Practical - fake chimney breast

dantheram1985

hi all,

Looking at buying a house where the chimney breast is on the outside of the external wall, meaning there is no internal chimney breast and the lounge is featureless.

Has anybody done this - is it a viable solution that looks authentic?

What are the rough prospective costs? Will also need a chimney stack replacing as the current owner had those removed too :mad:

stuart45

I've done a few fake ones, including an inglenook and a smaller one in my own cottage. They look like a working fireplace when finished. I did mine in masonry, but they can be done in studwork if you prefer.

ed110220

In my opinion chimney breasts are just a waste of space and chimneys a source of roof leaks, which is why I removed mine. You could of course build a fake one out of timber studwork and plasterboard, it would look just the same as a plastered masonry chimney breast.

If you're lacking a feature I'd do something else like paint or wallpaper that wall in a different colour, have a large painting etc there.

GwylimT

We made one in our previous house, timber frame, plasterboard and plastered, I put in an oak mantle shelf and a small log burner (not used), and two sandstone slabs.

robatwork

You want to put a pretend chimney breast INTO a wall that's flat?

I'm not one for emojis but is there a rolling eyes one?

kerri_gt

Could you not place a piece of furniture or some artwork for a focus point? We do have a chimney breast and a working fire in this house, but our previous one didn't and I can't say we missed it.

Mistral001

If the fireplace is bricked up, then have you thought of reinstating it with mantlepiece etc. That alone would make a good feature.

Doozergirl

robatwork wrote: »

You want to put a pretend chimney breast INTO a wall that's flat?

I'm not one for emojis but is there a rolling eyes one?

I think they mean onto.

To be fair, knocking into it to create an inglenook type thithing is probably the most effective if they want a fire - which i'm guessing they do if they're feeling passionate about the chimney stack.

It seem to be the fashion to knock into the chimney breast to render it, tile the hearth and install a wood burner with a new flue and an oak lintel over.

Davesnave

Doozergirl wrote: »

It seem to be the fashion to knock into the chimney breast to render it, tile the hearth and install a wood burner with a new flue and an oak lintel over.

And like many fashions, it's only after people have expended thousands that they discover it was not the most sensible option.

Many town dwellers don't have access to cheap firewood in sufficient quantity, or the means to store it. As a result, they end up burning insufficiently dry wood, gain less heat than the might and poison themselves and their neighbours.

If you go for a stove in town and there's gas available, use it.

Fire_Fox

Chimney breasts and hearths restrict placement of electric sockets, furniture, TV/ landline/ internet points ... I would not take one out of a period property, but I would not buy a house with a fake one either.

Buy a house that has the original features you desire, or use your creativity on a modern feature. Custom built in shelving/ cupboards can be attractive and practical, for example.

Doozergirl

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Chimney breasts and hearths restrict placement of electric sockets, furniture, TV/ landline/ internet points ... I would not take one out of a period property, but I would not buy a house with a fake one either.

Buy a house that has the original features you desire, or use your creativity on a modern feature. Custom built in shelving/ cupboards can be attractive and practical, for example.

It would take a while to work out that a internal chimney breast was fake if there's already and external one.

I think chimney breasts make it easier to place things, personally. We can't have one in our new house, it will be too warm. I'm finding it a real challenge to create a decent focal point!