Just a few exterior veneer stones have fallen. Foundation is still perfect. I probably should have gone wider overall but it's holding up fine.
Great video and build! I'm considering buying the same plans from Dan. I will reference your video because i think I need exactly the same edits to his standard plans. Would you mind sharing how much sq.ft of veneer stone you used or ordered?
I had to go find the receipt. It was 120 sqft of stone. And 15 linear feet of corner stone. Plus another 15sqft of stone. It was two pallets of stone. And we didn't quite use it all. Total price $2600 includes tax.
Love this. I may have to get a pro to do my footers but stacking might be simpler (harder work) but simpler for me. I'm in NC, is the code really that strict pertaining to adjacent structures? (Sand hills)
Kinda, where you stepped your block in, the shoulder, is that flat? Or do you have a small pitch to keep water from sitting there. Mortar is porous Andover time can leak I think. But I'm glad I saw your video I have the exact same project coming up.
Nice Will. Question - Why was wood burner not approved? Wondering if that's just local code near covered patio, or something with the fireplace construction they didn't like.
He said the flue was not approved so I would have had to go with straight gas. Also I would have to stop at the height I was at. Non of which I did and everything works perfectly.
@@WillMosbey my neighbor did this exact same thing and found out the hard way. He put in for the permit, ignored the inspector’s comments, and didn’t bother to call for a final inspection. A YEAR later the county called him and said that an inspector would be stopping by to close out the permit. When he arrived and saw the wooden fireplace near the house, he failed the inspection. Ultimately my neighbor was forced to redo the fireplace and convert it to gas.
@@WillMosbey That is great, almost the exact height I'm aiming for. I noticed you didn't use a clay flue like many other builders do. What is the reasoning behind that?
@@matthewcausey9908 I asked that question to the guy 8 bought the plans from. He said it didn't need it. He was right. It has performed perfectly. I actually could have gone either way.
@@WillMosbeyGreat video! I bought plans from Dan as well. My fireplace will be smaller though. I have the rough build complete, ready for the veneer. The veneer I am looking at calls for the mesh sheeting to be installed first. Did your veneer suggest that? Again, thanks for the great video!
Hey you did a great job. I was going to ask the same thing but decided to look through the comments first. So did you fill the base with grout before laying the caps where the fire brick sit? Thanks in advance
Can you tell me how much material you needed for your project. How much of a footer did you go with on concrete? I just want a rough estimate on material. Mainly the cinder blocks and stone .
@@krishelms4135 I think it was 34 bags of 60 lb cement for the footer. The footer was a foot deep. And we reinforced with rebar. I believe there were close to 650 cinder block. And there were six pallets of old world ledge stone.
I believe the level that you are on is where the flue is made and you are just repeating those 2 levels over and over until you get to your desired height than you will close in and create the chimney.
Close to $4500 total. $1000 was for the gas line alone. The Coronado stone was probably the biggest expense. And I believe approximately $800 in cinder blocks and cap blocks.
Funny not to have Footage of you guys actually working on the project. Did you actually do it or did you hire somebody else to do it and you just did a summary of their work?
@@WillMosbey It helps a lot. You learn a lot by watching people do the thing rather than telling you how is done. it gives you an idea about time, technique, space, energy and how to lay your materials, especially for new home owners who are inexperienced. Some people are practical learners. Also It is important for people to see you did the thing to know how DIY the project really was. I could hire someone to build something. Later, I make a RUclips Video to claim I did it all by myself. I only take a few pictures of me messing around with Bricks and wires and I put In the video, so people can see I did something as I explain how everything is done. The viewer can't know if I did it myself, so they believe the Project is actually doable when in reality I had 4 people Building the thing and I just did this and that. You can speed up the video, so people can actually see you did it. ruclips.net/video/F_QVC0MS-Zo/видео.html
Why on earth would they requie a permit to build something not actually attached to your house, just another way to tax you? Im curious as to why you chose not to slope the walls of the firebox to reflect the heat forward vs. straight up the chimney and why you omitted the smoke shelf. Ive also never seen block layed without buttering the vertical joints, water will find it's way. Not trying to be critical, but that's the problem with so many of these fireplace designs. Shortcuts only save money in the short term. It's pretty.
I agree on everything you said now that I've built one. I would go with a smaller firebox and angled the back. It still produces good heat like it is however. But smaller would be better. And I definitely don't intend to be a mason. 🤪🤪
I don't know man, there is so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. Hopefully you won't have issues down the line but that would be a miracle if you didn't
@@danpierce7 Create a proper smoke chamber and use clay flue liners. Also makes absolutely no sense in not creating the firebox before running the structure up. Firebox should have been built once he got to angle iron height with the smoke chamber started at the top of the firebox. Using cored masonry units for the smoke chamber and a flue is a big no no. I can see a chimney fire in this fireplaces' future. For reference I have been a mason contractor for 45 years and have built probably over 500 fireplaces in that time
Amazing work!! hey, this is from Family handyman. We are really interested in your videos and want to partner with you. Please contact us back so we can discuss more. Thank you
Great job Will. I’m definitely buying the plans. Just out of curiosity, if you don’t mind. What did it cost you roughly to complete the fireplace? Thanks again and keep it going!
Close to $4500. The biggest expense was the Coronado stone. Also we ran a gas line too which was close to $1k by itself. Cinder blocks and cap blocks came to just around $850.
Did you have to install a flow for the smoke to come out and prevent the blocks from cracking due to heat? And approximately how many boxes of stone did you use for the project
Hello, great video and great job on the fireplace! I just wanted to ask how the fireplace does with regards to drawing in the smoke and fumes from the fire, and how much smoke do you see exiting the chimney? would this gas out neighbors if they were close by (I know this isn't a concern for you) or does it do a decent job of keeping the smoke down and drawing it up and away from your guests? Thanks for any insight, I am thinking about taking the plunge on this project.
@@eric6545645654 once the fire gets going pretty good and is generating heat all the smoke goes up and out of the chimney. Nothing comes out of the front other than heat.
As a life long builder I have no love for building inspectors and permits. Having said that I recognize the purpose they serve;they save the next owner from buying something that is poorly built and getting shafted 9:39
Small world, I am also a chiropractor here in NC (Outside of Raleigh), and this is exactly what I am wanting to do to my pergola. Thanks for all your hard work sharing this and giving me the confidence to do it as well!
I owned a fireplace store for 38 years. For never laying block or stone before you did a very good job. We both know how much $$$$ you saved by doing it yourself. The rest of the people kept me in business. My son now owns the store carrying on the next generation.👍🏻
It's nice to hear a positive comment, especially when I had no idea what I was doing, even if I have built large stuff before. There can be a lot of "haters" on here so thank you for your comment.
Fantastic job! Looking forward to watching this another 50 times as I do my own!
@@Pocketsfullofcomics Awesome good luck with it! Fun project.
This video has given me so much confidence! Going to tackle a project soon! Great job!
That's awesome!
Thank you for making this video! I've purchased a plan from the same vendor, but haven't jumped into building it yet. I'm hoping 2023 will see me build my new fireplace.
Outstanding! Wish there was a way to share it back here when you finish.
Plan on doing myself and buying from Dan.
Thanks for the video.
We installed veneer stone on our homes foundation blocks about 7 years ago. The blocks had been painted so I hired a sandblasting outfit to blast the paint from the blocks. We then used type S mortar and began laying the stone. The funny thing is you can actually start at the top and go down if you so desire . Its recommended to wet the block first to keep the block from sucking all the moisture from the mortar. It has been 7 years and no problems so far.. I consulted with a professional installer and he said no scratch coat was required.
Nice job! Looks good. You & wife did a really good job!
Wow, super inspiring!!!
Thank you!!! 👏👏
Wonderful!
That been came out so nice!
Thank you. It's getting close to fireplace season again too. Looking forward to it.
Beautiful Will!!
Hey thanks Kenny! Hope all is well with you!
Bro! That looks amazing! Well done and thank you for posting this!
Thanks Rob.
Looks great. Good job
Great video Will. Now that its built, and has been enjoyed for a few months, would you care to comment on what you may have done different or would add if you built one tomorrow? There has been a lot of people comment and have been interested in your video. Once again, great job and thank you in advance for any comments you would be willing to share.
Awesome comment and question. I asked my wife this same question. We both agreed that the mantle needs to be updated or changed. She would like to be able to add more decorations to it. Also she said a wider hearth for the same reason. Other than that we really enjoy the space and the fireplace.
@@WillMosbey Thanks for the response. Going off your design, my thoughts was building wood boxes on each side and extending the hearth in that fashion. Glad to hear you guys are still enjoying it. Thank you
Excellent job
Nice build……it’s going to take me much longer than twenty minutes though
Very nice! Well done! I'm really digging the pergola too.
Hahaha F- the inspector!
Hi
Had a quirey on how did you seal off the fire box, inside where the angle iron supports the open cinder blocks thank you.
Perhaps the most important thing you said is that your wife's your buddy . The rest is relatively easy !
Amen to that!
wow looks great I might try this ...t
Awesome video. Just the motivation I needed. Thanks for sharing
Awesome. I think our next big home project will be to extend our travertine patio left of the fireplace and install an outdoor kitchen area. But we have to wait until the temperature is cooler. It's too dang hot right now.
Just seen your video. 👍👍👍👍👍Love it I’m going to start my fire place now. You did a beautiful fire place. Thanks for the video. 👍👍
Thank you so much for your comment. A lot of work but well worth it in the end and we love hanging out on our patio.
@@WillMosbey The time you spent on your fireplace, it was worth it 👍👍
You’re gonna eventually have issues with the block separating due to the heat from the fire - even with the fire brick, the block will heat up if you don’t use an insulated insert or physically insulate between the block and the fire box that you build out. This eventually will affect the veneer stone and cause it to pull off or even crack through. Also the lintel that you built out will have issues since the steel will expand whenever you run a fire, and then it will contract, etc. So what you have to do is protect the steel from the heat as well.
Great video! Probably the best I’ve found on this topic.
I’m in the early planning stages of a DIY outdoor fireplace & pavilion project. Planning to permit everything but anxious about all the red tape. Can you elaborate on why the inspector refused to permit yours as wood-burning? I’d like to try and anticipate any objections they may have.
(I assume it may have been an issue with standoff distance from the main dwelling or the fact that it touches your pavilion?)
The only major difference in my plan is that I’m going to purchase a pre-engineered outdoor fireplace unit (FireRock or Isokern) and build it out to my dimensions with block. My pavilion will also be a separate structure, not attached to the house. Also might use double insulated metal flue inside the chimney as an extra safety measure.
Few tip for your next one but first of excellent work it is beautiful and better the most masons can do these days.
The back wall of fire brick is should lean in a bit to “roll smoke”, I would of tan a course of fire brick underneath the bond beam, if not installing a damper which isn’t necessary for outdoor fireplace it’s nice to make a smoke self for a negative draft moment but everything else is perfection!!
You should start using Geo polymer concrete cinder blocks you can make them you're self
Beautiful fireplace that looks professionally built. Thanks for sharing the source of the plans you used. I was not sure I understood that you were permitted the fireplace by the inspector if you kept it as a gas burning fireplace? or, would you have been allowed it as a wood burning fireplace had you sought the permit prior to the build? and now that a year has passed since completion of the fireplace, would you do anything different had you to do it all over again?
I finished it without the inspector's blessing. I use it as a gas starter but once the logs are burning I turn the gas off and it's wood burning. Wouldn't change a thing. We love the fireplace and use it all the time. Our space is large so I have a couple of propane heaters as well.
Great video Will, I am just in the process of starting one myself and basing this on your template, with a few minor alterations mentioned in the comments section. Thank you for posting
Thank you for the kind words. Let me know how it goes or if you have questions.
Great video!! I also spoke to the fireplace plans vendor and he was great to work with! I have not started yet but hopefully sometime in 2023/4. Only item I wished you showed was how you ran the electric and cable for the TV.
I used 100 ft of standard landscape lighting cable and ran it from the front of my house where the transformer is all the way to the back of the house where the fireplace is. Before putting on the hearth top stones I drilled a hole for the wire. The lights themselves had enough cord that I could tap directly onto that wire using yellow landscaping t-taps. All in all a fairly easy process and the great thing is everything still works today no issues.
@@WillMosbey What about the electrical power for the TV (not the landscape lights)?
@@thelaundryroomteam-orlando2051 had an electrician run conduit and mount a GFCI exterior box on the back side of the pergola. I ended up moving the TV but that outlet runs my led lights and string lights.
@@WillMosbey I couldn’t see conduit or a gfci anywhere in your video. Can you post a picture of it? I did the fireplace already and now want to mount a tv and need to add power so curious the best way to do this
And why did you move the tv?
No mortar between blocks?
Great job! Question about the firebrick - did you mortar between each brick or just put a thick base layer on the bottom and laid out the fire bricks snugly? Also, did you put firebrick on the ceiling of the firebox? Thanks!!
How did you install the flashing?
Looks great, what’s the total width of your fireplace and your patio?
It's called a bond beam above the front opening.
And the metal angles are called lintels.
I'm considering doing something like this, but the biggest hurdle would be the permitting/inspector. Not sure if i want to open that can of worms, especially here in CA lol
Yeah not sure how they are in Cali but I can just imagine!
How deep was your footer of concrete?
@@ryangreen4246 12 inches
That may have been over kill.
Awesome build. I plan on doing something similar to this. Just curious what are the dimensions for your pergola?
I noticed that you had no rebar set in the foundation and running through the cider blocks and no concrete poured in with the exception of the row above the front lintel. Does this build satisfy your local building codes? I thought rebar would be needed through the blocks and connected to the foundation, in a similar manner that you build a column or a wall. Looks great but not too sure about its stability.
It does. Rebar is meant to be embedded into the footing. Without it load transfer does not occur, it's just gravity and friction holding it in place.
What was the cost around -great job btw love it planning on doing something smaller but great info my man
I built this in 2019 when we moved into this house. I believe the total was around $4k. BTW we use it all the time. Just used it Friday night while we sat outside and watched Fargo.
Do you recall how much it was to do the stone veneer?
@@KPuckett34 man that was so long ago. I have no idea. Sorry not much help.
You guys did a great job. It doesn’t look so scary anymore to attempt to build one for our house. Question, if you had to build it all over again, would you still use cinderblocks or would you use solid rock blocks like similar to a rumble stone product? Just curious because I’m debating between the two. Not sure which would be better.
I think since I now have experience with cinder blocks I would probably go with that again and do a better job with the mortar. The stability is very good.
It does make you appreciate the professionals and how good they are.
Thanks for the comment.
Would you be willing the design paper work and material list
Sorry but it's like finger nails on a chalk board. They are concrete block not cinder block. They stopped using cinders in block for filler in the mid to late 60s.
But I do need to complement you on the work. For not ever doing it before it turned out like a pro did it. Well done.
How did you mount the TV on the stone? Looking for tip for my fireplace, around 42" or 55" tv. Thanks
Will. Great job. Thx for the video. I’m in Charlotte too and I was just curious why the inspector would not give you a permit for a wood burning fireplace? I’d like to burn wood in mine and was hoping to avoid whatever caused the denial. Could you elaborate? Thx
How much warmth area do you get from the fireplace?? Thanks looks amazing
Actually we get a lot of heat out of the front of the fireplace but I also added two propane heaters that are about 12 ft away from the fireplace that covers the rest of the seating area. What we've done recently is added two roll down screens that help keep the heat in. It's actually pretty cozy in there even on cold nights.
Look professional and sharp! Great 👍🏻 job
Thank you. For a guy who had never done any masonry work before we are real happy with how it came out.
@@WillMosbey I purchased some fireplace building books but are vague. You have a lot of details in your video that covered gaps in the books. Thank you 🙏🏻
@@georgepanagos5537 yeah that's what I was running into as well. I would look at backyard flare. Dan was super helpful. And of course ask me too.
Great job thank you for sharing. Did you compact the base?
Yes but the soil here at least in our area is all red clay. Toughest crap and really tough on yards. Only thing that grows is weeds and Bermuda. Haha
Looks good. I noticed that you didn't have a smoke shelf. How does it work for a draw up through? Does the smoke come back out of the front any?
Rarely does smoke come out of the front. Once a fire is going it never comes out of the front even on a windy day/night. Heat definitely helps.
do you have a full materials list including morter and fire blocks etc. thanks
I did at one time but it's gone. It was an old computer that got wiped
Excellent job, I do have a few questions. What part of North Carolina. are you in? The Tv how do get from getting wet.
In the Charlotte area. There's a piece of flashing with construction sealant between the fireplace and the pergola. Plus when the TV is not in use I have a waterproof cover over it.
@@WillMosbey I like the gas starter
Hi will
Fantastic job I about to start my but I want to have it open on both side so do you just repeat the same thing on both side ?
Thank you very helpful video
How did you run the wiring for the TV? Just bought some plans from Dan and not sure how this is done. Along the side under the masonry and over the mantle?
I meant to shoot a video showing this. But basically we tapped in to one of the exterior outlets and ran the romex through conduit along the side and over the top of the pergola (where you can't see the conduit) over to the fireplace. Then mounted another waterproof GFCI box on the last cross member of the pergola. I've since moved the TV under my overhang on the original patio. I got tired of putting on and taking off the TV cover. :)
I’ve followed your video and Dans plans. Wondering about the angle iron and does your fire heat it up causing it to expand? How did you protect against this? Also, is the firebrick on the floor of the firebox 1 1/4” or 2 & 1/2”?
Have you had any issues with the angle iron expansion/contraction causing any cracks? I did mine the same way and was just curious
-Thx!
@@KPuckett34 no issues that I can tell. Everything is still just how we originally built it almost 5 years ago now. Except for a few veneer stones that have come off.
Also your rock would have stuck better without using a scratch coat, if it's above 80 have a sponge and and wet the block in the area you are working, or mix a little thin set in with it, the biggest problem diyers have is they over use their mortar only mix what you can use within two shake ups once it gets shook up too many times it is no longer viable for sticking your rock on
Thanks for the advice. We were definitely novices when it came to this project. We ended up using our water hose with a fine mist adapter to just wet the area and the rock. This helped a lot. Mixing mortar is a fine art for sure.
Is this because he used cinder blocks instead of a wood frame?
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing. I’d like to do something similar but have a two story fireplace (one for lower patio, one for elevated deck). Do you think that could work?
I wouldn't have a guess on this one and would have to consult an engineer or professional. Great question. Thanks for the comment.
Bro are u having problems with smoke withdrawal properly?
Do you have to worry about blocks cracking if they get hot?
I've had countless fires in it since I built it and we've not had a problem with cinder blocks at all. The firebrick can definitely handle the heat. We've only had a few decorative stone disconnect from the mortar.
No
Amazing job Will!
What size is your pergola ?
18' wide by 15' long.
Ok. I don't see any masons commenting here so I'm going to be that guy. I get that it's common for different parts of the country to do things differently but a subgrade footing and a foundation below grade are so important in a fireplace build. Also important are that the rebar are embedded into the concrete. Either by setting them in the wet cement before it cures or by drilling, cleaning the holes of dust, injecting specific epoxy in to them, then inserting the rebar. This transfers the load to the footing. Otherwise you're just relying on the bond of the concrete and mortar. Please don't confuse bond with being tied in. A rebar that is embedded in the concrete and grouted in the place in the block is tying the block to the footing and transferring load to the ground making this a much more rigid structure.
The head joints, vertical joints between the block, should be mortared and pressed into the adjacent block. This creates bond and rigidity in the over all structure as well as resisting water intrusion. There is so many voids in this fire place when it rains there is so much opportunity for water to get in and just sit. That is very bad for masonry. This is compounded by the courses of solid 2" or 3" block that are laid across entire courses. These interrupt any load transfer to the ground and collect water.
Crossing the firebox with angle iron vs a precast concrete lintel put two materials with very different reactions to heat in very close proximity to the fire. Angle Iron reacts very differently to heat than cement with rebar in it. Also it's going to rust...
One thing that I learned very early when laying block is that you shouldn't lay a block wall with the head joints lined up with the unit under it without having some horizontal joint reinforcement in every course this happens. There isn't any here. These are weak points in a structure that has a lot of expansion and contraction going on.
The scratch coat had so many void where there were no head joints in the block that there is definitely going to be water getting in that fireplace in every section.
Movement and water intrusion are the biggest issues here.
I'm all about doing stuff myself. RUclips has taught me so many things in my trade and many others that has saved me time and money. Not to mention given me a reason to buy a tool. But one thing I've learned from trial and error is that you absolutely should learn how to do it right. Doing it yourself means that you've learned to do something yourself, not learning to take a shortcut to get the thing that looks like the thing you want. Learning to something incorrectly or thinking you're going to save yourself some time will end up with you having a decent looking product for a while but at some point things will go south. I can guarantee that the stone will start to pop off or crack because the block are shifting in the heat if the one's over the firebox on top of the angle iron haven't already. Block laying is not complicated to start with and it is just as easy/hard to do it wrong as it is to do it right. Doing it DIY is going to be slow and tedious and you will not do it as fast as someone who knows what they're doing so you may as well as use that time to do it to the best of your abilities.
Great job and fire place. I just wondered with the scratch coat…. Did you wet the blocks before applying the scratch coat?
Yes we sure did. And thank you!
No
Build starts at 12:00
How did the inspector take the add on?
I ended up not bothering him or involving him anymore!😉
@@WillMosbey It looks beautiful. I’ve been thinking about building a fireplace outside our 2019 build Dallas, Texas home, but I’m too afraid of the craziness the inspectors would entangle into the project. I’ve already had one inspector make us take down a fence in an area that our survey showed had no easements. After I showed her, she went back to a water-logged ancient plat from when the city first added the area that wasn’t available to the public, but when you squint and have your leg tied behind your back while upside down, that plat somewhat showed an easement there, though there was no official stamp of approval by the city council. For Dallas, however, that was proof enough my fence had to go. Best of luck with your city. Let’s hope I can have as good of a time with ours.
@@WillMosbey LOL love it! Screw “the man”!
What was applied to the cinder blocks before applying the stone? Do you let it dry?
That was a thing coat of mortar called a scratch coat. You need the blocks to be pretty wet so the thin coat will stick. Then just run a trowel over it to give it grooves. Let it dry. Then you can apply your stone veneer.
How are you able to burns wood logs with a gas line inside the firebox? Any concerns?
Once the logs get going I shut the gas off.
The lack of vertical rebar is a bit concerning!
I sure this would not pass building codes in Australia without the vertical rebar tied into the foundation.
Luckily we aren't in Australia 😅
Looks bad ass, did that fire place have to be that tall to create a proper draw for the smoke?
No code states that it needed to be 2 feet above any structure. So it sits a little more than 2 feet above the rafters on our covered pergola.
Hello! Great job !I have a question, did you line the chimney with heat-resistant bricks or not?
No I did not. I spoke with the guy who sold me his plans and he said it didn't need it or require it. However if you are having it inspected I would check with your county. If you are DIY then everything should work fine without lining it.
I’m in process of building my fireplace,it has pretty much the same size firebox.
How many bags of firerock mortar did you use?
Oh gosh. It's been so long since I did this project. For the firebrick I know we only used two. For the cinder block we used I believe something like 35.
Hey Will. Thanks for the video. Very informative. In the middle of my own build right now, same as your's plus wood storage boxes on either side. Couple of questions if you don't mind. Have you had any issues with not having a flue liner? Cinder blocks crumbling from the heat etc? Also, any problems with the fireplace pad shifting or cracking feom the weight? Thanks!
No problems at all with the flue. Fire brick is still looking good. Just a few exterior veneer stones have fallen. Foundation is still perfect. I probably should have gone wider overall but it's holding up fine.
Mr. & Mrs. Mosbey you all did one hell of a job!
Thanks for this upload.
Thank you so much!
Great video and build! I'm considering buying the same plans from Dan. I will reference your video because i think I need exactly the same edits to his standard plans. Would you mind sharing how much sq.ft of veneer stone you used or ordered?
I had to go find the receipt. It was 120 sqft of stone. And 15 linear feet of corner stone. Plus another 15sqft of stone. It was two pallets of stone. And we didn't quite use it all. Total price $2600 includes tax.
@@WillMosbey thanks for the info and checking
so. did you ever have any problems with the inspectors or bylaw after not doing what they told you to do? wonderful build. :)
No issue.
Love this. I may have to get a pro to do my footers but stacking might be simpler (harder work) but simpler for me. I'm in NC, is the code really that strict pertaining to adjacent structures? (Sand hills)
I think it's county specific. The distance and height would meet code just not the flue. He wanted to see a different type of flue for wood burning.
What's the approx cost on the finished project for something like this? Thanks!
I think we spent $4500.
@@WillMosbey Thanks for the response!
Looks nice. How did you water proof the top flat area ,the shoulders
It cinder blocks and morter up there with no gaps. No water can penetrate. I think that's what your asking?
Kinda, where you stepped your block in, the shoulder, is that flat? Or do you have a small pitch to keep water from sitting there. Mortar is porous Andover time can leak I think. But I'm glad I saw your video I have the exact same project coming up.
Will where can I get a PDF of plans?
What is the name of the Brick Veneer that you used and where did you purchase it from? It looks great!
I believe it's called old world ledge by Coronado Stone. There's a place called the stone center here in Charlotte.
Nice Will. Question - Why was wood burner not approved? Wondering if that's just local code near covered patio, or something with the fireplace construction they didn't like.
He said the flue was not approved so I would have had to go with straight gas. Also I would have to stop at the height I was at. Non of which I did and everything works perfectly.
@@WillMosbey my neighbor did this exact same thing and found out the hard way. He put in for the permit, ignored the inspector’s comments, and didn’t bother to call for a final inspection. A YEAR later the county called him and said that an inspector would be stopping by to close out the permit. When he arrived and saw the wooden fireplace near the house, he failed the inspection. Ultimately my neighbor was forced to redo the fireplace and convert it to gas.
Looks great. I'm looking to do the same thing. Can you tell me overall height?
Thank you! It is just over 14 ft.
@@WillMosbey That is great, almost the exact height I'm aiming for. I noticed you didn't use a clay flue like many other builders do. What is the reasoning behind that?
@@matthewcausey9908 I asked that question to the guy 8 bought the plans from. He said it didn't need it. He was right. It has performed perfectly. I actually could have gone either way.
@@WillMosbeyGreat video! I bought plans from Dan as well. My fireplace will be smaller though. I have the rough build complete, ready for the veneer. The veneer I am looking at calls for the mesh sheeting to be installed first. Did your veneer suggest that? Again, thanks for the great video!
@@sandramckown7729 no but I did have to do a scratch coat first to give the stone something to hold on to.
I have a question did you back fill to the top ?
I back filled up to layer 8
Hey you did a great job. I was going to ask the same thing but decided to look through the comments first. So did you fill the base with grout before laying the caps where the fire brick sit? Thanks in advance
Tee pee your logs and put kindling underneath, and your fire will start quick and will give you a nice burn
Thanks but it's a gas starter. But I usually do that anyway when making a fire out there. The gas is a nice way to cheat however.
Hey there could you share the design paperwork and a material list ?
I can't but I gave mention of who I ended up getting plans from in the video. I just had to modify those plans for my needs.
Can you tell me how much material you needed for your project.
How much of a footer did you go with on concrete? I just want a rough estimate on material. Mainly the cinder blocks and stone .
@@krishelms4135 I think it was 34 bags of 60 lb cement for the footer. The footer was a foot deep. And we reinforced with rebar. I believe there were close to 650 cinder block. And there were six pallets of old world ledge stone.
Hello, I'm on level 8 could you please send me the instructions on level 9 and on?
I believe the level that you are on is where the flue is made and you are just repeating those 2 levels over and over until you get to your desired height than you will close in and create the chimney.
Total cost?
Close to $4500 total. $1000 was for the gas line alone. The Coronado stone was probably the biggest expense. And I believe approximately $800 in cinder blocks and cap blocks.
@@WillMosbey With permits?
Seament" lol
No kidding. Seament or cement. I must have said seament like a 1000 times. Lol
Funny not to have Footage of you guys actually working on the project. Did you actually do it or did you hire somebody else to do it and you just did a summary of their work?
We did 100% of the entire thing. I had some footage but really how exciting is it to watch someone lay cinder block and stone?
@@WillMosbey It helps a lot. You learn a lot by watching people do the thing rather than telling you how is done. it gives you an idea about time, technique, space, energy and how to lay your materials, especially for new home owners who are inexperienced. Some people are practical learners. Also It is important for people to see you did the thing to know how DIY the project really was. I could hire someone to build something. Later, I make a RUclips Video to claim I did it all by myself. I only take a few pictures of me messing around with Bricks and wires and I put In the video, so people can see I did something as I explain how everything is done. The viewer can't know if I did it myself, so they believe the Project is actually doable when in reality I had 4 people Building the thing and I just did this and that. You can speed up the video, so people can actually see you did it. ruclips.net/video/F_QVC0MS-Zo/видео.html
HOW MUCH IT WAS IN TOTAL FOR THE FIREPLACE?
Between $4500-$5000!
Requiring permits to build a fireplace in a "free" country... right?
I know crazy right!
Bro!! Send me these plans please.
I don't have the rights to send them. The guy at backyardflare.com is where I started. I hope to generate plans on my design however.
Why on earth would they requie a permit to build something not actually attached to your house, just another way to tax you? Im curious as to why you chose not to slope the walls of the firebox to reflect the heat forward vs. straight up the chimney and why you omitted the smoke shelf. Ive also never seen block layed without buttering the vertical joints, water will find it's way. Not trying to be critical, but that's the problem with so many of these fireplace designs. Shortcuts only save money in the short term. It's pretty.
I agree on everything you said now that I've built one. I would go with a smaller firebox and angled the back. It still produces good heat like it is however. But smaller would be better. And I definitely don't intend to be a mason. 🤪🤪
Says 20 minutes but the video is 37 minutes long 🤔
I don't know man, there is so much wrong with this I don't know where to begin. Hopefully you won't have issues down the line but that would be a miracle if you didn't
Top 3 suggestions you can give?
@@danpierce7 Create a proper smoke chamber and use clay flue liners. Also makes absolutely no sense in not creating the firebox before running the structure up. Firebox should have been built once he got to angle iron height with the smoke chamber started at the top of the firebox. Using cored masonry units for the smoke chamber and a flue is a big no no. I can see a chimney fire in this fireplaces' future. For reference I have been a mason contractor for 45 years and have built probably over 500 fireplaces in that time
Amazing work!! hey, this is from Family handyman. We are really interested in your videos and want to partner with you. Please contact us back so we can discuss more. Thank you
Great job Will. I’m definitely buying the plans. Just out of curiosity, if you don’t mind. What did it cost you roughly to complete the fireplace? Thanks again and keep it going!
Close to $4500. The biggest expense was the Coronado stone. Also we ran a gas line too which was close to $1k by itself. Cinder blocks and cap blocks came to just around $850.
Did you have to install a flow for the smoke to come out and prevent the blocks from cracking due to heat? And approximately how many boxes of stone did you use for the project
epic build. turned out great. thanks for sharing all the details.
Hello, great video and great job on the fireplace! I just wanted to ask how the fireplace does with regards to drawing in the smoke and fumes from the fire, and how much smoke do you see exiting the chimney? would this gas out neighbors if they were close by (I know this isn't a concern for you) or does it do a decent job of keeping the smoke down and drawing it up and away from your guests? Thanks for any insight, I am thinking about taking the plunge on this project.
@@eric6545645654 once the fire gets going pretty good and is generating heat all the smoke goes up and out of the chimney. Nothing comes out of the front other than heat.
I glad here in Oklahoma we can build whatever we want!!! Screw permits!!!!
As a life long builder I have no love for building inspectors and permits. Having said that I recognize the purpose they serve;they save the next owner from buying something that is poorly built and getting shafted 9:39
Small world, I am also a chiropractor here in NC (Outside of Raleigh), and this is exactly what I am wanting to do to my pergola. Thanks for all your hard work sharing this and giving me the confidence to do it as well!
I'm trying to talk my wife into painting the fireplace now. I love that iron ore color.
No flew(not sure if that's spelled right) pipe? Does it draft properly without it?
Yes it drafts correctly.
Thanks for the 6th row angle iron tip! I wasn’t sure how to do this part of my build and your video help a lot!!