lime plaster repairs

[shobo]

Hi,

Partially removed a 1970s brick fireplace - LBC granted for removal. Behind the modern (and ugly) fireplace has been an inglenook.
This has exposed some irregular stonework, in an area previously hidden by the brick fireplace.
There seems to be a clay-like infill which would not form a good key. I am guessing that to carry out a repair, an expert could lime plaster over this, making it continuous with the remainder of the wall ?

 

[plasticpigeon]

If your house is listed, should you really be hacking the plaster off??

 

[shobo]

Listing does not prohibit replastering an interior lime plastered wall with lime plaster

 

[MatthewC]

I know I'm no expert in lime plastering but to my mind it really is quite difficult to make the new blend in perfectly with the old. On my house we applied DG27 on the old plaster and then gave the whole wall a skim over the top of both old and new. Mike Wye sell DG27 and we used their fine Regency plaster for the top coat.

 

[Abi Cott]

I've never tried lime plastering, but "feathering in" is a pig with gypsum. I'd lean towards the idea that the base coat/s should be applied, then the whole wall skimmed as well, if you want a join that won't show it's face as things get to fully dried.

 

[RBailey]

We recently did something similar.

The original" (not period), leaking behind the mantle and also a condemned stack.


First question was to the local CO if we needed LBC and they said no .

When it was removed original stone wall was found behind, however, there were massive (fist sized) gaps in the pointing.


I repointed the stones (with lime).


Then repaired the damage to adjacent plaster (was Gypsum but I used Lime as its below ground and damp).
Scratch coat


Finish coat


Then painted with earthborn.


The plastering looks okay /matching, ie "rustic" but that is down to my (lack of) skill level.

The sweep even posted an article on his website.
https://www.alfredpoppins.co.uk/stovax-sheraton-5-installation/

 

[LadyArowana]

Looks great, a big improvement!

 

[masochists-r-us]

Hear hear! Great job.

 

[Feltwell]

Good job!

I've got some cast iron combination fireplaces to put in, that I believe are the same as the originals that were here. I'm going to ignore the HETAS requirement for a raised hearth - just doesn't look right - and go with tiles flush to the surrounding floor, as it was originally. What a rebel eh? :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

I might be wrong here, but my understanding of the HETAS rules is that a fireplace hearth, apart from the basic dimensions required, must be differentiated in some way from the rest of the floor. While this requirement is often fulfilled by having a raised hearth it’s not a specific requirement. Thus, a tiled hearth (of the appropriate dimensions) flush with a wood or carpeted floor would be compliant. I think it was our HETAS stove installer that told me this. Whoever it was also added that he thought the rationale for such a differentiation was that anyone with poor sight would thus be able to determine they were close to a fire, even though a raised hearth itself would present a trip hazard and actually contribute to the risk rather than ameliorate it.

Make of that what you will but while most of our fireplaces have raised hearths, we also have a wood stove in a bedroom where the hearth is more or less level with the floorboards and the installer had no problem fitting and signing everything off as compliant.

 

[Feltwell]

T'would seem you are right FF - this website seems very well informed:-

https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/hearth-regulations

A change in level is the preference of many but not an absolute requirement - a "visually apparent difference" will suffice.

What I've got at the moment is a modern concrete structural hearth, cast in-situ on top of the original (and presumably perfectly good) constructional hearth, but also cast over the edge of it and onto the original wooden hearth surround :roll: . There was also originally a pipe to provide air from the underfloor space - I've seen it whilst crawling around underneath my floor running cables & pipes - which is blocked off, that I'd like to reinstate.

I think the original heath might not be quite big enough for the current regs but hey, I'll put some nice encaustic tiles on it, a reclaimed fireplace and pretend it's always been there.....

I have 1 original fireplace here - in a bedroom - and the remains of another had been put in the cellar. I'm reckoning that the reception rooms would have had the matching style fireplace just in a much larger version. 13 years of scouring Ebay and I've got *nearly* all the bits of original fireplaces to put them in the 2 reception rooms.

I'm lucky really, the only real victims of "modernisation" here have been the fireplaces, kitchen range and 3 windows on the back of the house. Every other feature survived. Helped no doubt by the house being rented out from day 1 all the way through to the 1980's.

 

[steveb]

I was under the impression that combustible things like wooden mantels were frowned upon these days, having to be more than x cm from the flue, where x was a big enough number to make it impractical.



We went plain as a result.

 

[a twig]

Pretty sure if you have twin wall flue the distance is pretty small...

I'll see if I can dig out the appropriate...

 

[steveb]

ah, my flue is not twin wall just a standard enamel job, maybe the original poster's is - although it doesn't look proportionately wide enough.

I like the look of it but wasn't allowed to do it

-edit- single walled pipe you need 3x the pipe diameter to "combustibles" so 15 inches between the flue and the mantel. My flue isn't even 15 inches deep

 

[RBailey]

I was under the impression that combustible things like wooden mantels were frowned upon these days, having to be more than x cm from the flue, where x was a big enough number to make it impractical.

Our mantle beam is actually fake:


Its a mould from a real beam which is then cast in a plaster like material which is painted. It then secures to the lintel like with some horizontal studs a bit like an Ikea floating shelf system.

Cheers,
Richard B.

 

[steveb]

>Its a mould from a real beam which is then cast in a plaster like material which is painted. It then secures to the lintel like with some horizontal studs a bit like an Ikea floating shelf system.

Well count me in as one who has been fooled by the looks of it - seems a very effective fake!

 

[LadyArowana]

>Its a mould from a real beam which is then cast in a plaster like material which is painted. It then secures to the lintel like with some horizontal studs a bit like an Ikea floating shelf system.

Well count me in as one who has been fooled by the looks of it - seems a very effective fake!

Faux sounds better than Fake!

 

[RBailey]

Well count me in as one who has been fooled by the looks of it - seems a very effective fake!

I was initially anti when I saw the quote but then when I realised it equaled to fire “proof” I agreed.

Now I’m very very happy.

(The only slight down side is that it’s “square” and my wall isn’t so I had to plaster to suit but some tape and wet “plaster” fixed that’s problem.)

 

[steveb]

I guess we are lucky - everything in our house is level.

Some things are level with the floor, some level with the ceiling, some with the mantelpiece and some are level with the windows :roll:
Very little is actually level with the planet - the only plausible explanation is that the planet must be out of alignment

 

[Flyfisher]

Very little is actually level with the planet - the only plausible explanation is that the planet must be out of alignment

. . . or perhaps the world isn’t flat after all? :shock: