Another fireplace thread

[Scam]

You wait all year for one and get two within a week

We'd like to reinstate proper Victorian/Edwardian fireplaces in the two bedrooms in our house, where the previous owners blocked them up. We're not going to use them, they're purely for aesthetics. We found two lovely matching bedroom surrounds on ebay, I think they'll look really nice. We're almost at the end of a 1.5yr long renovation. So far, given the size of the project we've not done much ourselves, and this is our first place so we're total newbies too. So we're wondering if this is something we're going to be capable of ourselves, with little/no knowledge and even fewer tools at our disposal.

This is what we're dealing with. The carpet is getting replaced so we're not worried about that. And we sweet-talked the builder into cutting the skirting for us so we could rip it off, although now I think we need to replace the whole run and scribe the shape of the surrounds in to make it neater... The real question is, what the heck do we do now?

There's a concrete hearth underneath each as you can see, and since we're not going to use them we don't mind the flat wall behind (i.e. we're not knocking into the chimney breast or anything). We should be able to source some slate to sit them on, so how the heck do we affix that? Do we need to replaster the hole our skirting has left? ... Or should we just get on our local FB groups for a local handyman/builder to do it for us since we're totally useless

Any advice?

The other room;

 

[Mysterae_]

I can't answer any of your questions but seeing as you're not using them as actual fires, I'd put in some red/orange/yellow LEDs with glass coal/ember blocks in to give the effect of being in use. Run some power for the psu for the LEDs or get some battery powered type ones. Might even give you some placebo heat .

 

[sja360]

What about a cast iron grate cover ?
Like these -

Cast Iron Fire Fronts | Fire Frets & Fireplace Fronts

This extensive range of fire frets can be used with both solid fuel grates and gas fires. Our fire frets come in a range of different sizes, finishes and styles. Our range of 100% pure cast iron fire fronts are particularly alluring. Styles vary from the more traditional or contemporary designs...

www.gratefireplaceaccessories.co.uk

My daughters' fireplaces are carpeted right up so cant be used. Could do that as makes little sense losing space to a hearth for something decorative.

What's your plans for that plastic vent?

 

[Scam]

I can't answer any of your questions but seeing as you're not using them as actual fires, I'd put in some red/orange/yellow LEDs with glass coal/ember blocks in to give the effect of being in use. Run some power for the psu for the LEDs or get some battery powered type ones. Might even give you some placebo heat .

lol I think that might look a little tacky when it lights up the flat wall "inside" the fireplace!

What about a cast iron grate cover ?
Like these -

Oh thanks for the link.We've been looking for a fret to fill the gap underneath our fireplace in the lounge. Useful to know what they're called actually We could get a fender (also useful to know what they're called) and skip the cost of slate but it might look too fussy for a small bedroom. And we only have slate downstairs in the lounge. Have you ordered anything from that site?

My daughters' fireplaces are carpeted right up so cant be used. Could do that as makes little sense losing space to a hearth for something decorative.

What's your plans for that plastic vent?

Carpeting up to them is the easy way but looks a little wrong. Vents will be changed, not entirely sure yet. The room will be dark green so we may get away with just painting it to hide it The one in the big bedroom is about 10ft high up the chimney so thinking of doing the same there. Or getting a nice brass "feature" one but it seems a little pointless.

We're off next week and there is a place our builder has recommended for slate offcuts. I do fear we're going to need to get a builder/handyman to just get it done for us though.

 

[Scam]

Ok guys c'mon I need to decide if I'm going to buy stuff and attempt this or not

All carpets are up and gone now, here's some pics of the situation;

We have a bunch of leftover black flat metro tiles (10x20cm) and my girlfriend likes the look of building a tile hearth ourselves like this but I'm sure it's one of these things that is a lot harder than it looks!

Could we literally glue down a tiling backer board, then tile on top? The issues I've seen are firstly; as you can see in the last pic the surround actually has bits sticking out on the bottom, so we'd have to put holes in the tiles to slot those into. Besides cutting tiles..which we don't equipment to do anyway. Then, the central 'grill' bit on the back side sticks out further than the rest of the surround. As in, if you just push it up against the flat wall as-is then the edges of the surround aren't flush as these bits hit the wall first. So I'm thinking I could chisel out some of the plaster for this to slot into?

Still unsure whether to give this a go... before my girlfriend buys £100s worth of stuff

 

[LACKERKNACKER]

Are you thinking of just putting this on to the wall without opening up the fireplace?

 

[gingergundog]

...

 

[Scam]

Are you thinking of just putting this on to the wall without opening up the fireplace?

Yep.Rear chimney leg was taken out for the loft/dormer anyway.

 

[gingergundog]

Sorry sometimes I forget im not in GD

 

[Hyburnate]

Are you replacing the skirting board in the rooms?

 

[Scam]

Are you replacing the skirting board in the rooms?

Probably not. Our builder’s carpenter guy measured and removed enough for them to fit in. A bit of filler around the edges and I think they’ll be fine. No skirting “inside” the fireplace.

 

[danlightbulb]

I would paint the interior of the fireplace solid matt black including the vent. You might need to use a sheet of ply or MDF in behind the fireplace, and paint that.

How does your fireplace attach to the wall? Does it have lugs to screw through, or only attachments for wire.

 

[Scam]

I would paint the interior of the fireplace solid matt black including the vent. You might need to use a sheet of ply or MDF in behind the fireplace, and paint that.

Yeah we were debating painting the “hole” black. Not sure. Pics I’ve seen of ones installed like this tend just to have the wall colour visible behind and it doesn’t look weird. What’s the reason for the ply behind?

How does your fireplace attach to the wall? Does it have lugs to screw through, or only attachments for wire.

It has lugs either side which I presume are for big screws. You can see them in the first pic in my OP right beneath the mantle part.

 

[Thekwango]

Are you thinking of just putting this on to the wall without opening up the fireplace?

Yep.Rear chimney leg was taken out for the loft/dormer anyway.

jesus that will look beyond stupid. please don't do it.

 

[LACKERKNACKER]

Scam, I suppose it’s all down to personal taste, but I don’t think I’d be doing what you are proposing. The fire surround looks pretty nice, but they were intended to sit in front of an opening, not a flat wall- I’d be concerned that it would look a bit, naff.
Saying that, fitting it to the wall looks straightforward, how flush it will be to the wall may be an issue, and you’d need to consider if you want it to sit directly on to the floor or on top of a hearth of some description- I would, but that would be my preference.
Good luck with it.

 

[Thekwango]

I’d be concerned that it would look a bit, naff.

it'll look more than a bit naff it'll look down right stupid. like summat you'd see in a fireplace showroom!

 

[Scam]

jesus that will look beyond stupid. please don't do it.

It’s pretty common in Victorian houses where the chimneys are blocked up but people have reinstated the surround as a feature? Particular in bedrooms… we’re not doing anything out of the ordinary here

 

[Thekwango]

It’s pretty common in Victorian houses where the chimneys are blocked up but people have reinstated the surround as a feature? Particular in bedrooms… we’re not doing anything out of the ordinary here

really? it may not be out of the ordinary but it will still look stupid. if i walked in to someone's house and saw a fire surround just stuck to the wall i'd be asking them what the hell was wrong with them. it doesn't look decorative, it just looks like a surround stuck to a wall. weird and silly if you ask me.

 

[LACKERKNACKER]

It’s pretty common in Victorian houses where the chimneys are blocked up but people have reinstated the surround as a feature? Particular in bedrooms… we’re not doing anything out of the ordinary here

I think your are right, I’ve done this myself, but I’ve normally seen it with the chimney breast being opened up - the fire and flue does not need to be reinstated so they work, but aesthetically it will look far better - but, it’s down to personal taste.

 

[Scam]

if i walked in to someone's house and saw a fire surround just stuck to the wall i'd be asking them what the hell was wrong with them

Would you really

I think your are right, I’ve done this myself, but I’ve normally seen it with the chimney breast being opened up - the fire and flue does not need to be reinstated so they work, but aesthetically it will look far better - but, it’s down to personal taste.

Don’t get me wrong I’d much rather do that but I fear we’ve missed the boat. Our lounge is fully decorated and finished - opening up the chimney above it is going to cause a ridiculous amount of dust and chaos. The lounge is blocked above it but not sure it’s worth the risk.

I think we’re both right, upon closer inspection a lot of the pictures we’ve used as reference do have the hole opened or the surround itself does go into the wall. The flat we used to rent was a converted Victorian house and the landlord had white wall and put the fireplace surround back in its place. Just flat against the wall like we are going to do. It looked fine and that was in the front room. In hindsight, obviously not as smart as it could have been all knocked out but hey.