Gesso & composition fireplace surrounds

[Anonymous]

Our Geo house originally had composition fireplaces, and we have bits of them still in place in some of the rooms.

Two questions I need help on.

How should we paint the remaining parts? Will Linseed oil paint be appropriate or will it damage the glues?

Does anybody make decent replica fireplaces using these methods? Most reproduction Georgian fire surrounds are so lumpen :-( and origianls are very expensive and potentially of dubious provenance.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Craig

 

[Anonymous]

A photo would help.
Have you thought of taking a mould from the bits that are still in place, so as to fill in the gaps?

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry - I dont have a decent photo here at work but...

http://www.mallettantiques.com/begin.asp?email=Y&strReferenceID=bf06976&CatID=172&intSectionID=3

is the kind of thing. We have only 1 left thats recognisable but even that has had the frieze and mantle removed and replaced with a lovely plank...

A cast isnt a bad idea though it would be nice to be able to reflect the status of the rooms in the glamour of the fire surrounds.

 

[Anonymous]

You could try ringing the Georgian Group and asking if they know of anywhere which does decent repro...

Marble Hill Fireplaces used to do decent stuff, don't know if they still exist, Chesneys...


http://www.georgiangroup.org.uk