Gas Fire & Surround Search

likelyfran

Hi All,

I'm wondering if there are any experienced Corgi-type people on here who could advise us please on our efforts to get a gas fire/surround/mantel installed for an elderly relative?

He has looked into it all a bit and is insisting on a particular fire - a Flavel Misermatic (old-fashioned looking type, not living flame).

We want to get a non-wood - so marble/stone that kind of thing - back plate and surround/mantle to go with that particular fire but it's all getting a bit confusing in our local and online research.

Apparently the Misermatic is 'freestanding' - will it go with any backplate surround? Or do we have to go to someone who will do it all as a package? If we are trying to get marble/stone bits separately from the fire (if we can do that), do we need to get into measurements to ensure it all fits together or is it all 'standard'?

Relative is 83 and alarmed at whole-package quotes of '£800 - £1k and upwards'. He won't hear of anyone paying anything towards it so we're trying to find the most economical way to do it all.

Clueless! Thanks in advance for any valued advice!

rustyboy21

The fire will work fine with a marble back panel and hearth. A marble surround is ok too.

The fire is very large, so it will dictate the size of the surround, as you need clearances around the fire and especially above the fire, not only for regulations, but also so he can get his hand in for switching it on/off.

Don' know why he wants that particular fire. He may have had the same one in the past, but the current ones don't work the same way as the old ones, all the burners are lit on all settings, not like it used to be, when , if you put it on '2' the two centre burners were lit. If he wants a fire that works that way, you would have to look at Robinson Willey or Valor Outset fires, as they are the only ones which work on the old type system, which older people loved.

Buying all the bits separately can end up dearer than from one place.

As it stands the average price for the fire he wants is coming up at £280

A marble surround and back and hearth big enough to accommodate the fire is coming up as £849 in B&Q, so his pricing will be way out, even prior to fitting to regs.

Have another chat with a local fireplace dealer, who will be able to guide him, in what fireplaces would work with the fire.

likelyfran

Thanks rustyboy21. We can get the fire for £250 new round here and have seen a marble surround for £299 but had no idea the fire he wants is a large one! Hmm.. will do some more digging.
V. interesting about those other fire types, that may have been along the lines he was thinking - he's 83! Will look into those.