Reinstalling a solid fuel fireplace

ScottishDanny

Hello all,
looking for a bit of advice here. I am hoping to restore a fireplace I uncovered in my living room. Here is a pic of the 'hole' and the fireplace that I am going to order. I have already bought a concrete fireback but I have not cemented it in. The cast-iron fire comes with a fireback built in so can I simply tidy up the hole with fire cement, backfill with perlite and install the fireplace with a fire-rope seal and thats it or should I use the concrete fireback as well?

ScottishDanny

Sorry - here is the fireplace pic (don't ask me why it is outside)
https://sslrelay.com/s87584725.oneandoneshop.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessionid=154367633480848/shopdata/0010_Special+Offers=3CBR=3E=28click+here=29/product_details.shopscript?article=0030_Ce%2BLux%2BInsert%3D28High%3D29%2B%3D2B%2BCorbel%2B%3D28CeLuxSpecHl%3D29

rooferPete

Hi,

The fireback will be in the way of your new fire-set, some of the cast iron fireplaces come with a frame to fit the fireback into but they are not off the shelf purchases.

I don't know where you found the fireplace but from what I could see there is no independent web site behind the secure area, if you follow it back it leads to a hosting service.

Thought you might be interested.

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squire1

Just as an aside. I had a fire surround just like this one in a previous house and had trouble with smoke escaping. The design of the surround angles back in towards the fire and unless you have a very good draw on the chimney, smoke will tend to escape. Just make sure you have a strong draw before you install the surround.

rooferPete

Hi,

To add to what squire1 posted is the old chimney lined ? many of the old flues were brick built and with the introduction of the new smokeless fuels the coating applied by the old bituminous coal fell away.

I have a project at the moment where the smoke from an adjoining property seeped throught the chimney stack into the neighbours house causing a lot of problems, now we have to line all the chimney flues in both houses to prevent the smoke and fumes escaping through the walls.

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ScottishDanny

Hi,
Thanks for the posts - I don't know if it is lined. I got it cleaned and the sweep didn't say anything about it. I had some questions I wanted to ask him but he cut across me saying 'whats your point'? he was really ignorant and I just wanted to pay him and get him out of the house.
I reckon I'll go into a fireplace showroom to find out more info.

Do you reckon using fire cement and fire rope will seal in the smoke? I think the fire has a good draw.

rooferPete

Hi,

The rope acts as an expanding seal to a movable joint such as the door of a stove or where two components both steel meet but the teperatures are different, so instead of a hard joint between the items that are expanding and contracting at different rates the rope allows flexibility at the joint.

The fire cement is usually used in a similar way to mortar between bricks except that fire cement can take the direct heat without breaking up for a long period of time, also it is compatible with refractory fired products such as the fire back you purchased.

From what you have described about your new fireplace the main items that normally decide on product performance are :

The flue gathering ( just before flues start) the flue, room ventilation, the chimney and the chimney pot.

I think the smoking referred to by squire1 was between the cast iron fire insert and the fire surround (timber part), presuming you have a very good draw on the flue / chimney, what you need to make sure of is the gather (slope to the flue) is working properly.

In old fireplaces this was not really a problem because the fire grate was often set back and the smoke was not obstructed entering the flue, with the insert you may need to install a fireplace lintel which is sloped at the start to direct the smoke to the centre of the fire ope (under the flue).

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