Investing in a historic building is not something you will do for capital gain. Restoring a listed or historic building takes time, money, effort, and patience. Historic building restoration companies who are fully qualified can help with all areas of your build from sash windows to fireplaces. As alterations are not allowed to listed buildings, you will often find fireplaces that have been blocked off, and an ugly gas fire put in front of the chimney.
In this article we are going to discuss how to open up a fireplace that has been blocked off. A job for historic building restoration companies or a task you can do yourself; if you have a lot of time and patience on your hands. In most cases you will find that the fireplace has been bricked up. Or perhaps not, and at this stage you really should ask the advice of a surveyor or architect before your progress with the work at hand.
Historic Building Restoration Companies : What You Need to Open a Fireplace
Once you know that the build is structurally sound, you can get on with opening up your fireplace. You will need some basic tools, including a club hammer and a chisel. You may also need a crowbar and a saw, a trowel, possibly a wrecking bar and a trimming knife, and definitely a pencil and tape measure. Essential materials include new skirting board and lime mortar.
Opening up a fireplace is a messy job, so ensure you protect your furnishings with dust sheets. If the chimney has been blocked up, you should find a vent just above the skirting board. On removal of this vent you will be able to shine a torch around to get an idea of the size of the fireplace behind. To get started, remove the skirting board from in front of the fireplace. You will often find that you will only need to remove one, very obvious section, that may not match the rest of the room.
Once you have removed the skirting board, your next job is to uncover the hearth. This is a solid section of the floor, normally concrete, that is found in front of the chimney breast. By tapping the wall above the fireplace you will be able to find out whether the chimney has been blocked with bricks or with board. If on tapping the wall you hear a hollow sound, then most likely the chimney was blocked with a board. This is simple and quick to remove, and you can do so with a club hammer or by using a saw.
Bricked Up Fireplaces
If the fireplace has been bricked up, you will need to knock out the bricks one buy one using your hammer and chisel. Ensure you only remove bricks back to the original opening of the fireplace, taking care as you go. At this stage you should be able to see the condition of the fire back. It may be made of iron or fireclay, and generally speaking it will not have been removed before blocking off the fireplace. Depending on the material of the fire back, there are then various processes needed to restore it to its former glory, lime mortar being used to carefully finish off the sides of your newly opened fireplace.