How To Build Wall For Electric Fireplace

If you’re adding a wall-mounted electric fireplace, having the proper electrical setup is crucial. If you’re not sure how to tackle such a project, don’t worry. We’ll walk you through how to do it safely and easily. Just follow our step by step instructions below and soon you’ll be enjoying your new fireplace set up in no time.

Install power outlet that go to the fireplace

  • You will need to install an electrical outlet that runs from the fireplace to the power source. There are different ways you can do this, but it is important that you have a qualified electrician help you with this part of the project.
  • For your convenience and peace of mind, we recommend hiring a qualified electrician for this job. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure that all necessary permits have been obtained by your local building department before beginning installation work. You’ll also need to determine where on your wall the outlet should be located so it doesn’t interfere with other outlets or switches in close proximity. The best place is directly below where the bottom of your mantle will sit on top of your mantel shelf. Make sure that there’s enough room above and below so nothing gets accidentally bumped into while using them.

Remove the drywall and frame around the fireplace

The first thing you’ll need to do when building a wall for your electric fireplace is remove the drywall and frame.

To remove the drywall, remove any screws holding it in place with a drill. The easiest way to get rid of this is by cutting through the center of each stud with a circular saw or reciprocating saw. Then pull out each section of wallboard with pliers or even just your bare hands, depending on how well-built it was originally (you might have some tearing).

Next, find where they attached electrical outlets, lighting fixtures and other items that had been screwed into place before removing them all by unscrewing them from their positions in the hole where they were attached. Also remove anything else that may not be necessary such as mantle pieces or hearths. Finally, cut out holes where wires come through so you can run new ones after installing new framing supports later on when installing your new electric fireplace unit into place (more details on running wires will be discussed later).

Mark out your fireplace location

Before you can begin to build your wall, it’s important to make sure that you’ve got a good idea of where the fireplace will be located. As with any construction project, this is crucial for a few reasons:

  • You’ll need to get everything in order before moving forward with building the rest of your hearth.
  • Marking out your fireplace location will ensure that it’s straight and level (or mostly so). If there are any small errors at this stage of construction, they can easily be fixed in later steps by adjusting measurements or cutting more wood pieces accordingly.
  • It allows space for other features within the firebox area, such as an electrical outlet for powering appliances like televisions or radios in front of one’s television set; these should never be placed directly over the actual flames themselves due to possible electrical hazards posed by heat sources such as those found within this type of appliance.

Cut out the hole in the drywall

Use a drywall saw to cut out the hole in the drywall.

  • Cut straight down the studs, using a stud finder to locate them. If you don’t have one, you can use a level to find them instead. Just make sure that you keep track of which side of your wall is up and down (the “up” side will be where all your electrical outlets are).
  • Cut out each piece of drywall individually with your saw until there’s nothing left but an empty white space behind it. Make sure that no pieces fall on top of each other; this will make cleaning up later much more difficult.
  • Use your utility knife or scraper to carefully remove any bits or dust from inside or around those holes we just made above our fireplace opening (and below its frame). You want everything nice and clean before we add anything else new.

Screw drywall to the studs

The next step is to screw the drywall to the studs. This is done with a drill and screw gun, which you will need to buy or borrow from a friend. You can use a stud finder to locate where the studs are in your wall before you begin. Then, mark them with tape so that you know where they are when it comes time for installation. Drill holes at each mark with an appropriate sized bit (1/8 inch) and then use a screw gun to drive in screws into those holes until they reach full depth.

To level out your sheetrock, place it on top of another sheet of plywood at least twice its width (so that there’s room for error). Then place your level along various edges until everything looks good enough—you don’t have any major lumps or bumps showing up on both sides of the board at once! Once this step has been completed successfully, move ahead onto applying adhesive between any joints between sheets using thin lines

of adhesive evenly spread across them; this ensures that everything stays put even under pressure should anyone bump against it later down their journey through life without damaging anything inside either side’s walls–and then allow them some time (usually overnight) before moving onto installing any insulation inside these areas as well.

Build a box from 2x4s, then add some face framing.

  • Build a box from 2x4s, then add some face framing.
  • Use 1x4s for the frame and 1x6s for the shiplap.
  • Cut the pieces with your jigsaw and screw them together with a drill.

Mount it to the wall.

  • Use a stud finder to locate the studs, then use a drill to make pilot holes for the screws.
  • Screw two corner brackets into each stud, by driving them with a screwdriver. Use a level to keep the box level.
  • Mark where you want to put your fireplace on top of the back of it using a pencil or marker, then drill through both layers of wood at each mark using another drill bit sized slightly smaller than your screws (i.e., ¼ inch). This way, when you drive in your screws through those holes and into their corresponding ones on your wall they will have something solid to grab onto.

Install shiplap on the box and wall.

  • Install the shiplap to the top and sides of your electric fireplace. The shiplap can be installed directly over the drywall, or it can be applied with wood glue and nails. For this particular type of installation, you’ll want to use a nailer gun to secure the boards in place by nailing into them from both sides of your box frame at once. Be sure to leave about a half-inch between each board for ventilation purposes.
  • After applying all three rows of shiplap on the box frame and wall, drill one small hole through each board at each corner where they meet up with another piece (you will repeat this process again later when installing additional boards). This will allow you to line up each piece perfectly before securing it with nails or adhesive.

Be sure to follow all safety procedures when working with electricity.

To make sure you’re safe when working with electricity, follow these steps:

  • Wear protective clothing.
  • Wear safety goggles or glasses.
  • Turn off the power to the fireplace before you begin any work on it. Use a circuit tester to test for power, and use a voltage tester to test for voltage before starting work on an electric fireplace (if you don’t have access to these tools, make sure someone else does). If there’s even a slight chance that there could be current running through something like a light bulb, do not touch it! Instead use something called a circuit breaker to turn off all power in your house at once—it should trip if something goes wrong with one part of your system and starts sending electricity somewhere else (like into other rooms).

Conclusion

As you can see, building a wall for your electric fireplace is relatively easy. If you have all the tools and materials, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours. I know it looks like a lot of work, but once you are done, you will feel good about accomplishing something that not many people can do – especially electricians.

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