Hi all, Only just started thinking about this but our fireplace hole and flue has been covered by an mdf board at some point and the mantel and surround removed as I guess it wasn't cool at the time. We don't want to reinstate a real fire or stove but would like to put a wooden mantel and legs, make the hole a little bigger, perhaps plasterboard the hole to create a recess to put something in and add a new raised hearth on top of the old which is still there. Long and short of it is, who would do this kind of work? I wondered if fireplace fitters and installers might not be interested as it's not to put a fire/stove in? And if they would thought price could be elegated to make it worth their while. Thanks for any advice.
How come you dont want to put a burner in? By the time you have essentially rebuilt the whole fireplace you may as well have done it all up to whats needed for a burner.
I've done up a few fireplaces and their surrounds ... all with some really tasteful kit which I've picked up off Freecycle or Freegle. It seems like every month or so someone or other in our area is getting rid of their fireplaces. Some are utter rubbish, but some are real gems.
Just put a woodburner in at mine. Really good to have. Especially when you make as many mistakes as I do!
Unfortunately my missus only likes " real " logs , got tonnes of stud offcuts but I spend days collecting dead from local area
You must love her a lot. I love mine a lot too, but if she insisted on real logs in our woodburner, she's welcome to get them herself, cut them, stack them, etc.
It comes down to cost in the end. I had thought to make the fireplace a little bigger, fit a mantle and hearth would be far cheaper than lining the flue, buying a burner and having it installed. If i'm wrong please let me know but surely a burner and making the flue good is probably £5k in itself. Also we live in a flat-mind you an old one where a burner wouldn't look out of place but also not sure what our long term living plans are for this property, could sell in a few years once renovated or if possible rent it in which case would we want a wood burner in there for tenants..
As a rough guide for you, 8kilowatt burner fitted 5 years ago in terraced house in South Wales, building work, flue, everything included, 2K all in.
At the other end , diy in mine was £200 ebay multi stove , £200 pipe and fittings , one very scared wife as I also rebuilt top of chimney without scaffolding , a friendly neighbour who moved his vehicle just in case, 2 days work and a few burns from lime.... We were quoted £2500 without the stack rebuild Are you sure you need to install a pipe anyway
I just had mine done last week. Previously there was a LPG fire there. Opened up fireplace. All the brickwork. Brick hearth. Lined flue, cowl and supply of burner. A little over £3k. Good value I thought.
Looks great GB, personally I've gone for the brushed sooty look I should point out , my wife's main concern was mainly due to my reluctance to buy life insurance
Thanks for the approving nod! Know what you mean. I always think "lived in brick" looks better than dirty plasterboard!
That carpet is not long for the tip! Initially I was going to have the brick hearth coming out 2 bricks but at the last minute I changed my mind as its a bit of a toe stubbing magnet! The kids run in and out of the door on the right. Going to replace with Quickstep Livyn I think. But the rug will remain!
I got them to come out just half a brick and to sit the burner further back to keep the minimum distance needed. Picked up a stove fan in Aldi on tuesday. Very good. Works off a heat powered motor!
I guess we could get a quote for both and see if there's much difference. We're a couple of floors up so scaffolding would possibly be needed for any work on the chimney, thats quite expensive to hire. Surprised at how cheap you've managed to do it for though.