False chimney breast

exitroute?

Hi all. I rent a housing association cardboard box with a rectangular flat walled dull lounge/diner 21x 13. Tenants are not allowed to add permanent structures and I would like a false chimney breast to put an electric fire on to give the room a focal point and make it cosier. Any advice on the cheapest way to do this would be welcome please. Also, if a plasma tele is put on it, where would the wires go and is it safe to put plasma tv's on a wall above an electric fire? Finally, as a chimney breast would be going on a wall between us and neighbours, which is breeze block, would a plasma TV affect neighbours? Thanks.

wallbash

If I was given the task of building a 'removable' chimney breast.
Wooden frame covered in plasterboard.


Tv wires hidden in structure.

Other questions the plasma tv comes next year.

My old fashioned ?? tv is built into chimney breast on a flat wall , i.e the chimney is on the outside of the living room.

So the tv 'looks ' like a flat screen ...... nearly :rotfl:

Oldernotwiser

You can have a focal fire without a chimney breast. I've had several Victorian properties without these as the chimney was built on the outside rather than the inside of the house.

In a modern property it's quite simple to attach a fireplace and surround to the wall and add an electric fire.

olias

Why not look at something like this

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4172154/Trail/searchtext%3EFIRE.htm

or

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4172848/Trail/searchtext%3EFIRE.htm

There are loads of similar things around, I have one that looks like a cast iron wood burning stove but is electric (very convincing)

It would be a lot less hassle than building a false chimney breast. Basically all you do is stand them against a wall and plug them in!

As for the TV, personally I would just use a stand. The problem with hanging it on the wall (as you have stated), is that you then have the problem of the cables being on show, and it's a big job to try and hide them, especially in a solid wall. If you do hang it, then I can't see a problem with it being above an electric fire, as most electric fires are just glorified fan heaters that blow the heat straight out into the room.

Olias

SailorSam

When i moved in my last house the lounge was a featureless box, i built a false chimney breast as 'wallbash' suggested, a simple wooden frame and plasterboard. I think if you want to hang your Tv on it though i'd get something stronger, and use maybe Mdf or plywood.

27col

I built a false chimney breast to accommodate a new inset fire. As I recall, I used some sheet material which was supposed to be heat resistant on the area nearest the heat source. I cannot remember the name at the moment.
http://s427.photobucket.com/albums/pp352/27col/?action=view&current=100_0174.jpg
http://s427.photobucket.com/albums/pp352/27col/?action=view&current=100_0175-1.jpg
http://s427.photobucket.com/albums/pp352/27col/?action=view&current=100_0177.jpg
http://s427.photobucket.com/albums/pp352/27col/?action=view&current=100_0190.jpg

exitroute?

Thanks all. Great job 27col. Think I will end up having a fire suite...its just a characterless room and I thought a chimney breast and some shelves off it to the side would improve it.