knocking down brick fireplace - what next

sunshune

HI All

i am asking this question for my sister. She needs to knock down her brick fireplace for safety reasons and has someone into do the work on monday.

But i wanted to check that the person she has to do it knows what they are doing.

It is an old brick fireplace with a mantle there is a gas fire there but has never been fitted since she bought the house 7 years ago (the previous owners just bought one to hide the hole ( does that mean that the pipes are capped?)

The workmen have told her that they will knock it down which will take them at least a day. Will they then need to replaster or reseal with plasterboard. What materials and products should they use on the area once the bricks have been removed?

Sorry for all the questions but she has had so much bad luck with workmen i am just trying to look out for her

phill99

Do you mean fireplace or chimney breast. The 2 are completely different and the latter would normally require building regs approval.

sunshune

Hi

It's a fireplace thanks

Sambucus_Nigra

I'd have to see it to comment, sorry.

Leif

I suspect no-one understands your question, as you have not described what is currently in place. Does the fireplace project out from the wall into the room? Is the idea to remove it so that the wall is flat? If so, you have to be careful as it can be a structural component of the house. Don't assume that someone knows what they are doing just because they quote to do the job. I got caught by that one.

Alternatively you might just have a brick surround which needs removing, and then the opening is boarded up and plastered over. If so, you have to leave an air vent, unless you block the chimney too.

sunshune

You're right leif I probably didn't describe the situation well. The fire place does project from the wall and the end result is to have a flat wall. My
Sister did want to remove the chimney breast but it costs too much, complying with the building regs etc so she wants the wall flat.
I presume she will board up the area then plaster over it , leaving a vent (is that to prevent damp and condensation?

When you say structural component to the house do the workmen have to put in place any supporting materials once they remove the bricks?

Also when you were stung how did you find someone you trusted to do the job? My sister has been stung before and really doesn't have anyone she could ask for recommendations.

Thanks

jc808

why asking now if this is to be done monday?

why does the fireplace need to be down for 'safety reasons'?

"Sister did want to remove the chimney breast but it costs too much, complying with the building regs etc so she wants the wall flat."

sorry, this is completely contradictory, if she is flattening the wall, she IS removing the chimney breast and NEEDS building regs approval!!!!

Sambucus_Nigra

I'm more confused now than ever.

sunshune

I'm obviously not explaining this very well is there any way to put pictures up on this site?

All that I'd being removed is the brick fire place not chimney breast.

Sambucus_Nigra

Put them onto flickr or photobox and post the link here.

I'm still confused as to why it needs removing for safety reasons in the first place. Is it falling down/over/out?

Barneysmom

No, it's ok - I understood at the first post.

He'll knock the fireplace out (aha the mess!) then cover the hole with a plasterboard sheet.
Then a plaster skim over it to make it all nice and flat.
He'll have to cut a hole in the plasterboard to fit one of these air vents like this

http://www.screwfix.com/c/ventilation/mapvent/cat840636

So she'll have to choose white/brass/whatever colour carefully as it'll be there a long time.

Or she could ask him to hold fire on the vent till she's found one she prefers, there are some really nice decorative ones available.

Just Google decorative air vent.