fireplace

Cadyboo

Hi we have 2 fireplaces back to back in kitchen and sitting room. While we will light the sitting room fire we don't need the one in the kitchen atm but in a few years when the kids get older we would probably like to get a stove in there.
So do we just remove the fireplace and plasterboard it? Cap the chimney? Is there anything else we would need to do please? Thanks

zimmermania

Cadyboo wrote: »

Hi we have 2 fireplaces back to back in kitchen and sitting room. While we will light the sitting room fire we don't need the one in the kitchen atm but in a few years when the kids get older we would probably like to get a stove in there.
So do we just remove the fireplace and plasterboard it? Cap the chimney? Is there anything else we would need to do please? Thanks

You can block it up with plasterboard,but you should put a small vent just above skirting board level.Stick a cement bag down the chimney and put a few inches of strong (3 parts sand 1 part cement) mix into the chimney pot,raised in the centre sloping down to the edge of chimney pot to keep the water out and it will remove with a tap of a hammer if ever you do install a stove.

Cadyboo

zimmermania wrote: »

You can block it up with plasterboard,but you should put a small vent just above skirting board level.Stick a cement bag down the chimney and put a few inches of strong (3 parts sand 1 part cement) mix into the chimney pot,raised in the centre sloping down to the edge of chimney pot to keep the water out and it will remove with a tap of a hammer if ever you do install a stove.

Thanks very much. Never thought of a vent so ill be sure to do that.

antiskeptic

zimmermania wrote: »

You can block it up with plasterboard,but you should put a small vent just above skirting board level.Stick a cement bag down the chimney and put a few inches of strong (3 parts sand 1 part cement) mix into the chimney pot,raised in the centre sloping down to the edge of chimney pot to keep the water out and it will remove with a tap of a hammer if ever you do install a stove.

Isn't the purpose of room level ventilation to dry out any water that falls down the chimney (which itself is a normal enough occurance). If so, why would there be a need to go to the trouble of capping the chimney as well (which is pretty involved piece of work, from an access/safety point of view for most people).

And if capping why would be bother ventilating?

I'd just block and vent and leave it at that. You might get some birds nesting but prob not a high risk of that.

zimmermania

antiskeptic wrote: »

Isn't the purpose of room level ventilation to dry out any water that falls down the chimney (which itself is a normal enough occurance). If so, why would there be a need to go to the trouble of capping the chimney as well (which is pretty involved piece of work, from an access/safety point of view for most people).

And if capping why would be bother ventilating?

I'd just block and vent and leave it at that. You might get some birds nesting but prob not a high risk of that.

I stated that if one blocks with plasterboard one should block the chimney on top as plasterboard will break up if wet.
It is always better to put in a vent as moisture often finds its way into a flue through different means.

Markcheese

You can buy a " chimney plug " in most builders providers - it's just a terra cotta plug that you pop in the chimney pot on top of the chimney ! No idea how much they are , but it's easy and removable if you ever want to reopen the fireplace- no idea if you still have to vent the fire place void though -