fireplace advice required.

[listerlad]

I have removed old gas fire with back boiler from 30's style bungalow,the intention being to have it replaced with new gas fire,hearth,mantelpiece etc. At present I am left with a large space,looseand missing bricks,crumbling masonry,Can anyone advise as to required/regulatory size for rebricked fireplace,any particular type of brick or masonry mix required. Thanks.

 

[Richard C]

As far as I'm aware you can have any size fireplace you want; a gas fire doesn’t generate the intense heat of solid fuel so the bricks/mortar around the opening & certainly the mantle don’t need to be anything special. It's the flue & air supply that's important; I would get the flue liner replaced (assuming it currently has one!) & make sure whoever does it is suitably qualified, that they test it & give you a copy of the test compliance certificate. Unless you already have it, you will almost certainly need to provide permanent (open) ventilation in the room to ensure good air flow; this is required by current regulations.

 

[listerlad]

Thanks Richard, one other point what would be an advisable area/size to create with replacement brickwork?

 

[Richard C]

If you mean the actual opening, this rather depends on what fire you’re fitting & I would decide on that first; I think it’s probably a standard size but I don’t know.

In my last house, we had a huge bare brick inglenook the full width & height of one wall with an 800mm x 800m opening & a large cast iron basket but you need a really large room to make something like that work. The open fire in the old house I’m renovating now is approx 450mm x 500mm high & we are changing this next year but I haven’t yet decided what’s going in there. The size/type of the hearth & mantle is really down to your particular taste.

 

[Nige F]

I have removed old gas fire with back boiler from 30's style bungalow,. Thanks.

YOU REMOVED May the wrath of the gods be unto you ....and the urine of the CORGI be forever upon your leg