DIY Guide: Create Stylish and Durable Fireplace Covers from Sheet Metal

Making metal fireplace covers is a great way to recycle heat, saving energy and money while protecting your home from the cold winter months. By making your own metal fireplace cover you can customize it to your exact specifications and ensure that it fits perfectly over your fireplace. Follow these easy steps to create your own DIY metal fireplace cover and you’ll be enjoying a toasty warm home in no time.

Start by gathering the materials and tools you’ll need for the job. The metal needed for the cover should be at least 20 gauge in thickness and better if it’s thicker. You will also need metal cutting tools, rivets and rivet gun, pop riveter, drill and drill bits, hammer, cloth and a brush or metal cleaner. Once you have the materials and tools gathered, you’re ready to get started.

Lay the metal sheet on the workbench, making sure it’s flat and even. Make sure there are no dents or any damage that will affect the end product. Use the metal cutting tool and cut the sheet to the size that is required for the fireplace. Along the sides of the sheet, use the drill and make small holes. Once this is done, place the sheet on a flat surface again, and ensure that your poles are firmly set in place, using either a tri fold fireplace screen or a clamp.

Then take your pop riveter, complete with rivets, and use them to fix the metal sheets to the poles. With this done, the next step is to hammer the edges of each metal sheet against the poles. Wrap the hammer in a cloth and gently start to hit the edges all around the metal, this will flatten the edges and make the cover air tight.

The covering is almost complete and now it’s time to attach it to the wall. To achieve this two different ways can be used. The first is applying Velcro to both the edges of the coverings and the wall itself. The second, if the cover is made of steel and is too heavy, is to make larger holes along the edges and then drill screws into the wall.

When the attaching process is complete, take a brush or metal cleaner, to give the metal covering a polish and a good finish. Congratulations! You’ve successfully created your own metal fireplace covering. Now your home will stay warmer in the winter months and you’ll be saving on your energy bills. Enjoy a warm and cozy fireplace during the cold winter nights.
Creating metal fireplace covers is an ideal way to prevent warm air from escaping from your fireplace and reduce energy costs. Store bought covers can be expensive and not always fit your fireplace needs. However, making your own metal fireplace covers is a relatively easy and cost effective way to get the job done.

First, you will need to cut the metal to fit your fireplace. Use a metal cutting tool, get the exact size and be precise – it’s best to use a tri-fold fireplace screen for extra stability and hold the metal sheets in place. You should have several metal pieces plus long poles for the framework.

Using a drill, make several small holes along the sides of the metal sheets and place the sheet on a workbench. Place a wooden board underneath where you want to drill the hole to avoid making too many indents in your workbench and to keep the holes even and flat. Afterwards, use a pop riveter with rivets and rivet the metal sheets to the poles. This method will enable you to form a cover into any shape as long as it properly fits over the fireplace. If desired, you can add extra holes to attach a handle to the metal fireplace cover, which should preferably be made with wood, as it won’t conduct heat.

Take a hammer and place it in a cloth to avoid causing dents to the metal. Gently bang the hammer along the edges of each sheet and flatten the sheet against the poles. This will prevent the metal cover from having ugly seamed edges. If desired, use a metal cleaner to make the metal shine before attaching it.

There are two primary ways to attach your metal fireplace cover to the wall around your fireplace. The first is by using Velcro, connecting the edges of the cover to the wall. However, if the cover is heavy, or is opened and closed often, the Velcro may detach over time due to the force of gravity. An alternative is to make larger holes at the edges of the metal sheet and drill several screws into the wall around the fireplace. Place a washer at the outside of each hole to preserve the metal connection for a longer time. This way you can slide the metal fireplace cover onto the wall like a hook with the extra-large holes functioning like ‘eyes’.

Making metal fireplace covers is an easy, cost effective and functional solution to preventing escape of warm air from your fireplace and saving energy costs. All you need is metal cutting tools, a drill, pop riveter, rivets, a hammer isolated with a cloth and a metal cleaner if necessary. It is important to be precise with the metal cutting process and to use effective installation materials. Once you have the metal sheets cut and attached to the poles, take additional steps to get the ideal finished product.