Removing old fire

[jerodequin]

Hello,

I'm currently removing an old fireplace with a view to installing a wood burner.

The old fire was gas and was removed with the gas supply capped off away from the fire and behind the fire is an old fireback (slightly cracked).

I've since removed the surround, hearth and a bunch of plasterboard to take a look at what is underneath (we're getting the walls plastered soon so seemed like a good time to do this )

There seems to be some kind of large lintel which I of course am not going to touch (not without building regs etc anyway) - but with regard to the fireback, am I right in assuming I can and should remove all of this?

Is there anything in particular I need to bear in mind when doing this?

Any advice or pointers appreciated.

I've put some photos below to show what I have at the moment.

View media item 73819 View media item 73820 View media item 73821 [/img]

 

[stuart45]

Looks like you have a prefab system. The lintel is a precast throat unit. There is a detachable piece for flaunching up the fireback. You can can out the fire back no trouble.

Untitled

• stuart45
• 26 Feb 2014
• 2

 

[jerodequin]

Thanks, that looks just like it - we'll be getting someone in to take a look at suitability for a wood burner etc, but based on what you see do you think it's likely we will need to have the throat removed too?

 

[stuart45]

It can be a bit tricky getting the throat out. Years ago flue liners were built in with sand/cement as it went up, but the liners in a prefab are built off the throat unit, and infilled often with loose fill insulation, so there is nothing holding them in.
However I guess you are getting a HETAS engineer in to fit the burner, so he can best advise you on site.

 

[jerodequin]

Hopefully we'll be able to leave the throat in and get the existing flue lined... first person coming to assess next week!