Just after some comments and ideas at this stage. Just removed a defunct ’70’s gas fire from the fireplace opening. The fireplace is partially bricked up, nothing a little violence won’t solve.

So options, first I am in a smokeless zone so this does affect what I can do, in theory.

House is Victorian so chimney will have been used but probably not with fire for 20 years?

If I go for a repro/reclaimed fireplace anything I need to do? If I go the stove route ditto.

What I have is a partially bricked up hole, any hearth that was in place appears to have been removed and replaced with some breeze blocks and concrete.

Hey Mo,

The smokeless zone means you’re supposed to use smokeless fuel, or use a stove that is rated for a smokeless zone. In reality though, there isn’t anyone whose job it is to police this rule, so you can do what you like. We use smokeless coal regardless, because it burns more predictably than proper coal (less spitting).

if you decide to pay someone to do whatever you decide to do, don’t use the shop on painswick road… the guy in there will tell you whatever you want to hear and be your best friend, then conveniently forget the conversation and leave you worse off. (lesson learnt, get everything in writing, even if someone seems trustworthy).

However, the fitters he uses are independent and you could go direct to them. If you want someone to fit a stove or fireplace, I can recommend a guy.

Dave

thanks dave i shall bare that in mind when i decide what i am doing, just got to complete the house purchase then start gutting the house.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/installing-a-fireplace-no-woodburner-content

when you say painswick road do you mean norwood? or is there more than one?

bump for the daytime crowd,

and some thoughts, if i put a new hearth in does the fireplace/stove have impact on what i can and can’t do?

Does it need to be done in one hit if i install a victorian style fireplace, or can i put a hearth stone in, leave it whilst i do some other bits on the house that are more urgent and then finish it off when i have some more money and time?

and some thoughts, if i put a new hearth in does the fireplace/stove have impact on what i can and can’t do?

Yes. I think there is a handy diagram in buildings regs that tells you how thick/wide/material it has to be depending on what’s being installed.

I had to extend my hearth by about 20cm to get the right clearances in front

budget 2k for buying an old fireplace and getting it fitted.

when you say painswick road do you mean norwood? or is there more than one?

Sorry, yeah, it is on great norwood st. My mistake.

Since no one has said it yet, regarding the chimney, you have a choice of using the chimney or lining the chimney with a flue liner. The latter is generally preferable if you are installing a stove because (i) provided it is sized correctly it will ensure the correct draw from the stove to get the flue gases out of the chimney and a good burn rate in the stove and (ii) it is less faff than trying make a gas-seal on the register plate around the stove flue pipe. However, it can be reasonably expensive.

You’ll need to remove the bricks from the fireplace opening to see what state your chimney is in. Make sure you check for a lintel and if there isn’t one, you’ll have to put one back in (we found ours had been removed as some point when a new throat plate had been added).

Once you have removed the bricks from the fireplace, have a look up the chimney with a torch and see if you can see any obstructions. If not, a smoke test will show up any gaps in the brickwork that will need fixing before you can burn anything in the fireplace (flue gases can be very dangerous i.e. CO poisoning, as well as the risk of chimney/house fire). You can buy a smoke test or you can ask a chimney sweep or stove installer to do it for you.

We found this site very helpful for information.

When a bit further on with knowing what you want to install, we found our Building Regs guy at the Council very helpful to nail down details of the hearth, clearances, flue etc. Inspection and certification cost us about £100.