Knocking out a fireplace

Marie19x

Hi everyone,

I've tried to find a builders type forum online that I might be able to post this question on but thought i'd try here too.
We recently moved into a house that has an open fire. We're only a young could, my OH doesn't have much DIY experience (i'm probably better than him to be honest! haha) so we have no good idea how to go about this without youtubing etc.

Anyway, we have an open log fire currently, and we want to open this up to have installers put in a wood burning/ multi fuel stove. We haven't picked one out yet, because obviously we need to know the right measurements beforehand.
I will take a picture when I get home tonight and post it. Does anyone know if this could be a simple job to knock out and if so, how we go about it? I'm not talking installing a stove etc, we literally just want to get the current fireplace out so that we can make arrangements for installers to cost up the job, and also to figure out what stove we want.

I have read that installers for the stove alone will be in the £1000s, so really wanting to do this ourselves to save cost as we just don't have the extra money right now.

sickparrot

Without knowing what's in there it's hard to say, but it could be a simple as buying a £50 SDS heavy hammer drill and some chisels and blattering away at it until it's out.

DRP

Presuming we're talking about a fireplace in a chimney breast of a traditionally built house...

You'll be able to remove the fireplace yourself, and then very likely itll be fine to 'open up' the opening to the arch or lintel .

Then it's a case of tidying it up (possibly removing firebricks from the rear, sorting out the hearth etc).

Personally I would get a stove fitter in to quote you for the work and give advice before starting.

DTDfanBoy

It depends entirely what you mean by opening the fireplace, as it's currently an open fireplace everything on display might be structural so for obvious reasons you won't easily be able to remove anything.

rustyboy21

you want it opening up to make it into an Inglenook setting.


With your acceptance that DIY is neither of your forte's then I would leave well alone and let your installer do it for you. You could make matters worse and trying to save £100 may cost you £1000 in repair work.


Get someone to do the whole lot for you.

Marie19x

Hey again,

Thank you for the replies- it really means a lot!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/132557003@N08/GKG72Y

Hoping you can see the above picture, they are the estate agent photos from when we moved last year but it'll do for now. We have had a little look so will post a pic when I get home tonight....

My dad actually knocked his own out (but his was all plastered up there was no fire there) to make way for a multi fuel stove himself, but he works away in Saudi now so I have no chance of him doing it for me! He told me to look for a lintel and to make sure we have one there- which we do. It looks as though the guy who was here before just kind of chucked the new fire together as we took the back firebrick out the other night and there's an opening in between 2 'normal' bricks behind, which i'm assuming housed something to do with an older fire previously. But i'll post pics tonight.

smej

https://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk is a good help. I'm in the same position myself as I don't fancy paying £1000 for a job that this website says I can do myself. My dad and I would be quite handy between us. We're not builders by any stretch but have a bit of know how about us.

Keep us posted with how you get on....I'm going to be getting started in the next few weeks.

Kiran

I've done a few of these now. Julian Patrick (stove fitters manual) has done many more and as it says on the website link you've been given above, if you have a larger builders opening then this is a very simple job, I just use a hammer and bolster to avoid filling the house with dust and take out the bricks one by one until back to the builders opening. If you don't have a larger builders opening then by your own admission, it's a job for a pro. The guide in the link covers everything so is definitely worth a read and then you can make an informed decision.