Hi All

I hope someone can help me with a building prob. We recently removed a
gas-fired back boiler from the chimney breast of what is now our lounge in
favour of a condensing boiler in the garage. SWAMBO now wants to put a
basket fire in the old hearth most of the ones we have come across so far
state they are suitable for a brick flue. What we have is a brick flue but!!
for the old gas-fired boiler the flue has a stainless steel liner. The
chimney breast itself is completely hollow (it is possible claustophobia
permitting to virtually stand inside it). At the top left-hand corner is a
small opening to a brick flue going up to the chimney. The stainless steel
liner comes through this opening and at the moment simply dangles inside the
breast.

I would like to leave the liner there, but realise that gasses would build
up inside the hollow chimney breast. I understand there is a way to seal the
empty space and leave just an exit through the liner but I am not sure how
to do it. A neighbour has done something similar and this involved setting a
6mm aluminium plate in the breast with a hole to pass the liner through. It
also involved removing considerable brickwork for access in the front of the
chimney breast and replacing it again. I feel sure there is a simpler
method.

Although we are not intending to put a fire in immediately, I am doing some
other work around the chimney breast which will involve some plastering and
would like to get the mess done with once and for all. SWAMBO wants to get
the room decorated for Crimbo and I suspect it will be a bleak mid-winter
for someone if I do not get it done.

Richard