Installing cast iron bedroom fireplace

[Edward Ian]

Hi, I know there have been a few posts on this topic, but if someone has hands on experience of this, I would be grateful.

The easiest way to do this would be GAMI - get a man in, but nobody seems to want to do it. I think heating regs put them off.

The fireplace, which is a little later than my 1900 semi, is complete, just needs fitting. It is the right size to fit the existing hearth, which I propose to tile with slate tiles.

I have read a fitting guide online "do this at your own risk to create a decorative fireplace", which suggests backfilling with vermiculite and then "flaunching" to a 45' angle. Do I use mortar for this, and how does that work with loose vermiculite?

I will of course strip the paint before I start.

 

[stuart45]

The vermiculite gets mixed with cement around 6/1. This creates a concrete mix for behind the fire back. It's also used when building a chimney to back up the flue liners. Years ago, we used to put in rubble and mortar behind the fire back and a piece of corrugated cardboard against it which burnt away to leave an expansion gap.
Fireplaces come under building regs unless using a HETAS fitter. It's worth having your chimney flue tested if that is going to be a working open fire.

 

[Edward Ian]

Thanks for your reply. I assume that the vermiculite mix has a litter water added, or do you rely on osmosis?

Had the chimney sweep here to do the two new (marble and tile cast iron tiled insets - will load photos later) fireplaces yesterday, and will certainly have him back, for this new one

 

[stuart45]

Yes, add water to the mix.

 

[Edward Ian]

Thanks. So here is one that I had installed earlier. The marble surround, tiles and mirror were eBay, the cast iron from the shop in Leicester.
The marble and the cast iron are identical to that which I had installed in the next chimney. As you can see from the second photo, I haven't yet stripped and cleaned the marble on that one.

 

[Feltwell]

I think I've got some fireplace fitting instructions in an old DIY book I've got, will check later and scan and post up if I have

 

[Lacan07]

Whats the best way to get the paint off? I was going to get mine sand blasted for £50

 

[Feltwell]

Sand blasting risks dulling all the edges and detail if done too aggressively. Chemical stripping is best, but very messy - outside and with a pressure washer to help rinse off if you can. "Strippers of Sudbury" is the best source for all kinds of chemical paint stripper.

 

[Feltwell]

Hmm, my old DIY books talk more about how to remove fireplaces than fit them, a sign of when they were written

However, attached are some useful bits about replacing a fire back and fitting a surround. I agree with Stuart by the way, a lightweight cement mix with vermiculite rather than aggregate is the way to go.

 

[stuart45]

The info in the.book looks to be pretty accurate to me. You can tell it's not a 2022 version by the way they deal with the asbestos rope, although if it was a really old book it would tell you to rip it out and sling it in the bin.

 

[Craig89]

Whats the best way to get the paint off? I was going to get mine sand blasted for £50

I would strongly advise against this. Only a good solution for anything that is to be repainted. However, usually the paint has protected the surround over the years and if chemically striped off reveals the beautiful black finish as it left the foundry and only requiring a polish


Paint stripper applied

Left for a few days then pressure washered off

After some localised striping and cleaning

 

[Feltwell]

That one in your bottom picture is very similar to the fireplaces here - it's "The Repton" I believe - just more ornate than mine in the central panel, otherwise very close. Very typical late Victorian. Looks good!

 

[Lacan07]

I would strongly advise against this. Only a good solution for anything that is to be repainted. However, usually the paint has protected the surround over the years and if chemically striped off reveals the beautiful black finish as it left the foundry and only requiring a polish

View attachment 9270
Paint stripper applied
View attachment 9271
Left for a few days then pressure washered off
View attachment 9272
After some localised striping and cleaning
View attachment 9273

Well, that's me sold then, thanks for this, I'm glad I mentioned it.

If that's the natural finish and that means no painting involved then that's fine with me.

May I ask what stripper and polish did you use?

P

 

[Craig89]

That one in your bottom picture is very similar to the fireplaces here - it's "The Repton" I believe - just more ornate than mine in the central panel, otherwise very close. Very typical late Victorian. Looks good!

My research lead me to believe that it was a "Scotia", what the difference is though I'm not sure, they look identical

Well, that's me sold then, thanks for this, I'm glad I mentioned it.

If that's the natural finish and that means no painting involved then that's fine with me.

May I ask what stripper and polish did you use?

P

Klingstrip is the paint stripper that I used.

Kling Strip Paint Remover | Paint Stripper | Strippers Paint Removers

Kling-Strip paint stripper dissolves paint to a water-soluble residue. No scraping necessary. Effective in removing oil based paint and varnish.

www.stripperspaintremovers.com

Very good at removing the oil based gloss paints that were generally used to paint the fireplaces. However it doesnt touch car spray type paint, cellulose or acrylic, not sure which type I had on a section of my bedroom fireplaces, but it didn't budge. Worth buying a sample first to test your paint

 

[Lacan07]

My research lead me to believe that it was a "Scotia", what the difference is though I'm not sure, they look identical

Klingstrip is the paint stripper that I used.

Kling Strip Paint Remover | Paint Stripper | Strippers Paint Removers

Kling-Strip paint stripper dissolves paint to a water-soluble residue. No scraping necessary. Effective in removing oil based paint and varnish.

www.stripperspaintremovers.com

Very good at removing the oil based gloss paints that were generally used to paint the fireplaces. However it doesnt touch car spray type paint, cellulose or acrylic, not sure which type I had on a section of my bedroom fireplaces, but it didn't budge. Worth buying a sample first to test your paint

Thanks, I'll order a sampler.

Any tips on cleaning the inners up? Its sooty and a little rusted, the back of the fireplace is very rusted but I guess no one sees that.

 

[Lacan07]

 

[Feltwell]

My research lead me to believe that it was a "Scotia", what the difference is though I'm not sure, they look identical

Yes, the "Repton" and the "Scotia" are very nearly identical, when I was looking for fireplaces I saw loads of them - look at the pictures below and the hood is slightly different. The fireback had the name cast into it, but of course all the removeable bits could have been changed on fireplaces that are still out there now. There should be a registered design number on the back which would say for sure. They may have been from different, competing foundries - I'm not sure - but one of them is from the same foundry as mine, it will have BICLAM cast on the back (Bennets Iron Company Limited Ardwick Manchester).

The Repton:-


The Scotia:-


My fireplaces are all different size variants of the pattern below, this picture being the "baby" of the range. I've got a stack of different fireplaces and bits in the garage that I've slowly acquired from Ebay over the years - rarely did I find one that was complete, but I think I've got enough bits now to start reinstating at some point! I wish I had had the Repton/Scotia, would have been much easier as they are more readily available, mine is similar but a bit plainer as you can see.

 

[Cubist]

While visiting family near Manchester some time ago (10+ years ago) I wandered into an antiques emporiuum/barn in Levenshume and was impressed by one exhibitors large range of cast iron fireplaces that I assumed were reclaimed salvage. The owner/operator informed me that they were all new and had been produced by a local foundry. If you have not already examined the possibility, a little Googling may turn up a foundry that has the moulds for the parts you need.

 

[Feltwell]

I've found a good source there actually Cubist - this firm:-

https://www.wardantiquefireplaces.co.uk/spares/

They take a pattern of parts from the fireplaces which go through their hands, cast in aluminium. They've got one of my fireplaces on their restoration blog, but I'm sure I could arrange if I sent them a part to get a copy made. By the time the aluminium is sprayed black and given some polish it should pass for cast iron I reckon.

 

[Cubist]

I've found a good source there actually Cubist - this firm:-

https://www.wardantiquefireplaces.co.uk/spares/

They take a pattern of parts from the fireplaces which go through their hands, cast in aluminium. They've got one of my fireplaces on their restoration blog, but I'm sure I could arrange if I sent them a part to get a copy made. By the time the aluminium is sprayed black and given some polish it should pass for cast iron I reckon.

Presumably the aluminium parts are 'for show only'. Aluminium burns at a fairly low temperature I think.