Cost of chimney breast and fireplace

EconomicsGirl

We live in a house which has previously had the lounge chimney breast and fireplace removed. We would like to have it added back in (its still in the room above). We have been given a quote of £3.5k including the a Victorian fireplace package installed. Does anyone know if this is reasonable and if we'll need building control approval or not. Thanks very much.

cazzashirley

where abouts are you in UK?

EconomicsGirl

We live in Essex.

Dozer_2

I have had two Victorian fireplaces installed (original) to burn solid fuel. Both had to be installed by a HETAS qualified person (chimney sweep in our case) who installed them to conform to building regs. It cost us £250 for an all in one cast (including building the hearth) and £350 for a larger fireplace with a wooden surround (again including building the hearth).

Not sure about the chimney breast...taking it away should involve building control but adding it might not. Best advice is to give them a ring.

Dozer_2

Sorry just to clarify those costs are just for installing the fireplaces, they cost us considerably more to buy!

macman

Is the stack still in place in the loft and at the roof level? How has it been supported at 1st floor level?
Surely it must involve BC, as the new structure at ground floor level will have to support the rest above it, so it's structural. You'll also need to serve a Party Wall Notice if the wall is common, i.e. if it's a terace or semi-detached property.

C_Mababejive

Have you looked at Selkirk Metalbestos flue products??
http://www.selkirkchimney.co.uk/about-us.html

These are chimney breast/flue kits made of sheet metal and assembled in modular form

Dozer_2

macman wrote: »

Is the stack still in place in the loft and at the roof level? How has it been supported at 1st floor level?

I know someone who installed a fire and used it without checking the chimney was still on the roof (it wasn't). Eek!

EconomicsGirl

Thanks very much for the replies. The chimney is still in place in the first floor and the loft and there is a chimney on the roof. When we bought the house the surveyor said when the chimney was taken out in the living room (don't know exactly when but over 22 years ago) it wasn't properly supported. He said there aren't any signs of structural damage but he said to get it properly supported - our estate agent said this costs about £1k. I've e-mailed building control to see if we need them involved or not. Went round fireplace shops at the weekend and they said that as the structure above wasn't properly supported the quote we had (which was for stud walls) won't be right and we'ld need brick walls or similar support. The alternative seems to be a flat wall fireplace with a flueless gas fire (we were told a flat fireplace would be about £1.5k installed and brick chimney breast plus fireplace the guy did an in his head quick quote of £3.5k to £4k) but then we'ld need to sort out the structure seperately if we have a flat fireplace. It is on a joint wall with the neighbours. Thanks again.

macman

If the remaining breast is not properly supported then you need to have that sorted anyway as the potential is there for the whole lot to come down otherwise. Get a builder to look at it ASAP. If you want the original fireplace restoring then presumably the ground floor breast needs to be rebuilt to support the masonry above.
You will need both BC involved and to serve a PWN on your neighbours. I doubt they'll object, if the alternative is to have your chimney stack fall through their roof!

EconomicsGirl

Macman - Thanks very much. You're right we do need BC - I got an e-mail back from them saying that and they said we should do it oursleves. Not sure if we are supposed to get quotes first or BC first. We seem to have the option of flat fireplace plus supporting the chimney or reinstating whole lounge chimney breast and fireplace which would look nicer but cost more. Tempted to go with the latter though looking at surveyors report it says chimney on the roof is in poor condition too.