Opening up a fireplace
- Thread starter TopCat
- Start date
teuchter
je suis teuchter
In a few months time, if there are headlines about soaring firewood prices, I will enjoy coming back here to quote myself plus your supercilious reply, so thanks. Something to look forward to in winter.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
My SiL & brother has a regular supply of pallets from the hospital.
Also wood from a local roofer, and if they see wood in front gardens ready to go wherever they leave a note offering to take it away for free, and get a good uptake from that.
In over 10 years they have never paid for wood, and they have around 3 years supply piled up in the garage & wood store!
girasol
Addicted to handstands!
Oh, absolutely. And they they (gvmt. + certain sections of the media) will blame those same people for increasing pollution and whatever else they can think of... Existing?
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
no doubt. but the situation you posit - massive increase in firewood prices for a modest increase in wood burners - may not occur. it's that claim for which i would like to see your reasoning but now you've made it clear you wear the emperor's new reasoning
Not quite...although a Henry is involved.So not just a Henry hoover up the flue and hope for best?
I am not in a smokeless area...but anyway, it's that or freeze as I couldn't pay the bills last winter and had to spend a lot of the time in one room...so I am at the limit of my social responsibility.we have an open fireplace (ex-council, built in 1955) but I wouldn't dream of using it, not allowed in our borough - but also, very polluting.
Fireplaces and stoves are bigger polluters than traffic
Increases in wood burning have offset gains in other areas, including cleaning up exhaust fumeswww.theguardian.com
Chilli.s
mingling jets and statuettes
This is about where I am with this too. My area has a bunch of posh houses that have old retired folks in, couples living in 5 bedroom gas central heated houses. Every year theres a glut of log deliveries so they can have a nice fire when the whim takes them. So if I have to pollute a bit to stay warm now then my showing restraint in the past and paying for more environmentally friendly heating more than evens out the score. Sort of like home made carbon credits.
Once it gets dark none can tell where the smoke comes from anyway.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
We can have a ten page argument, that no-one else will be interested in, about what a "modest increase in numbers" means. It'll be fun but it can wait until winter.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
we could. or you could just elaborate on your reasoning that a modest increase in the number of wood burners would mean a massive increase in the price of firewood
neonwilderness
What would Badgers do?
The furious typing will help keep you both warm instead of putting the heating on
WouldBe
Dislicksick
Firewood has already gone up. Last year a tonne of briquettes was £350 this year it's £500 from the same company and they are out of stock.
Numbers
an ting!
I can modestly increase myself and share what it means.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
i think - tho one can never be sure - that teuchter was talking about your actual wood and not your processed briquettes, even though it seems intuitive to believe that where the price of one increases the other will follow to some extentFirewood has already gone up. Last year a tonne of briquettes was £350 this year it's £500 from the same company and they are out of stock.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
Possibly but a lot of wood is kiln dried which will go up with increased energy costs. Even if it's air dried increased demand will push the price up.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
yeh but at the risk of boring everyone i am not persuaded that a modest increase in the number of people with wood burners will lead to a massive rise in the price of firewoodPossibly but a lot of wood is kiln dried which will go up with increased energy costs. Even if it's air dried increased demand will push the price up.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
If people are desperate to heat the space they are more likely to go for the open fire rather than the added cost of a wood burner. As open fires are less efficient they will need to burn more wood.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
which is a different argument than the one under discussionIf people are desperate to heat the space they are more likely to go for the open fire rather than the added cost of a wood burner. As open fires are less efficient they will need to burn more wood.
TopCat
Putin fanboy
But to be fair, its poignant to the situation i posted about.
bimble
floofy
I have this lot now. If anyone wants to come and get a bunch Dm me I’m about an hour north of London.
It’s mostly ash, some of it is woodwormy. Getting down to the bits that can’t be split with axes & need chainsaw because too knotty and old but will burn well, seasoned for many probably too many years.
It’s mostly ash, some of it is woodwormy. Getting down to the bits that can’t be split with axes & need chainsaw because too knotty and old but will burn well, seasoned for many probably too many years.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
The address, you missed out the address.My SiL & brother has a regular supply of pallets from the hospital.
Also wood from a local roofer, and if they see wood in front gardens ready to go wherever they leave a note offering to take it away for free, and get a good uptake from that.
In over 10 years they have never paid for wood, and they have around 3 years supply piled up in the garage & wood store!
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
There are few things more soothing than seeing a royal palace go up in flames and it's been a bloody long time since the last one burned down
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Good work there bimble
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
We've had one test lighting, but it hasn't really been cold enough yet.
We have a good stack of logs, including a car full of big lumps from the lovely bimble, which I hope will last us all winter.
keybored
Well done. You remember cat good.
Quick hijack, sorry.
It looks like this was once a big fireplace, maybe a stove. Then got reduced and lowered a bit, maybe for a small open fire. Then that got closed completely (yellow bricks). Then someone smashed a hole in that to help route the mains gas pipe.
The gas pipe will be removed and rerouted.
I want to remove everything within the blue lines below which should be the original builder's opening, however I've found some kind of iron lintel or something (red dashed lines) beneath the arch. Only the lower red line is a continuous piece of iron, the upper line almost seems like random shaped bits of metal stuffed into the mortar. Also the iron seems to only be bedded into the right hand jamb. I can't yet see up the chimney for more clues as it's pretty much blocked off. Anyone have any ideas/warnings? House was built in 1890ish if that gives any clues.
It looks like this was once a big fireplace, maybe a stove. Then got reduced and lowered a bit, maybe for a small open fire. Then that got closed completely (yellow bricks). Then someone smashed a hole in that to help route the mains gas pipe.
The gas pipe will be removed and rerouted.
I want to remove everything within the blue lines below which should be the original builder's opening, however I've found some kind of iron lintel or something (red dashed lines) beneath the arch. Only the lower red line is a continuous piece of iron, the upper line almost seems like random shaped bits of metal stuffed into the mortar. Also the iron seems to only be bedded into the right hand jamb. I can't yet see up the chimney for more clues as it's pretty much blocked off. Anyone have any ideas/warnings? House was built in 1890ish if that gives any clues.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
I would make sure the arched bricks are bonded together well before doing anything else. Then start by carefully removing the bodged up bits between the arch and the yellow bricks. The rest can then be removed but probably best to drill the mortar out between the bricks rather than thrashing at them with a hammer and chisel.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
The iron would have been put in there by someone worrying about the arch failing. And it is now relying on the yellow brick.
If it was me I'd want to get the plaster off a substantial portion of the wall above and see what the brickwork is like. I'd not be surprised if the mortar is in a bad state - it often is around old flues - and the proper thing to do would be to rebuild the arch and/or put a new lintel in, as well as sorting out any dodgy brickwork above. I'd be careful.
If it was me I'd want to get the plaster off a substantial portion of the wall above and see what the brickwork is like. I'd not be surprised if the mortar is in a bad state - it often is around old flues - and the proper thing to do would be to rebuild the arch and/or put a new lintel in, as well as sorting out any dodgy brickwork above. I'd be careful.
danski
"vibey"
Might be something of use here
www.oldhouseonline.com
I googled ‘19th century chimney construction’ and saw a ton of pictures like yours
Chimney Safety Checklist
When chimneys fall into disrepair, they can quickly threaten the safety of your home. This checklist will help evaluate how adequately your chimney has been built and maintained over the years.
www.oldhouseonline.com
I googled ‘19th century chimney construction’ and saw a ton of pictures like yours
