Greetings! I'm new to posting on the forum but I'm loving the advice I've seen on other posts. Wondering if you can give me some advice, too. This is a basement fireplace that received a lot of use from the previous owner. It's damp, but we think we have located the source of the water (cracked crown) and are dealing with that. We've cleaned the firebox since this photo and we're repointing it with FireRock adhesive mortar. The firebox looks a lot better already. As for the facing, we removed the brick veneer/facing because it was cracked and crumbling. This included removal of a steel lintel that was supporting a single row of vertical bricks across the top of the firebox opening, which hid the damper handle (hard to see in this pic, but it's there) and perhaps served to catch smoke on the way up?
We aren't likely to use this for wood burning but we'd like to rebuild it such that it could be used for that down the line. For the finished look we are probably going for tile with wood around the outer edges.
Initial thoughts are to apply one line of new brick around the fire box, horizontal on the left and right and vertical along the top, reusing the old lintel to create an overhang one brick long over the top of the firebox. Then, build out using metal framing and cement board to which we'd affix tile. Then, use wood to trim out between tile and regular drywall.
I have one million questions, but let's start with the question of whether I need to close in the top of the firebox. What do you think? If so, do you have any clever ways to do it other than with brick?
Big thanks for taking the time to read my post!
Bee
We aren't likely to use this for wood burning but we'd like to rebuild it such that it could be used for that down the line. For the finished look we are probably going for tile with wood around the outer edges.
Initial thoughts are to apply one line of new brick around the fire box, horizontal on the left and right and vertical along the top, reusing the old lintel to create an overhang one brick long over the top of the firebox. Then, build out using metal framing and cement board to which we'd affix tile. Then, use wood to trim out between tile and regular drywall.
I have one million questions, but let's start with the question of whether I need to close in the top of the firebox. What do you think? If so, do you have any clever ways to do it other than with brick?
Big thanks for taking the time to read my post!
Bee
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