Fireplace Fitter UK: Rekindling an abandoned, disused fireplace to accommodate a wood burner, multi-fuel, or open fire is a fantastic method to infuse character and a welcoming atmosphere into your UK property. The addition of a new fireplace, especially when combined with a back boiler, delivers not only the cozy warmth and ambiance of an open fire or stove during chilly winter nights but also an abundant supply of hot water. This dual functionality offers practicality alongside charm, ensuring your home remains snug and comfortable throughout the colder seasons while maintaining an eco-friendly and cost-efficient approach to heating and hot water supply. It's a delightful way to rejuvenate your living space, blending nostalgia with modern convenience for a truly inviting and functional home environment.
Prior to embarking on the task of dismantling a bricked-up chimney, several considerations are essential to ensure the safe and efficient installation of your new fireplace. In the UK, all combustible appliances installed in domestic properties must adhere to Part J of the country's building regulations. These regulations encompass various aspects, including chimney breasts, fireplaces, hearths, and flue linings, to guarantee both safety and compliance. For homeowners residing in listed buildings, an additional layer of scrutiny is required. It's imperative to determine whether planning permission is necessary from the local council before initiating any construction work. This step ensures that your fireplace installation conforms to historical and architectural preservation guidelines. By diligently addressing these aspects, you can embark on your fireplace project with the confidence that it meets all regulatory requirements and is in harmony with the unique characteristics of your property, whether it's a modern home or a cherished heritage building.
DIY OR PROFESSIONAL FIREPLACE INSTALLATION?
For the skilled and enthusiastic DIY enthusiast, there is a possibility of reviving a previously bricked-up fireplace, although, unfortunately, the likelihood of encountering structural issues is quite significant. You might find that upon removing the covering of an old fireplace, you uncover a hidden treasure that merely requires a thorough cleaning and a chimney sweep's services to ignite a vibrant fire once again. However, it is more common to reveal a section of deteriorating bricks concealing issues like a blocked chimney or a lintel in need of replacement, presenting more complex challenges than initially anticipated.
Due to the serious fire risk and health problems that can be caused by a poorly installed or renovated fireplace, it is advisable to draw on the experience and knowledge of a professional fireplace installer in the UK. There always has to be a decent air flow into a room where a fireplace is installed to guarantee sufficient quantities of oxygen enable the fire to burn effectively. If the airflow is not good enough then it is quite possible that a fire will not burn efficiently and cause carbon monoxide fumes to build up, which can be deadly.
To successfully overcome any issues with air flow, vents may need to be fitted around the room as part of a fireplace installation, to ensure suitable oxygen levels reach the fire. They may also have to install vents in unused chimney flues which can trap condensing air and lead to damp spots and staining to your chimney breast.
BEFORE WORK COMMENCES
Chimney breasts are notorious for the huge volume of dust and soot that can pile up within them, therefore when you set out to open up an unused fireplace you should assume that it will be a pretty messy affair. It is sensible to remove any furniture, carpets and rugs from an area where you're going to expose an old fireplace, to avoid them from being damaged by soot, grime and dust that might be stirred up during the fireplace installation works. If you're lucky enough to be carrying out a complete restoration project then it ought to be one of the very first jobs to concentrate on before you re-plaster or decorate the walls. This avoids any discolouration damage to any refurbished work you may have already done.
STRUCTURAL & CONSTRUCTION WORK
Once you've revealed your old fireplace you will have a better idea of what work needs to be done, and also be in a position to sweep the chimney and clean up any parts of hearth that can be re-used. You should now contact your chimney sweep, if you haven't already done this, to come and look at the old fireplace and chimney. A chimney sweep will first of all clean the flue and whilst doing this can check the structural condition of the chimney and offer you advice on whether you need a new flue liner.
Construction may be needed to reinforce the original chimney and chimney breast, and it might be necessary to put in a new flue liner. All this repair work must comply with the current UK Building Regulations which are there for you and your family's safety. This is unlikely to be the type of work that you can do yourself, therefore you will want to hire a skilled builder with experience in good construction techniques and is acquainted with the relevant Building Regs.
If you need to adjust the width of opening of your existing fireplace to something more suitable for your new design, a supporting concrete lintel should be put in. When you have supported your fireplace with a lintel it is now time to upgrade or repair the hearth. You may find the original hearth has been sunken into the floor, but to conform to current building regulations it is required to be raised above floor level. You can get made to measure options to fit virtually any size and style of fireplace, or you can choose from a range of common size and shape hearths to fit in with your decor.
STYLES AND DESIGNS OF FIREPLACE
A trip to a fireplace showroom or a browse online will illustrate the options that are available for the different designs and styles of fireplaces. It's quite possible that owing to your current chimney, flue and airflow to the room, that certain fireplaces may not be suitable, and it's a good idea to follow the the recommendations and advice of the fireplace company in this respect.
The age of your house, and the theme that you are trying to create for your room, will all help you to determine the type and design of fireplace which is best for you. If you have an attractive inglenook fireplace, a wood burning stove can look magnificent in this surrounding, and has the added benefit of deflecting heat back into the room from the brick or stone walls surrounding the stove.
Even if you don't have an existing chimney breast in your UK home, it is still feasible to put in a multi-fuel stove or a wood burner. A pre-existing chimney is not needed as a stainless steel flue is fitted to the rear or top of the stove and channeled through an exterior wall.
GAS, OPEN, MULTI-FUEL, WOOD OR ELECTRIC FIREPLACE?
The feel and ambience of a "real" fire can't be surpassed, however what alternatives are out there if this style of fireplace is not possible in your UK property?
Open Fireplaces - The traditional fireplace that can make use of different fuels such as smokeless coal, briquettes, wood and other flammable materials. In past times an open fire might have been associated with being draughty, smoky and inefficient, however a professionally installed modern fireplace is a joy to sit in front of and bask in the warm glow it provides.
Wood Burning Stoves - These have become very popular in many households in the UK, and can have classic or modern design to complement your decor. An integrated back boiler is an added benefit and can provide piping hot water for personal use, or to provide heating for the house via radiators.
Electric Fireplaces - Electric fireplaces can be fitted easily and safely by anybody who is reasonable competent and there are styles and varieties that are appropriate for almost any room and house in the UK. Can be set into traditional fireplaces, and with the "real" looking feel of modern electric fires it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish them from the genuine thing.
Gas Fireplaces - Supplying instant heat and being more efficient when compared to open fires, there are a wide selection of styles and designs to suit any type of UK property. Have to be professionally fitted and maintained by a Gas Safe registered tradesman.
Multi-Fuel Stoves - Multi-fuel stoves provide you with options to use gas, wood, oil and coal to furnish you with a multipurpose heater for any house in the UK. Some designs, such as the AGA range of multi-fuel stoves, can also be used for cooking, providing hot water and heating your whole home.
Improve the Cost-Efficiency of Your Fireplace
The age-old open fireplace seems to have lost a little bit of of its glamour as a result of concerns for the environment but it's still favoured by many in the UK. The natural warmth of an open fireplace triggers special remembrances for those who've got them. Having a fireplace has its advantages but there are a couple of drawbacks that could have an impact on its usefulness. Due to energy costs increasing so quickly nowadays, your open fireplace must be a source of heat, not one of inefficiency. When a fire is burning, it may warm up those who are standing right in front of it, but it can in fact pull warm air out of the room, making your heat source work even more. When there is no fire, a damper should control the airflow. However, dampers are generally not terribly effective seals, consequently all the warm air escapes and allows cold air to come into the property.
Many house owners that possess fireplaces in their property in the UK don't understand how the fireplace can have an effect on their utility bill. As opposed to conserving resources, and heating costs, it's typically adding hundreds of pounds of energy costs. You will find there's a way to take your ineffective fireplace, and remake it into a heat creating system that will more closely fit your budget. There happen to be 4 simple things that you could do to change your fireplace into a cost-effective heat resource. You will recognize that these tips will help make your fireplace produce quality heat and your present energy bill smaller.
The initial thing to do is to replace the damper with a new top sealing damper. This kind of damper is located at the top of your chimney and helps to stop rain and snow from coming in. It stops the inside air from coming out, and the outside air from entering, and performs in hot weather or cold. It does not take a lot of time to fit and you can find one online. Another thing you're able to do is to fit a fire-back at the rear of your fireplace. A fire-back is made of cast iron and it is actually meant to protect the wall behind from fire damage, whilst making your fireplace look classy. The fire-back also soaks up heat coming from the fire and redirects it back inside, making your fireplace more effective.
Another thing that can help is a fireplace fan/heater, which heats the air that is being circulated through an internal chamber, and blows it back towards the room. These clever devices don't release any smoke and can be very effective in keeping your home warm and toasty. Finally, you may install glass doors which will likely be the most costly option. Searching around, you ought to be able to find a bargain, and with clear instructions, you can even put them in yourself. Glass fireplace doors is able to keep the air in your house from escaping and also help to save your children and pets from fires.
The suggestions given here aren't all that tough to accomplish and you should be able to buy all of the items from the internet. Simply do your best to make sure your fireplace is efficient and notice your heating bills go down.
Natural Stone Fireplaces
You could always consider bringing the outdoors inside, and build a natural stone fireplace, which is a great way to achieve a really dramatic look. It's possible that you have already got some stone features on the exterior of your home, for instance a stone boundary wall or facade. Why don't you match those features indoors?
A stone fireplace can be built using either stone cladding or full depth stone. Your taste and spending budget might influence which of these you choose. Also, limestone, slate, marble, quartz, sandstone or granite can be used for building a stone fireplace.
Precisely how your stone fireplace looks when it is finished will be affected by the building technique (dry stone or mortar joints), the sort of stone which is used and the individuality of the craftsman or stonemason who builds it. You should get some photographs prepared of the sort of design you're searching for, and before any work commences, you can discuss them with your fireplace installer.
Stone isn't always a suitable material for a contemporary property, as it has a striking appearance and could rather dominate the appearance of an area, but of course that is down to the taste of each individual householder - maybe dramatic is what you are looking for!
UK Fireplace Related Tasks
The variety of tasks and services that can be undertaken by your local fireplace installer are wide and varied, and will include stuff like fireplaces, wood burning fireplace installations, inset stove installations, freestanding stoves, made-to-measure fireplaces, fireplace repairs UK, fireplace replacement, stone fireplaces, cheap fireplace installation, chimney modifications UK, oak beam fireplaces, gas fireplace installation, open fireplaces, chimney sweeping UK, chimney lining, designer fireplaces UK, fireplace inserts UK, fireplace suites, electric fireplaces in the UK, limestone fireplace installation, wood burning stove installations, elm fireplaces UK, chimney repairs, fireplace design, fireplace services, fireplace hearths, brick fireplace installation UK, gas fireplaces, tiled fireplaces UK, fireplace cleaning in the UK, Victorian fireplaces, contemporary fireplaces UK, Victorian fireplaces UK, double-sided stoves, 2-sided fireplaces UK, and others not mentioned. UK companies will be delighted to keep you abreast of their whole range of fireplace services. You can always click HERE and fill out our simple quote form, if you've got fireplace requirements in the UK, that you can't see here.
More Help and Guidance
See a YouTube video clip on DIY fireplace installation here. If you are eager to read up on ideas for fireplaces click here. If you'd like to read more details on fireplaces, you'll uncover info regarding the different types of fireplaces, gas fireplaces, fireplace heating efficiency, the environmental effects of fireplaces, the health effects of fireplaces and the history of the fireplace, by going to Wikipedia. A wealth of information about fireplace installation is obtainable on any of the fireplace installer forums, so why don't you head on over to the Buildhub Forum (here), subjects include things like understanding building regulations, widening a fireplace, log burning stoves, pellet boilers and stoves, chimney design and trims for stoves. To see what's happening on social media websites, check this out.
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