Gas Fire replacement advice, pre cast flue.

modd1uk

Edited................................

Doozergirl

I should think the work involved in cutting and polishing the existing marble, combined with the risk of it breaking could mean you either pay out a similar amount for cutting the existing marble, or twice - once for cutting it, twice for buying a new one anyway. Fireplace shops don't do the cutting themselves - they'll be done to order somewhere so you'd have to find someone separately.

The reason you need that £200 hearth is to hold up the silver piece of the regular fire with the gas pipes in it. You save money with a bog standard fire but spend a fortune on holding up a piece of metal designed for the floor.

I know you're not asking my opinion, but the proposed set up looks a bit odd to me. I'd either go for a proper hole in the wall without a projection, if the room is genuinely that small, or a proper ground-based fire simply because they look more inviting. They probably wouldn't cost as much either.

modd1uk

Doozergirl wrote: »

I should think the work involved in cutting and polishing the existing marble, combined with the risk of it breaking could mean you either pay out a similar amount for cutting the existing marble, or twice - once for cutting it, twice for buying a new one anyway. Fireplace shops don't do the cutting themselves - they'll be done to order somewhere so you'd have to find someone separately.

The reason you need that £200 hearth is to hold up the silver piece of the regular fire with the gas pipes in it. You save money with a bog standard fire but spend a fortune on holding up a piece of metal designed for the floor.

I know you're not asking my opinion, but the proposed set up looks a bit odd to me. I'd either go for a proper hole in the wall without a projection, if the room is genuinely that small, or a proper ground-based fire simply because they look more inviting. They probably wouldn't cost as much either.

Hey, opinions are more than welcome, i'm by no means an interior designer , so thank you for your opinion i will have to look into our options, its the pre cast flue bit that's stumping me.

The living room is only small, I've tried to take a picture below. Entire room is being decorated with new flooring too so excuse the state its currently in. What do you mean without projection ? Without any marble or shelf ? You will have to excuse my noobiness

Doozergirl

Yes, I mean without a shelf, but the hole in the wall thing is always going to be more expensive with a pre-cast flue? Are you attached to neighbours on that side?

I can see the room is narrow, but it's not really the hearth that's doing the damage to the aesthetic of the room - it's the stonking great fire sitting on it. I think you'd notice a difference even if you kept the marble and just had a more discreet fire.

Personally, I'd still want to have the focalpoint and character that goes with having a mantelpiece and all the little family trinkets in a boxy room like that.

rustyboy21

Hi OP

The problem you have is that there are so many sizes of precast flue fitted into houses, that it is impossible for anyone to give you the right answers on here.

Precast flues can vary from around 2-3 '' depth, to 7 or 8''. Only certain fires will fit into certain flues. You also have the issue, that precast flues, are in effect, shaped like a toy house, with one side missing. What I mean is, that the chamber the fire fits into is in effect made from a special type of breeze block on 3 sides, you then have a ' gatherer' hood on top of that. It depends on what height this hood is set at, for what height you can go to. Some houses I have sold fires to, had no height at all and they could not have a fire raised at all off the floor.

You won't get anyone prepared to cut your marble down for you. It is not just cutting it, it will also need to have the edges polished and chamfered, in order to look ok. They won't do it, as marble has a tendency to crack and you would hold them responsible.

This isn't something that you can by off the net, you need someone qualified in fires and fireplaces to guide you correctly. Certain manufacturers allow their fires to be fitted as a hole in the wall, with a reduced depth hearth, some don't. Manufacturers installer guides dictate, what can be done. Some manufacturers say you can fit the fire with no hearth at all, but they then state you have to have a '' Tactile fender'' in front of the fire, to stop accidents. This means a fireguard.

What you want, can be done, but don't try buying this from one place, the fire from another, as you will not get anyone to fit it. Yu need a specialist fireplace installer to fit it. I would say , a lot of the gas safe guys on here, wouldn't be prepared to fit a fire like you want it, as they are not up on how they are done.

As I said, some fire manufacturers let you have a reduced depth hearth, some don't and you need a min 12'' depth hearth fitted, to stop clothes being pulled into the fire.

The quote you have doesn't seem to bad to me, there will be some plastering to do to fit it like you want, which should be in that price. Most important thing is getting the right fire and you won't know what you can have, until the site is surveyed.

Nice main legend fire you have there BTW, they weigh a tonne !

modd1uk

After reading your post and the earlier ones we have decided to just opt for a normal fire, as reading online it looks like you can have a minimum depth hearth of 300mm from the front of the fire and 150mm each side of the fire ? If that's correct we can live with that as the hearth will be a bit smaller than the one we currently have fitted, and the entire thing should be easier to source/get somebody to fit.

We appreciate every bodies advice thank you.

And i thought somebody might know what our current fire is, house is only 15 years old yet the fire looks a hell of a lot older !

edit - Just realised you had said 12" which is roughly 300mm, am i right in thinking the sides have to be 150mm minimum each side of the fire ?

Are there any brands of fires to consider within our budget that you could recommend, i will get it all bought/fitted from one place to ensure it all fits, i gather it should be a little cheaper going down the normal route and not the hole in the wall route?

The one we were quoted on was a Paragon Solar, which can be fitted as hole in the wall on pre cast flues, but again like you said a proper survey is needed really to see what can/cant fit.

As doozergirl said earlier i think one of the problems is that our current fire is HUGE, with a slightly reduced sized (but still within regs) hearth and a nice modern smaller fire it should look ok. Thanks for the advice both of you.

rustyboy21

yes, you are about right there.

TBH, you could spend around £1000 and get a lovely new fireplace and a brand new fire, with a 12'' hearth that will make your room look stunning. There are some high efficiency inset gas fires on the market, which would fit your flue, no problems and only protrude into your room about 90mm. It is the fire which overtakes the fireplace. The botticino marble back and hearth make it larger than it is and the adams style fireplace is on the large size.

You could get something like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIREPLACE-FIRE-SURROUND-IN-WHITE-BRUSHED-LIMESTONE-44-CAT-/170802514993

and a fire like this

http://www.fires2u.com/product/1625/valor-homeflame-bauhaus-slimline-he-gas-fire.html

and it would look stunning together.

You will see what I mean about your fire, when you take the canopy off, it is cast iron and weighs a tonne !