Victorian Cast Iron Fireplace or Firebasket? You choose!!

[plumbers mate]

I'm having a bit of a problem here with talk of fire baskets and stoves in a victorian lounge - (but the Victorians didn't have "lounges", they had "parlours" or if you were lower down the social heap it was "the front room")
Such a room would have had neither of firebasket nor stove but a fireplace with grate and all brickwork safely covered - exposed fireplace openings, chimney breasts, walls etc were unknown - they were plastered over, even in the lowest class of house. It jars when I see houses advertised with "period features including exposed stone chimney breast.." in estate agents' blurbs. No, it wasn't done.
Also the range would have been in the kitchen and the water heating sett-pot in the scullery. If there were only two rooms plus scullery, the range would have been in the "living room" but not the parlour/lounge. My mam's house was like that.

 

[Nemesis]

I'd avoid the PVA and can't see why a fire needs to be two feet off the ground either.

 

[Edz]

Plumbersmate, maybe it is called a parlour then but either way it originally had a range in it. The house has been in the same family since it was built in 1863 (till I bought it). The vendor, now my friend and neighbour, remembers the old range. Her Dad took it out about 55 years ago. The house never had a fireplace before.

Nemesis, I would like to build the hearth about 2 feet off the ground because as a range was there originally, the arched course is about 4 feet high and the distance from the fire to the start of the chimney would look bonkers.

 

[Nemesis]

If it had the range it was the kitchen. Wet and dirty work would be carried out in a scullery in all probability. If it's a very small house the kitchen would also be the main living room.

Don't you think sticking the fire in a basket half way up the wall might look a bit odd too?

Also of course it might not draw, so I'd test it first.

 

[Mark]

I think a 2 foot hearth would look silly.

choose a sensible design of stove. a tall narrow one rather than short and fat.

something like this :

http://www.clearviewstoves.com/pioneeroven.htm

ours is a rika alpha and is in a chimney that sounds pretty much like yours.(apart from the mess, rubbish, newspaper plantpots etcetc.

http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict2136ai3.jpg

b*gger - cant remember how to get images to work on here.

 

[Edz]

Mark, 2 foot hearth silly? You might be right, I just measured what 2 foot is. I think about 16" is about right.

I know a lot of people rave about stoves, and they are more efficient but for me it is not an option. What ever I do it must be an open fire.

I'm running a couple of rads into the lounge/parlour/back room/front room off my Rayburn which is sited in the kitchen just incase.

 

[Penners]

Mark, 2 foot hearth silly? You might be right, I just measured what 2 foot is. I think about 16" is about right.

I beg to differ. About 4" (just high enough to include a decorative hearth) is about right. It's true to the age of the house, and will keep you warm from the toes upward, rather than from your belly button.

 

[Nemesis]

A house of this era would have had no decoraive raised hearth - hearths were flush with the rest of the floor. This raised slab stuff is a 20th century trend.

Anything raised a couple of feet from the ground might well not draw, it all rather depends on a number of factors.

A fire basket is actually about the worst thing for a fire drawing, no means of control at all. Some work - some don't.

If the arch is to be left, then consider a stove where the doors can be left open or a fire with integral hood - a firebox type.

The arch may well have once had a freestanding cottage kitchener type stove in it. The height would have allowed for cooking.

 

[Edz]

Hhhhm, might be worth a re-think on the raised hearth idea. Maybe I'll excavate all the made up stuff out, get a fire basket and try it. I can always dummy a raised hearth up and have a look at that too then decide.

I know it might be a deviation from the original design but then again any open fire there is going to be non original. But I'm doing my bit .. my plasterer wants me to take down the lathe ceiling but I'm making him skim it against his will. Ha.

 

[Penners]

my plasterer wants me to take down the lathe ceiling.

I think your plasterer is absolutely right. That lathe must be in constant danger of falling on someone's head.

He's going to need a crane to remove it, though. After the lathe has gone, I recommend replacing it with laths, and then plastering.

 

[Edz]

Not too sure about either of those things. From a belt and braces point of view that would certainly be the best solution but I just wonder, if it's been up there for years why shouldn't it stay up for years more?

As we are on a tight time scale I think we might take our chances.

I have found this when restoring cars. You just don't where to stop sometimes and it can be a bit risky.

 

[Nemesis]

Well, a lathe strapped to the ceiling I think might be hard to use... but each to their own.

 

[Penners]

Lathe

Laths

 

[Edz]

Penners, do you think that the lathe might look nice in my newly excavated fireplace?

Then I wouldn't have to worry about how high I put the fire or what to call the room.

Parlour, front room, scullery? I could just call it a workshop! It certainly wouldn't be pretentious, just a bit odd.

 

[MdB]

My mate has an E type Jag engine in his front room where as I have just a pile of rubble. Each to their own I guess....

 

[Edz]

Mbd, LOL! Reminded me of the time I was frantically re-building my Hillman Avenger engine and running out of light. My Mum let me finish building it in the kitchen!

She either loved me or wanted rid of me. I never quite worked out which one!

 

[MdB]

The Jag engine is in the final stages of being rebuilt. It will then be fitted into a 1960s speed boat that is also well on the way to being restored. It will be quite something to see when its complete (if it doesn't sink on first outing... bets are being taken now).

 

[Penners]

In my distant youth, a pal of mine was working on his Lambretta engine in his bedroom. To hide it from his mother he shoved it into a drawer in his chest-of-drawers. It smashed straight through the bottoms of all the drawers, hit the floor with a hell of bang and brought down some of the sitting room ceiling.

Be warned....