Opening up a fireplace

[TopCat]

Well hard times are here and winter is coming so I need to consider winter heating.

I live in a small thirties house with a bricked up fireplace in the front room with an original fireplace in my bedroom connected to the one below.

It’s a rented house but no regular inspections.

So on a whim I got my big hammer out and smashed the opening clear and removed all the crap inside. Hoovered the soot out.

Doing it on a whim (not even pissed) has led to a lot of dust. Plus rubble. The hoover appears blocked.

However this project, unfinished as it is, will get finished.

I’m thinking of just putting a angle iron trim on the hole and plastering up to it.

Then stick a grate in there and get a fire guard. Bit of paint and all good. Get the chainsaw out and go foraging.

I can either say to the landlord “it was always there” or stick a bit of whiteboard over it and distract him.

Anyone need any rubble?

 

[cesare]

You've probably already thought of this but you will need to get the chimney swept to make sure no obstructions etc

 

[MickiQ]

This plan is just so fucking crazy that it might work, you could come seriously unstuck if your landlord took pictures before he rented it out.

 

[TopCat]

You've probably already thought of this but you will need to get the chimney swept to make sure no obstructions etc

It’s got a good draw and no loose soot. I think all chimney sweepers are booked for the foreseeable.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I can't believe you've done that in a rented property, without permission.

 

[TopCat]

This plan is just so fucking crazy that it might work, you could come seriously unstuck if your landlord took pictures before he rented it out.

I have been here ten years. He cares about the rent only.

 

[MickiQ]

I have been here ten years. He cares about the rent only.

If you do a good job and it looks nice he might put the rent up because you've improved the property.

 

[TopCat]

I gave it a fair bit of thought. It’s done now anyway. Best make the best of it!

 

[TopCat]

If you do a good job and it looks nice he might put the rent up because you've improved the property.

Improvements.

 

[Duncan2]

I am half expecting Arthur Scargill to appear on TV to make the economic case for reopening a few pits.

 

[Pickman's model]

You've probably already thought of this but you will need to get the chimney swept to make sure no obstructions etc

Maybe get a smoke bomb and see what comes out the top. But TopCat has a vigilant neighbour with a hotline to the fire brigade

 

[cesare]

Maybe get a smoke bomb and see what comes out the top. But TopCat has a vigilant neighbour with a hotline to the fire brigade

Great idea though! He could warn her first?

 

[Pickman's model]

Great idea though! He could warn her first?

Invite her round to roast marshmallows over the fire ftw

 

[TopCat]

I will start a small fire and see if the chimney leaks in the loft.

It’s going to take ages to clear up the mess. I blame the tories.

 

[Sweet FA]

I gave it a fair bit of thought.

As always TC, top marks for commitment to the project; still work to do on the prep stages possibly Dust sheets man, the state of your front room.

 

[TopCat]

I am half expecting Arthur Scargill to appear on TV to make the economic case for reopening a few pits.

A slag heap to pick over.

 

[TopCat]

As always TC, top marks for commitment to the project; still work to do on the prep stages possibly Dust sheets man, the state of your front room.

I thought dust sheets as I wielded the hammer. My whims are powerful though.

I have fixed the hoover. That’s good. Put it to use. It’s looking a lot better and the hole is hidden behind a big mirror.

The wheelbarrow and rubble are in the hall. Too heavy to move further and I don’t want it in the garden in case it invites questions.

I need a really good trailer for my cycle to cart about wood I plan to steal.

 

[Epona]

You might want to open a window for ventilation while you are testing it, if there's not proper airflow through the chimney you could get a build-up of carbon monoxide

 

[Sweet FA]

The wheelbarrow and rubble are in the hall. Too heavy to move further and I don’t want it in the garden in case it invites questions.

 

[salem]

I much prefer renting 'lived in' places where the landlord would look at something like this as a positive rather than somewhere they give it the a shitty lick of paint and complain that it doesn't look the same way when your moving out a few years down the line.

Anyway, I looked into this with the fireplace in the place I've just moved into (which hasn't been used by a while). Carbon monoxide is the big danger so I'd really err on the side of caution especially if you've got a neighbour on the other side. In our case they were talking about putting a new tube thing in the chimney to reline it but the price was way more than I thought so fucked it off for now.

 

[cesare]

I much prefer renting 'lived in' places where the landlord would look at something like this as a positive rather than somewhere they give it the a shitty lick of paint and complain that it doesn't look the same way when your moving out a few years down the line.

Anyway, I looked into this with the fireplace in the place I've just moved into (which hasn't been used by a while). Carbon monoxide is the big danger so I'd really err on the side of caution especially if you've got a neighbour on the other side. In our case they were talking about putting a new tube thing in the chimney to reline it but the price was way more than I thought so fucked it off for now.

Oh yes with terraces sometimes shared chimney stacks or maybe neighbour next to, with smoke/carbon monoxide going into their stack and then rooms? Is that what you mean?

 

[Duncan2]

Never occurred to me that log fires might present significant risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.It makes perfect sense when you think about it and I wonder why the population were not dropping dead scores at a time when open fires were the standard method of heating homes? Perhaps the risk was far lower in the past because houses were draughty and devoid of loft insulation.

 

[TopCat]

The (evil) neighbours have a wood burning stove and have lined their chimney with a flue. She keeps her shoulders looking bull like with hours of sawing up wood. Fucking scary sometimes.

Anyway the chimney brickwork is in good nick. No crumbling Victorian terrace here.

I am wanting a sold fuel stove myself but my budget would stretch to a gas bottle diy version only with no flue. This way, a grate, a fireguard, a trim fashioned from angle iron, put the hearth slate back. £100.

I think this winter will be ok for finding wood. By next winter I expect a denuded landscape.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I’ve got a fireplace in pretty much every room

I will follow this thread with interest

I also have chimneys that are covered but with some sort of lateral vents…and un swept

I await the chimney fire post

 

[Pickman's model]

I thought dust sheets as I wielded the hammer. My whims are powerful though.

I have fixed the hoover. That’s good. Put it to use. It’s looking a lot better and the hole is hidden behind a big mirror.

The wheelbarrow and rubble are in the hall. Too heavy to move further and I don’t want it in the garden in case it invites questions.

I need a really good trailer for my cycle to cart about wood I plan to steal.

You'll have to dump the rubble out of sacks concealed in your trousers as you walk around your local area, like they did in 'the great escape'

 

[Pickman's model]

The (evil) neighbours have a wood burning stove and have lined their chimney with a flue. She keeps her shoulders looking bull like with hours of sawing up wood. Fucking scary sometimes.

Anyway the chimney brickwork is in good nick. No crumbling Victorian terrace here.

I am wanting a sold fuel stove myself but my budget would stretch to a gas bottle diy version only with no flue. This way, a grate, a fireguard, a trim fashioned from angle iron, put the hearth slate back. £100.

I think this winter will be ok for finding wood. By next winter I expect a denuded landscape.

Talk to the staff at that big park near the tube station, sure they'd help you out with a bit of wood

 

[Pickman's model]

View attachment 340458

You'll have to dump the rubble out of sacks concealed in your trousers as you walk around your local area, like they did in 'the great escape'

Great minds...

 

[Pickman's model]

Well hard times are here and winter is coming so I need to consider winter heating.

I live in a small thirties house with a bricked up fireplace in the front room with an original fireplace in my bedroom connected to the one below.

It’s a rented house but no regular inspections.

So on a whim I got my big hammer out and smashed the opening clear and removed all the crap inside. Hoovered the soot out. View attachment 340434View attachment 340436

Doing it on a whim (not even pissed) has led to a lot of dust. Plus rubble. The hoover appears blocked.

However this project, unfinished as it is, will get finished.

I’m thinking of just putting a angle iron trim on the hole and plastering up to it.

Then stick a grate in there and get a fire guard. Bit of paint and all good. Get the chainsaw out and go foraging.

I can either say to the landlord “it was always there” or stick a bit of whiteboard over it and distract him.

Anyone need any rubble?

That rubble could be very useful to anyone thinking of laying a patio

 

[Duncan2]

Chimney fires are quite frightening because extinguishing the fire in the grate makes no difference at all.You really need the fire brigade to get up on the roof with a hose.Its bloody embarrassing and not recommended at all.Sweeping is a must.

 

[TopCat]

Talk to the staff at that big park near the tube station, sure they'd help you out with a bit of wood

I’m going to start doing a bit of tree surgery come garden work. Offer a good price if the wood will be good. But yes, a spliff offered to park gardeners will get me wood.