Home DIY project - Found a fireplace!

[JamieWindsor]

Hi guys,

I am finally getting round to sort out my fireplace.

I bought this Victorian (UK) property. When i bought it i noticed a metal grate on the side of a wall but didn't think anything of it. However, once moved in and started to renovate the property, to my surprise, I found out there was a fireplace behind the wall!

Of course straight away I knocked out the wall and have now been left with the below. I believe I am just going to have an open fire for now as I am on a budget, but may add a wood burner down the line.

I am a beginner at DIY - but not scared to give it a go and have something that might not be perfect, but at least I did it and can look back at my work!

So, with the current set up below, I'm looking for some thoughts on what I could do to make this look really nice. Would really appreciate comments on what surround would work, and how to make the interior look respectable! The opening = 54 x 60 FYI.

Can I just cut the pipes away from the surface using a pipe cutter and then just lay a hearth over the top?

I really appreciate your time and help

 

[Elciteeve]

Before you get a fire in there I'd repoint those bricks, they look like the mortar is about to fall out of them. Being low on the chimney you will have to be really careful not to make the entire thing crumble down on top of you. It will possibly require bracing the chimney with jacks and supports, or you might just be repointing the entire thing depending on how far up that worn out masonry work goes.

After that you'll probably want to inspect what's under the hearth. Brick doesn't provide much R-Value at all so if you just lay brick right on those pipes you'll have a very nice heat conductor to wherever those pipes are going.

 

[LondonNeil]

the bricks themselves don't look bad but the pointing isn't good, but typical of an older house so don't panic. it is probably lime mortar in a victorian house, so what ever you do, don't go near it with cement. it needs to be repointed with lime mortar, or rendered with a lime render.

the pipes - I'm thinking they were water - flow and return for a back boiler to heat radiators, just not sure why there are 4. clearly they aren't ive though. The smaller one that bends away from the camera, is that a brass compression cap on the end? it might be live and might be a gas pipe - feed for a gas poker on a coal fire probably. So check carefully.

lastly, check the state of the rest of the chimney and flue. A house of that age, it would have been just a brick chimney and rendered as it was bricked. That would be in a bit of a state now likely. Of course it may have had work or a lining put in...but then that will be unusable now too (building regs, part J, insists on a new liner if the appliance is changed, unless the liner is recent and inspected to be good). Likely it not lined and in a state. It may be ok for a open fire as they draw so much air, but not a stove, you'll probably need a stainless steel flexible flue liner. Judging by the size of the opening the flue could be quite wide, so you'll probably want to insulate any liner with appropriate blankets. Also don't forget to get the outside of the chimney seen to, and rebricked/pointed if it needs it.

You've got a nice project to work on there, but tbh I'd research and decide on what you want in the end (stove by the sound of it), and work towards that, as what you do for an open fire may not be suitable for the stove

 

[St. Coemgen]

The chimney may have been blocked off for a good reason, such as it was no longer safe to use.

I would recommend you not do anything until you have had that entire chimney inspected by a professional who can tell you what needs to be done to fix it. Only then consider if that is something you can do yourself. Failure to do this and you might be literally playing with fire. And you do not want your new, old, house to potentially burn down, do you?

 

[LondonNeil]

Yes the chimney needs to be checked before going forward but there is a good chance it's ok barring maintenance. Most houses in the UK had open fires run on coal, as the only heat, through to error, the 50s I guess. Then gas took over for everyone in cities at least, and through the 50s and 60s everyone went over to gas boiler powered central heating. Everyone on mains gas will have that now. It was then common to brick up fire place openings for fashion and reduced drafts, usually leaving an air vent at the bottom, and putting rain cowl up top, to prevent damp. OP could well have this situation. Of course he could have 50-60 years of zero maintenance on the chimney to deal with, and a Victorian house is 100+ years older than that potentially (queen V reigned 1837-1901). It is also common that the tip of the chimney may not exist anymore... But I'm assuming the OP has looked up at the roof..... Often a home owner, if an unused chimney stack is in need of attention such as repointing, will get it removed to just inside the roof to prevent future expense.
So yes OP needs to check. Chances are the chimney is in a bit of a state but simple repoint of the opening, a repoint of the stack above the roof, line with stainless flexible flue and possibly insulate is what is needed. Our buildings regs don't insist on lining old flue though.....A very basic smoke test for integrity is sufficient if that shows no leaks, but it's not a thorough check really and a flue of that age..... It ought to be lined. Again our regs do not insist on insulating the liner. If the flue is large or on an outside wall creosote build up would be a worry and drive me to insulate though.

So while there is a lot that can't be answered without tests or proper inspection, if the OP returns we can give him plenty of advice to think about

 

[JamieWindsor]

Thanks for the advice everyone - the fireplace is actually on a first floor apartment, and it is a flat roof, with the distance from the opening to the chimney stack very short. It does indeed have a rain cowl at the top Neil - your comment seems pretty much spot on with my situation.

I think I will get a professional to give me a quote and take it from there in terms of what i should get done (or do myself).

I will update you after this with my progress

 

[LondonNeil]

I'm sure a decent pro sweep will take you through your options but it sounds like you have a short stack, that is a problem. Short means less draw. Most stoves specify at least 4.5m from the top of the stove. So you may need a few rows of bricks added to the chimney, and a tall pot.
Also I think you'll need to check with the apartment management company/freehold and get their approval.

 

[bholler]

the bricks themselves don't look bad but the pointing isn't good, but typical of an older house so don't panic.

I am sorry but those brick will not hold up to an open fire in that opening. It honestly looks like it was an opening for a coal insert and was never meant to be a firebox to me.

 

[LondonNeil]

Btw, are you in a smoke control zone? Parts of Windsor are. If so, then it affects what you can burn and in what appliance. There are plenty of DEFRA approved stoves that allow burning of wood in smoke control zones though.

https://www3.rbwm.gov.uk/info/200174/pollution/766/smoke