Victorian/Edwardian cast-iron fireplace

[Finbarr]

Hello. First post so go easy... :lol:

I've just found this site today and have read lots and lots on here about cleaning and refurbishing fireplaces so, firstly, thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice already received !

However, there are a few things, with regard to my own recently discovered fireplace (slate and cast-iron), that I am still unclear about.

Firstly, I have not been able to work out exactly what period mine is from. The house was built in 1906 but the fireplace has a late Victorian feel about it, although it should be Edwardian, perhaps Art Nouveau-ish ? I am definitely no expert, though, so would anyone be able to point me in the right direction so I can check - I have looked at hundreds of different designs online but have not seen any that are close enough to mine.

Secondly, all the Edwardian cast-iron fireplace inserts I have seen have been silver in colour - well, all that I can remember anyway. While taking the paint off the cast-iron parts of my one I found a layer of silverish paint or whatever on it, so should I repaint in silver to make it more authentic. It looks a bit too dark in the black, especially against the dark brown tiles.

Finally, I am missing the hood and bars or frets - I just have the grate. The problem I have is not knowing whether I need to get hook-on or slot-in bars (it's difficult to tell what should be going in the slots above the grate); and not being too sure about the type of hood. There are slots that look like they should be holding a hood that can be moved in or out depending on how much of a draught is required - I have not been able to find any like that so would another type do just as well or am I looking at it wrong anyway ?

Finally finally, there is a split in a part of the fireplace just above the grate. Would I be able to use something like Araldite to fix it ? And, would I need to get some sort of metal fireback to protect the well-used concrete fireback already there ?

Lots of questions but I hope nothing too much for all the experts out there. Any websites you think will help me, please let me know.

Pictures showing more should be inserted below - sorry about the quality but I will post better ones if required. Ask any questions and let me know what info I've left out !

Thanks for looking and for all help received.

JOHN

 

[MdB]

Finally finally, there is a split in a part of the fireplace just above the grate. Would I be able to use something like Araldite to fix it ?

I can't answer the rest but definately no to Araldite as it softens when hot.

 

[Finbarr]

I can't answer the rest but definately no to Araldite as it softens when hot.

OK. I thought I'd read somewhere that it had been used for similar jobs but I wouldn't bet on my memory ! I'll have to search out something online, unless someone has a recommendation.
Thanks for the info.

 

[alice]

I think it's Art Deco, myself. Here's a bit of Art Deco line art that shows similiarity to the motifs in your fireplace. The "bullseye" in the center of the mantel area is very Deco. I like the tiles very much, they show heavy Art Nouveau influence and would lead me to think the entire set up is mid '20's...but it's a simple fireplace and if it's in a house that was middle to working class of the time, you might want to date it a bit later.

alice

 

[Finbarr]

I think it's Art Deco, myself. Here's a bit of Art Deco line art that shows similiarity to the motifs in your fireplace. The "bullseye" in the center of the mantel area is very Deco. I like the tiles very much, they show heavy Art Nouveau influence and would lead me to think the entire set up is mid '20's...but it's a simple fireplace and if it's in a house that was middle to working class of the time, you might want to date it a bit later.

Thanks for the info - very useful. I'm not so sure of the date, though, because the deeds to this house do say it was built in 1906 - unless the fireplace was added later ?
I haven't looked too much into the social standing of the immediate area at the time of build but I think you might be right suggesting Middle-Working class. Must investigate further.

Thanks again.

 

[AMc]

The cracking doesn't look too bad to my untrained eye - certainly our old fire had more cracking and it wasn't a problem.
Fire cement might be a contender (sorry for using the C word). I got some from our local woodburner centre to repair a crack in our current stove.

If I were you when you've got the fireplace bits you need, contact a chimney sweep and ask them when they come what (if anything) to do. A sweep will certainly tell you if it's not safe to use and you should definitely get it swept before use.

 

[Lime]

Fireplace? 1900ish.

 

[Finbarr]

The cracking doesn't look too bad to my untrained eye - certainly our old fire had more cracking and it wasn't a problem.
Fire cement might be a contender (sorry for using the C word). I got some from our local woodburner centre to repair a crack in our current stove.

If I were you when you've got the fireplace bits you need, contact a chimney sweep and ask them when they come what (if anything) to do. A sweep will certainly tell you if it's not safe to use and you should definitely get it swept before use.

Fire 'C word' (!) certainly sounds like the right remedy - thanks.

I have had the chimney swept and the bloke reckoned that the only problem was a bit of flaking in the mortar (or something) lining the chimney - there were bits of stones/aggregate that came down while he was sweeping it. He didn't warn me against using the fireplace, anyway !

 

[Penners]

I agree with AMc that fire cement is the stuff to patch those cracks.

I also agree with Alice that the design looks Art Deco-ish, although I'm no expert. That could mean that silver paint was a possibility. Deco preserved many of the motifs and lines of Art Nouveau, but it veered somewhat more towards the bling of chrome and suchlike.

That would probably date the fireplace somewhere between 1920 and 1935.

As to the missing bits, short of getting an expert in to advise you on the minutiae, you might have some success in taking a photo and some measurements around some reputable architectural salvage yards. They might have some bits that would fit - and maybe even someone who can advise you on what style of bits you need. Just be sure that you avoid any yards that don't subscribe to theSalvo code.

 

[Lime]

Art Deco?

What are you lot on?

The tiles are Art Nouveau as is the cast iron decorated insert, nothing Art Deco about them at all.
The painted slate fireplace is decorated in classic 1890-1900 style.

How do I know?
Well in my street there is a least 3 fireplaces almost exactly the same and we have one in my house too and all the properties date 1904-7.
Mine is painted as red marble but it has almost exactly the same gold decoration and Knob!

Have any of you seen an Art Deco fireplace?..try Googling.
I have never ever seen one built in the classic victorian way as this surely is.

 

[Finbarr]

The tiles are Art Nouveau as is the cast iron decorated insert, nothing Art Deco about them at all.
The painted slate fireplace is decorated in classic 1890-1900 style.

How do I know?
Well in my street there is a least 3 fireplaces almost exactly the same and we have one in my house too and all the properties date 1904-7.
Mine is painted as red marble but it has almost exactly the same gold decoration and Knob!

I like the sound of all that, especially as it ties in with the 1906 date of my own house. I think Victorian/Art Nouveau is the style, maybe to do with using a job lot of fireplaces which were tinkered with to make them look more 'modern' ?

Anyway, does anyone know anything about hoods because it seems to me that the one for this looks like it can be moved forward and back - going by the grooves cut into the concrete fireback. Or are they there for all hoods ?

Also, how can I tell whether I should be getting a slot-in or hook-on fret/bar. I haven't seen in situ examples of either so don't know what the slots on the fireplace above the grate can take. Any help appreciated once more.

 

[arl]

you might struggle to get replacement hook on bars. we have been trying to get ones for ours (and a grate for about 6 months now) but they were not made in standard sizes and ours is a little larger than most. we have eventually settled on a reproduction free standing set of bars that sit in front. even this isnt a perfect fit, and a kindly sole at the university enginering department is carefully trimming them to fit. the grate was even more problematic as most salvage companies refuse to sell them separately from fires as they are so rare. fingers crossed we will finally get a working fireplace before christmas.

 

[Finbarr]

you might struggle to get replacement hook on bars. we have been trying to get ones for ours (and a grate for about 6 months now) but they were not made in standard sizes and ours is a little larger than most. we have eventually settled on a reproduction free standing set of bars that sit in front. even this isnt a perfect fit, and a kindly sole at the university enginering department is carefully trimming them to fit. the grate was even more problematic as most salvage companies refuse to sell them separately from fires as they are so rare. fingers crossed we will finally get a working fireplace before christmas.

I know what you mean about the lack of single items being sold separately. The best place I've found for reproduction ones is this site (below), although they also say that fittings won't be exact and none of them match the distance between the slots in my fireplace, which is 43.5cm. Some of them are close, though, but I may end up with a freestanding one like you.
http://www.vicfires.com/34_fireplace_bars/index.html

Good luck with the fire - hopefully mine will be working by then too !

 

[stickybeak]

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