Brick inside fireplace - stove related

darkstream

Our chimney breast is 158cm wide and we've lined the inside with ordinary brick and mortar. The opening between the brick inside is now 118cm. We are going to go with a stove but some are telling us that we need to use firebrick instead while others are telling us the ordinary brick should be fine. Does anyone know if this distance would be enough not to have an effect on the brick/mortar or should only firebrick be used in this situation. All advice welcome!

Carlow52

what does the spec on the stove call for?

What sort of stove is it, insert/standalone/etc

darkstream

We haven't picked a stove yet but it will be a stand alone. The size of the room would suggest that it should have a 3-4 kw output. It's a new build and we haven't got talking to the plumber yet but we had intended connecting it to a back boiler

Stove Fan

darkstream wrote: »

We haven't picked a stove yet but it will be a stand alone. The size of the room would suggest that it should have a 3-4 kw output. It's a new build and we haven't got talking to the plumber yet but we had intended connecting it to a back boiler

Hi the ordinary bricks will be fine for a stove installation. You would only need firebrick if it was an open fire and the bricks were exposed direct to the hot fire.

Stove Fan:)

Carlow52

darkstream wrote: »

We haven't picked a stove yet but it will be a stand alone. The size of the room would suggest that it should have a 3-4 kw output. It's a new build and we haven't got talking to the plumber yet but we had intended connecting it to a back boiler

Think long and hard about this and then be aware of the plumbing complications.

The topic has had a good lash here so search for posts there-on.

For reason that you will find in previous contributions of mind, dont do it:)

darkstream

Thanks Stove Fan, is your advice based on any of the info i gave regarding distance and output or is this irrelevant and brick can be used anyways with stove. The reason I ask is that I may need to move bricks in 4 inches either side to accomodate a mantle surround.

Carlow52, you asked for details. I take it you agree with stove fan??? On the back boiler part someone else on a different thread advised a buffer tank but I don't want to get off topic here. One step at a time:)

If anyone else has any experience of using stove with brick lining fireplace could you let me know how it's going. Sorry to be pernickety on this but I've the bricks in already and someone sowed a seed of doubt in my mind about bricks cracking and crumbling and mortar shooting out into the room and just want to make sure I get it right

Stove Fan

darkstream wrote: »

Thanks Stove Fan, is your advice based on any of the info i gave regarding distance and output or is this irrelevant and brick can be used anyways with stove. The reason I ask is that I may need to move bricks in 4 inches either side to accomodate a mantle surround.

Carlow52, you asked for details. I take it you agree with stove fan??? On the back boiler part someone else on a different thread advised a buffer tank but I don't want to get off topic here. One step at a time:)

If anyone else has any experience of using stove with brick lining fireplace could you let me know how it's going. Sorry to be pernickety on this but I've the bricks in already and someone sowed a seed of doubt in my mind about bricks cracking and crumbling and mortar shooting out into the room and just want to make sure I get it right

Hi:) My own fireplace is modern brick backed and no problems. The stove output is irrelevant. Bricks can be used to surround a stove as they are inflammable. Most of the big citys were brick with brick chimneys. Most bricks are fired in an oven to dry them and so can take some heat.

Honestly you will have no problem. Your stove should have 150 mm clearance either side in the opening and 300mm above for building regulations. This is not because of the brickwork but to allow air to circulate to cool the stove.

Fitting a wooden fire surround will be fine so long as its the correct clearance from the stove as stated in the installation instructions.

You see a lot of brick fireplaces old and new.

Our Fireplace using modern brick.

Stove Fan:)

DoneDL

Given a choice I would prefer something like engineering brick. I would be concerrned about using a softer stock brick.

darkstream

Thanks for that Stove Fan and appreciate the picture too, looks great!

DoneDL, can you throw anymore light on your concerns? Is this a personal opinion/choice or have you seen/heard anything to support your advice. Apologies if I appear to be cross examing you:), just want to tease this out

DoneDL

No offence taken at all. I would be careful of using brick with too high a water content, engineering brick is a very hard brick that doesn`t absorb water. My worry would be using a soft brick that was second hand and/or stored outside may fail or degrade over time when subjected to a lot of heat.