Plastering inside chimney breast.

[charri421]

Hi folks,

Had a good look at the archive and failed to find an identical post - I do hope I'm not going over old ground here.

I have a 1830's cottage with a stove mounted in the chimeny breast (in the large opening). The entire chimney breast was stripped back to bare brick and repointed with lime a few years ago - I'm not usually a fan of bare brick chimeny breasts, but am happy with this.

The problem is the internal bricks - specifically those at the back behind the stove. Most of the bricks are completely shot and quite frankly look a mess. Those that survive are irreversiblt stained.

I have 2 options...

1) Nightmare job of buying some reclaimed bricks and replacing many to (hopefully) make it appear better.

2) Plaster back wall of inner chimeny and paint a soft limewash colour. I'm also hoping this will lighten things up and empthasize my new stove.

Soo..

1) Is there any reason I shouldn't plaster within the breast (small woodburning stove, set 5" from rear)?
2) What should I use?
- I thought of plasterboard, standard bonding plaster or the type which doesn't have cement, I forget the name.
- or should it be render?
3) I am a tad worried about having a perfectly smooth finish, it may jar with the ruggedness of the bare brick elsewhere. How does one get the lightly textured finish seen often on limewash? (looks like a grit has been inserted)?

Any thoughts / ideas much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

 

[charri421]

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Mark]

Lime plaster ?

Seriously, I opened out our fireplace in the dinning room not that long ago - there will be a post somewhere from me because I wasnt certain that the arch was sound. The bricks revealed have now been lime plastered and limewashed and a woodburner installed. I like the way light reflects off limewash. This bit of the house is around 1800 and brick.

I guess it depends on what sort of texture you want - I did a base coat of rough plaster (sharp sand), and then a smooth coat (fine sand) and then the wash. This has left a smooth finish, with that chalky matt finish you get. I suppose I could have not done a smooth coat? or mix sand with the limewash ? If you dont like the result you can alwasy slurry over it and do it again.

I'll charge some batteries and see about taking a pic.

 

[middi]

Dificult to comment really. It is a question of preference.

As to your option one, The beauty of an 1830,s chimney is in its used and abused appearance and historically it cannot be better than what it already is.

As to option two, plastering, painting and embelishing in any way would give it an almost fake appearance only usefull to look pretty with a vase of flowers where a stove or open fire should be.

Also it is quite possible that plastering directly on the existing brickwork would impeade any natural breathing mechanism present and decades of soots and salts accumulated may eventually spoil the pretty appearance.

 

[Gervase]

Soot and tar will leach through plaster in time - give it a year and you'll have brown stains if you're using lime plaster.
I know it sounds revolting, but the most effective solution is cow crap - painted onto the stained area before plastering it effectively seals the soot and tar yet allows the surface to breathe.