 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I recently had the gas capped and gas fire removed, leaving the open fireplace. Would like to remove the raised hearth and replace with one flush with floor to provide a bit more usable space. No wood burning stove or other source of heat planned, but thinking it would be nice to keep a neat recess for decorative purposes.
What are the options for this apart from appropriate render on the brickwork? A box made from plasterboard?
Also what would need to happen concerning ventilation? Assume something like a 'Chimney Sheep' up the chimney if rendering brickwork, and just a grill or some such in the the box for that approach (if that even is a legitimate approach)?
I'm about to email some fireplace people, but as always, would be good to get STW input!
You can just cover the entire thing with plasterboard and theres no need to add a ventilation grill or such. As to what to put in the space, a simple box made of plasterboard sounds fine to me.
Its not unusual for people to cover the hole and still put up a simple fireplace/mantelpiece surround, as such can lend a focal point to the room.
PS
Its not unusual to find stone or brick under the hearth, even if the rest of the floor is wooden. So if you just remove the hearth and cover over it the carpet might have a bit of a bumpy look to it.
As above. Wooden floor joists will normally stop at the "border" with the hearth. Victorians often built a shallow brick arch between the nearest joists and concreted over to give a fire-resistant base. Victorian concrete isn't as good as modern stuff.
Our approach was to tile over at carpet level, but you could carpet if that's what you want.
Approach to fire-place will depend on construction, I'd be less bothered about a lined chimney, but get advice. Brick would need ventilation imho
Yes I had the remains of a stone slab under the floor with a long ago removed fireplace that I reinstated. almost certainly you will have had either a stone slab or cast concrete for the hearth
What age is the house? On my old Victorian house we opened up one fireplace and dropped in a reclaimed cast iron fire. On the other I opened it up, boarded it out and dropped some shelves in.
If it's a hung floor it should have a constructional hearth which will be flush with the floorboards.
I used to live in a detached Edwardian house that had 2 open fireplaces downstairs. Came to remove one and about a half ton of rubble fell-out. The original fireplace was built for a cast iron kitchen range (long since removed) and had been bricked in with a smaller fireplace. Cleaned it all out and installed a wood burner instead. Â If closing out the chimney install a vented cowl at the top to keep birds and a chimney balloon at the bottom.
Nothing beats a lovely mantelpiece.
Here's one I made earlier 🙂
On the other I opened it up, boarded it out and dropped some shelves in.
This sounds like the approach we'd like. House is 1957 semi, contemporary interior so a clean box would be good to place something in - still references a fireplace rather than completely blocking recess off. Just wondered if doing this with say a plasterboard box would be as good for limiting draughts/cold, maintaining ventilation etc, compared with work to the brickwork and plastering with a draught excluder up the chimney.
Removing the mantelpiece and making the hearth flush to the floor will mean we can fit an armchair in more easily!