Options for fireplace removal

chamelious

The house we're going to be moving into has an (inactive) chimney, and the smaller bedroom has an ugly fireplace in we'd like to have removed.

Will it just need bricked up, or is there anyway that space can be used, eg for storage? We'll have builders in replacing the roof, is it a simple enough job we could get them to do?

Room: http://imgur.com/a/IiSlz

Thanks

TheCyclingProgrammer

Is it an original feature fireplace? If so, make sure you hang on to it as this could be appealing to somebody buying your house in the future - people like original features and might want to restore it.

It can be bricked up and plastered over, you'll need to fit a vent to prevent damp problems. Alternatively you could open it the recess and use it for something.

Your builders should be able to do either easily. I assume its not a gas fire but if it is then it will need a Gas Safe registered engineer to disconnect and cap off the gas supply.

chamelious

Thanks for the response, did you have a look at the photo of it? Its somewhat obscured i appreciate. It doesn't look like a "feature" one.

Mojisola

It looks like an original feature to me.

fairy_lights

That's not ugly at all! You might not like it but believe me, it's the sort of feature that is attractive to a lot of buyers. Could you just put furniture in font of it to cover it up?

TheCyclingProgrammer

Mojisola wrote: »

It looks like an original feature to me.

Me too, though its impossible to say for sure from a photo. It could be a reproduction.

chamelious

fairy_lights wrote: »

That's not ugly at all! You might not like it but believe me, it's the sort of feature that is attractive to a lot of buyers. Could you just put furniture in font of it to cover it up?

Really? A pointless, useless, space consuming hunk of black metal stuck in the corner of a tiny room?

Honestly, it seems utterly absurd that anyone would find that attractive.

Its taking up space, its getting removed one way or another. I dont care what any future buyers of the house think.

TheCyclingProgrammer

chamelious wrote: »

Really? A pointless, useless, space consuming hunk of black metal stuck in the corner of a tiny room?

Honestly, it seems utterly absurd that anyone would find that attractive.

Its taking up space, its getting removed one way or another. I dont care what any future buyers of the house think.

I'm sure I read somewhere that buyers will pay more for a period house with some of its features still intact.

I'm not saying you shouldn't remove it (its your house), just see if you can find out if its original and if so, keep hold of the original (stick it in the loft or something). You might be glad you did whenever you do ever sell the house.

chamelious

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

I'm sure I read somewhere that buyers will pay more for a period house with some of its features still intact.

I'm not saying you shouldn't remove it (its your house), just see if you can find out if its original and if so, keep hold of the original (stick it in the loft or something). You might be glad you did whenever you do ever sell the house.

Thats cool- Could easily enough store it, i just have doubts its "original" since the house is 150 years old, and the main fireplace is certainly not original.

TheCyclingProgrammer

i just have doubts its "original" since the house is 150 years old, and the main fireplace is certainly not original.

Probably more common for original fireplaces downstairs to be replaced as people replace them with usable modern alternatives like gas or electric fires. With central heating though, there's not much call for fireplaces in bedrooms so the originals are more likely to have been kept.

Doozergirl

I'd be very sad to lose that

However, you are opening yourself up to a world of problems if you remove it. In older houses, chimney breasts provide much needed airflow.

You have no visible trickle vents on the back walls, and will have solid walls with no insulation - these can be prone to condensation. It's a small house too, so likely to be fully occupied with all the associated moisture produced.

A vent in the chimney will help the chimney breast from dampness but it may not be enough to keep the house nicely ventilated.

Just be careful.