Fireplaces

[lindy]

Hello

Would like some advice about the fireplaces in my new house please.

This link shows a picture of the fireplace in the front room:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2886607270099984824zfLNrM

I would really like to strip off all the white paint. I have been reading old threads on the forum and I see that dipping is not recommended for doors as it can ruin them. Is it the same for iron fireplaces? I am really sensitive to chemicals (migraines) and so would like to avoid doing it ourselves in the house if possible.

Also, the following link shows the fireplace in the middle room:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2635696180099984824BxELFT

Obviously I know the wood burner is modern but am i right in assuming that the mantel and surround is also an addition and there would have been a cast iron fireplace there originally as well?

The house is a little detached one which is one of its kind in the road so there are no others to really compare it to.

Any advice welcome, as you can tell I am a complete novice!

Thank you

Lindy

 

[Penners]

That's a nice little iron Victorian fireplace.

In order to dip it, you would have to take it out, which seems a shame (not to mention a lot of work). Personally I would strip it in situ. There are lots of paint strippers available - my favourite is Klingstrip from these people. Click on the the "I want to remove" link and you should find the right formulation for your needs. The product is a thick paste, so it's much easier to control and handle than liquids.

If you have any doubts, you can call them for advice.

Once you've got the paint off, I suggest you use a grate polish to give the iron a lovely gunmetally glow. Liberon do one, as do other manufacturers.

The other fireplace, with its phoney beams is... well I won't be rude! But it's certainly out of character for a Victorian house. The Victorians felt that naked beams were very "peasant", and wouldn't have constructed a fireplace like that.

You might want to have a look at one or two of the authoritative books about Victorian houses, available from The Victorian Society. They'll give you lots ideas about how Victorian houses were designed and built.

 

[Lime]

Removing the painted fireplace would cause so much dust and damage that I would never consider taking it out to strip it.
Stripping off the paint can be done as Penners suggests using a thick paste. Many people prefer that method but it can be slow and not always effective requiring further stripping.
Depending on your patience, skill and strength the paint can be scrapped off using a sharpened screwdriver or similar. Often the paint "pings" off because the base coat on the cast iron is often zebrite or stove black (a graphite paste) which never completely hardens. However if the paint has been painted directly onto the cast iron, removing the paint is much more difficult.
Using a heat gun can be effective too but it depends on how thick the paint is.
Always remember some of the paint may contain lead.

The downstairs fireplace is not original IMO.
Depending on what the room was originally used for it is likely to have had a cast iron fireplace with a wooden/slate/marble surround and mantlepiece.
the size of the opening is normal for the chimney breast and would have been reduced to fit the original fireplace.

 

[lindy]

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps best not to remove the old fireplace then. Agree that the 'thing' in the middle room looks grim - my first job is to change that and put back in an original cast iron fireplace.

 

[Penners]

Good plan, although of course a cast iron Victorian fireplace won't allow you to fit in a woodburning stove.

 

[lindy]

That wood burning stove will go in the trash where it belongs - well maybe ill try ebay first