Help with opening up a largish Victorian fireplace

[pawprint]

Hi there.

I am hoping to install a new wood burining stove over the next few weeks.

I have kncoked the old 1960's tiles and plaster off the bricked up fireplace to reveal this......is this just "infill"..?

Im wondering if there will be a brick arch further up...? Im fairly certain the surround is original and that it was pieced together on installation rather than being a single solid unit so Im thinking I may have to carefully dismantle the suround and replace it afterwards.

I'm not a builder so my main worry is that if i just knock this infil out that there might not be an arch or a lintle, I mean based on the fact that the surround is original, why would they have put a brick arch way further up if they planned to put a small coal fire in...?

any advice on how to proceed or what to expect much apprechiated. Thanks for reading.

Charlie.[/img]

 

[pawprint]

Untitled

• pawprint
• 6 Aug 2014
• 1

Appologies, here is the fireplace..!

 

[ree]

At first glance, i thought that this was a troll or joke post - have you seen the movie "Educating Rita"?

You have what looks like an original, first class example of a Victorian surround, a furnished room and a tiled hearth, and yet you are swinging a demolition hammer?

You would be well advised to remove all furnishings and ornaments, and cover or lift the carpet.

Dont do anything else until you have the stove Mfr's installation instructions in hand, they will give you the dimensions to work to. If you have the Mfr's Inst's then call a HETAS tech and work with the HETAS from now on - you might save yourself a bit of grief.

If you use the search facility on here you will find a bunch of recent posts and pics on your very questions.

 

[pawprint]

hahaha...I know what you mean...!

No, I had no intention of fully knocking this out yesterday this was just a test to see what I was dealing with behind the 1960's tiles, took about 15minutes - and it was all nice and clean before the missus came home...!

I was on the phone with a HECAS engineer for a while yesterday who advised that there "should" be a lintle in place, Im just after seeing if anybody on here has any experience with a fire like this as at first glance its looking like the apperture is possibly larger than the surround.

I will defo take your advise and have a look at wood burners today I think and work from there.

 

[pawprint]

I know it probably seems a bit mad or sacreligeous to alter an original Victorian firplace but the surround itself is not in perfect order, it needs the pillars re-attaching as they are totally loose at the mo and some chips and gaps filling. Then Im planning on spraying it a more neutral modern colour like Ivory.

I love it but a hate the black marbelised laquer and would prefer it to look more upto date, iind of traditional / modern with a stove in the place of the original chair back coal fire.

 

[ree]

If you want something modern then why not get something new and modern and sell or remove to another room the original?

Spraying will leave the item looking cheesy, and in a year or two it will look grimy and faded.

Why do you think thousands of buyers are spending tens of thousands extra pounds for houses with original features?

 

[pawprint]

And one of those people was me, the house is literally full of beautiful period features, some of which are just a little tired.

I dont want to replace anything with crappy modern products but I still want to bring some areas of the property into the current age (carefully).

I may well take your advise though and contemplate leaving the surround in its original condition but it would still need some degree of restoration, on close up it does look a little tatty. I just think that by sprayoing it with an appropiate finish in a lighter shade like ivory or cream it would look more appealing whilst retaining the period design.

 

[TheVictorian]

If you take the plaster off you should find an arch probably about a foot (or two even) above the level of the current mantelpiece. I haven't got any pictures on me but that is exactly how mine was set out.

 

[pawprint]

Thanks TheVictorian, thats great.

Have you by done this to yours...? Did you removed the mantle or the whole surround by anychance....?

 

[maltaron]

I would certainly try to save the surround (It looks like it may be timber painted black, if so it could be stripped back and repainted). As for the opening, the shaped fire back can be removed and the rubble behind cleared back to the builders opening. The grooved lintel above the fire is the front part of the flue support, it will dovetail into the rear flue support. You should not remove this until you are certain there is a lintel or arch above. The stove spec will give dimensions but it is almost certain that you will have to open up the hole to at least the inner face of the surround, and this will probably require a longer lintel installing. But what is actually required depends on the advice of your HETAS man and possible Building Control if there is structural work involved.

 

[pawprint]

thats exactly what I wanted to hear thankyou....!

 

[TheVictorian]

Mine had already been replaced with a horrid gas fire so I opened it all up right the way up to the arch and then had a stove installed in the new recess.

 

[TheVictorian]

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• TheVictorian
• 6 Aug 2014
• 1

 

[stuart45]

Looks really good Victorian.