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Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 20 7:52 pm Post subject:

I think i would want to remove more of the plaster on the front of the chimney breast to establish there is a proper lintel or arch of bricks offering support to the higher chimney breast further up. We have opened 3 fireplaces like this and in 2 cases there was a useless bit of metal doing nothing which we removed and further up a good arch of bricks. In the kitchen we found someone before us had removed the arch to make room for a rayburn and hadnt replaced it with anything at all.. and only habit was holding it up.... hence the general sagging of that chimney breast.. we put a steel in further up.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jun 21, 20 10:48 pm Post subject:
Your house is so full of good habits!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 6:12 am Post subject:

I would think a bit harder about the wood burner. For a start, what size logs will it take and can you get them easily. Do you really just want to heat that one room or would it be useful to heat the house a bit as well by leaving the door open. What about cooking on it.

A customer of ours took advice from an installer and had a tiny wood burner fitted that will only take 8" logs and just heats that room. It has certainly been the bane of our life ever since, as delivery to that house isn't easy, and carting 8" logs is a pain. I don't think he was too happy about it either, but his wife had it done.

I know you want the room plastered, but it might be as well to investigate further about arches etc. before that is done.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 7:14 am Post subject:

what they just said, i could add many horror stories about chimneys but won’t, it looks as though it probably does not have an arch as it is quite narrow but if you are having a full replaster getting eyeball on the chimney breast face is not a big issue

i have made a few bigger by finding a brick arch or stone lintel but iirc your house is mid 20thC and that was not a kitchen fireplace(or all purpose one)

eyeball good, but i suspect the size of hole you get by removing the fireback is the limit without serious engineering

re small logs, tis ok if you forage your own wood, delivered to fit is an issue

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 7:48 am Post subject:
Thank you everyone for your replies, some things that need thinking about. I'll get the back out and post some pictures. I think I'll get him to do the room but just leave the chimney breast for now, whilst we see what we've got. Thank you everyone

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 8:29 am Post subject:

ps if you are going to put a burner in the hole, it is worth asking your spread if he does cement/lime/additive renders as the brickwork will be saturated with tars and chems from coal fires which bleed through plasters and make tiles fall off,
it needs to be able to cope with thermal expansion without cracking as well.

functional chimney breast refurbishment has a few specialized areas , tell your spread what you want to use it for and report what they say:wink:

ed if you are going for burner, tis worth having the hole a decent shape etc for fitting the plate that holds the insulation and flue pipe up the chimney

a small aside but some folk pop a slab down and put the burner in front of the chimney breast with a sloped pipe before the vertical one
not ideal but it can work if done well

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 9:14 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Your house is so full of good habits!

it is and it isn't - it is mostly slowly slumping....

In my experience, buildings fail slowly, not in a sudden whosh. Habit does hold things together for a while. Then a crack appears.. or a floor feels a bit too bouncy, or a door no longer fits.. and it is time to take a look.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 9:19 am Post subject:
if there isn't a decent arch or lintel, it isn't a biggy to slip one in and make it good.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 10:24 am Post subject:
yep

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 12:32 pm Post subject:
Thanks for all that DPack. Fire back out and this is what there is. Now these bricks that are sloping up, should I remove them? Thanks

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 2:00 pm Post subject:
seem to be chimney/fireback lining, they look loose any way, pop one off carefully and retain it and see if you have a void or rubble infill behind the bricks that were behind the fireback

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 4:52 pm Post subject:
Thanks DPack, I'll pop one off and report back.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 20 7:22 pm Post subject:
Are you re-plastering that fireplace wall or just making good? As looking at the side brickwork I`d say the original opening was bigger.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 20 6:48 am Post subject:
Ty, we are plastering the inside but if possible would like to make it wider and deeper. DPack, here are a couple of shots after I removed a couple of those bricks. I'm not sure if you can make it out but it looks like the chimney wall just continues down behind the back bricks.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 20 9:09 am Post subject:
When them firebacks are built into existing openings,that is how they look,the backs are bevelled up the existing back wall for soot to fall freely not accumulate and cause a fire on a shelf,same with the sides. If you hack off the plaster eitherside of your opening you will see the width of the existing opening.

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