It's coming down - fireplace renovation - update

[88v8]

I picked up an air powered hammer & chisel set from the local Lidl a while back. A very hand tool for nibbling away at the hard stuff. Not quite as aggressive and boisterous as a breaker. Perfect for fine detail though.

Our stone masons use an air chisel for tooling and light cutting. Except theirs doesn't actually use air - powered by a motor and a cable drive. But same end result.

Two bread ovens suggests a keen baker. Different temperature possibilities. Have the rooves fallen down or is the pointing still good?
Are they flued?

Shame about the Xmas mess, we are in the same situation. Heyho, worth it in the end.

Ivor

 

[paulc]

. though will be living with the mess through Xmas now

Took me some eighteen months to get all the messy work done in my lounge. Big mess taking out the fireplace and digging out all the rubble in the builder's opening. No where near as big a job as yours. Even more mess when the ceiling came down, but I figured I could kill three birds at once - Removal of lumpy Artex, fix large cracks in the plaster, and put some insulation in the void. Rerouting CH plumbing and a bit of wiring was a bonus.

So my advice - Get the big messy jobs done now. Chrictmas can be celebrated in the spring/summer with the added bonus of better weather.

 

[Flyfisher]

Two bread ovens suggests a keen baker. Different temperature possibilities.

I’ve always assumed that twin bread ovens was fairly normal - one for ‘proving’ the dough mixture before using the other for the actual baking. Only an assumption though, based on my occasional foray into baking bread.

 

[Cubist]

Methinks one for bread tother for pizza - if its hot enough! :twisted:

 

[TheSpid]

I told hubby - the aim is for it to be finished for NEXT Christmas now - going to strip the walls and ceiling, dig out the floor etc. If it's going to be a mess it may as well be a BIG mess.

 

[paulc]

On the bright side. You could dig a hole for the Christmas tree in the floor. Saves on putting it in a bucket, and you won't have to worry about the needles dropping.

 

[TheSpid]

On the bright side. You could dig a hole for the Christmas tree in the floor. Saves on putting it in a bucket, and you won't have to worry about the needles dropping.

now there's an idea

 

[Kearn]

I told hubby - the aim is for it to be finished for NEXT Christmas now - going to strip the walls and ceiling, dig out the floor etc. If it's going to be a mess it may as well be a BIG mess.

What's the issue with the floor that it needs to be removed? Can't quite see clearly, but looks like brick paver or tiles? Original? Imagine they could be lovely once cleaned up...

 

[TheSpid]

I told hubby - the aim is for it to be finished for NEXT Christmas now - going to strip the walls and ceiling, dig out the floor etc. If it's going to be a mess it may as well be a BIG mess.

What's the issue with the floor that it needs to be removed? Can't quite see clearly, but looks like brick paver or tiles? Original? Imagine they could be lovely once cleaned up...

Concrete underneath. Quarry tiles. Some old some newer but badly laid.

 

[Kearn]

I told hubby - the aim is for it to be finished for NEXT Christmas now - going to strip the walls and ceiling, dig out the floor etc. If it's going to be a mess it may as well be a BIG mess.

What's the issue with the floor that it needs to be removed? Can't quite see clearly, but looks like brick paver or tiles? Original? Imagine they could be lovely once cleaned up...

Concrete underneath. Quarry tiles. Some old some newer but badly laid.

Ah shame. On closer look they're too small to likely be original, thought you might had another lovely find there for a second...

 

[TheSpid]

What's the issue with the floor that it needs to be removed? Can't quite see clearly, but looks like brick paver or tiles? Original? Imagine they could be lovely once cleaned up...

Concrete underneath. Quarry tiles. Some old some newer but badly laid.

Ah shame. On closer look they're too small to likely be original, thought you might had another lovely find there for a second...

I had hoped so too- but sadly not - probably put in in the 1980s and new made then.

 

[TheSpid]

nearly there.

 

[Cynan]

Looks amazing.

Great work!

 

[JanieB]

Looking good. I’ve put mine off for over 20 years now ‘cos I don’t know what i’ll find or how much it’ll cost me.

 

[TheSpid]

Looking good. I’ve put mine off for over 20 years now ‘cos I don’t know what i’ll find or how much it’ll cost me.

I get you - we didn't know what we would find either - but the chimney had been condemned so it was do nothing and have no fire or risk it. It is costing an arm and a leg. We aren't competent nor experienced enough to do it ourselves so employing a builder, and of course lime takes longer to do etc. I reckon just the building work will be around £5K - it needed quite a lot of work - and that was more than we thought. Then more for the woodturner and the the HETAS fitting etc. But once it is done, it is done. It's been a hell of a lot of mess and completely at the wrong time of year really - the room should be completley finished in time for the summer :lol:

 

[Kearn]

Then more for the woodturner and the the HETAS fitting etc.

Be careful with what you allow the HETAS folks to do without checking what is required, as it won't always be sensitive and necessary - I had one guy quote £1000s to cement plaster over our restored internal brickwork and raise up a concrete hearth on top of the pavers and into the room. There are distances required from heat source to room and beam, and requirements to distinguish what is/isn't a fireplace for those prone to walking into fires/beams! There are also double skinned flue pipes which can help with beam distance.

Just because they're HETAS doesn't mean they're safe - The PO had a burner fitted and shiny install cert from the fitter. Who had fitted the flue pipe upside down

I think I commented with the link to a useful site earlier in this post, or a previous one, for minimum dimensions.

But once it is done, it is done. It's been a hell of a lot of mess and completely at the wrong time of year really - the room should be completley finished in time for the summer :lol:

That's precisely when we finished ours!! And defiantly had a few very unnecessary fires regardless!

 

[TheSpid]

Be careful with what you allow the HETAS folks to do without checking what is required, as it won't always be sensitive and necessary - I had one guy quote £1000s to cement plaster over our restored internal brickwork and raise up a concrete hearth on top of the pavers and into the room. There are distances required from heat source to room and beam, and requirements to distinguish what is/isn't a fireplace for those prone to walking into fires/beams! There are also double skinned flue pipes which can help with beam distance.

Just because they're HETAS doesn't mean they're safe - The PO had a burner fitted and shiny install cert from the fitter. Who had fitted the flue pipe upside down

I think I commented with the link to a useful site earlier in this post, or a previous one, for minimum dimensions.

[/quote]

Don't worry - the HEATAS guy is good - works with my lime literate builder.

 

[Flyfisher]

. . . and requirements to distinguish what is/isn't a fireplace for those prone to walking into fires/beams!

Yes, and it has always made me smile that the usual interpretation is to install a raised hearth, thus making it a trip hazard for those with poor sight :lol:

 

[TheSpid]

Nearly finished - it needs the lime brushing back a bit more - and the hearth edged - still thinking about ideas for that - possibly going for a slightly quirky/arty idea [completely non authentic but hey, as I say to hubby, we aren't putting in compacted earth floors either]. The wires have now been hidden in the ceiling and the artex covered up with bog standard plaster - the funds just didn't stretch to a complete revamp. Now just the walls to lime plaster, the floor to flag, the woodburner to go in, and to decorate and then we shall have one wonderful room.

 

[Gothichome]

That looks great, have you figured out a plan for your bread ovens?