On 30 Dec 2004 06:24:07 -0800, "shaz" wrote:

Our house presently has a Parkray solid fuel room heater, which stands
on a marble hearth (which comes out from chimney breast and only has
the front part of the fire visiable (surrounded by a stone "makeshift"
fireplace and the hole above has been boxed in with plaster board.

We have bought a free standing parkray chevin(solid fuel) and i am
wanting to open up the chimney breast, move the room heater
backwards(so it stands within the hole and be able to see part of the
flue)...and use the existing backboiler if possible

My questions are....

1) Is it a huge job?

Probably more painfull than big. and messy, oh yes very messy. I moved
a fire around, it took ages to do, but noting complex or difficult.

You may have issues with the chimney, that you won't find till you
have the old fire out.

2) where are back boilers situated? ( how big are they? will it need to
be moved? will it be visable)

I have seen 2 types, on stoves where they are in the back of the
stove, and in fires, where they are in the back of the fire, with a
vent up the back of the boiler, to heat both sides.

3) where can i find any building regulations?(ie materials needed, does
work need to be checked?)

Best to phone the building regs people, send a few sketckes, let them
advise you. You don't need profesional drawings unless you are moving
a lintel or something. I have done several building regs jobs on
sketckes, they inspect what you do compiles, not what you draw, the
good ones will even tell you what to do to make it comply.

4) could the old fire still be used whilst the work is being carried
out?(its our only source of heating)

I'd rent a gas cabinet heater, heating wet cement, or working with hot
bricks does not sould like fun.

5) if the job is very complicated and we need to have professional
help....who do we need? builder? heating engineer?...any ideas on cost?

Builder

6) The new fire (bought second hand) needs a flue....where can we get
one? and what length will it need to be? (i dont know if the one from
existing fire will fit)

hotline chinmneys, thay have a web site, give the guy a ring, he knows
more than I ever will .......


We are on a tight budget!!!!... we are willing to do any work we
can(thats not too complicated/risky)ourselves...but we need pointing in
the right direction.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers Shaz