In article ,
"Rob" writes:

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"[news]" writes:
Rob wrote:
Does anyone know the rough/estimate costs of removing a chimney breast
along
the size shown in this picture
http://media.rightmove.co.uk/3k/2006...546_IMG_01.JPG

I would only be looking to remove it from the lower floor, it can remain
in
the rooms above (guess it would also need blocking off on the roof)

I would be fairly confident about doing the work on the removing the
bricks
etc, but would probably want 3rd party to brick it back up and install
the
reinforcement for the breast above.

personally, I'd save myself a lot of money and potential trouble by
building some quality book cases either side of the breast.

Also, you could open out the fireplace and use it as a display
area or somewhere for the Hi Fi. I unblocked a bricked up fireplace
a year ago and did this. I put in a recessed plasterboard roof to
seal the flue off from the room (and put an airbrick through from
the flue to the outside just above to ventilate the flue). Dropped
a lighting cable down the flue from a second airbrick vent into
the loft at the top, with a small hidden light on the new piece of
plasterboard, and that maes the fireplace into a nice display area.
Also, as the rear of the fireplace was only a single skin brick
north facing outside wall, I lined the back with 1" cellotex and
plasterboard, so it wouldn't get condensation (and it hasn't).

--
Andrew Gabriel

I like your idea, as it would get round one of my problems. I am looking to
put my projector screen up at that end of the room (the fact it would stick
out the sides of the breast is the other problem) This would mean all the
stereo would be setup for an image in the middle of the wall meaning the TV
must also reside there. If the stack remains in stack then the TV would
stick out a mile (without spending £1000+ on an LCD and still not getting a
picture to match my CRT) If i did as you described I could house the TV in
it.

How much of the front facing wall would you be able to remove though as
surely its still supporting the main breast above it. It would need to be
opened up to a good 90cm/100cm wide and a good 1.5m high which is much
larger than the standard fireplace gap.

I just removed the bricking up -- I didn't change the original
brickwork. The walls forming the chimney breast either side of
the fireplace are the width of the length of a brick IIRC from
memory -- about 9" wide, or 10" by the time both sides are
plastered (I plastered the inside of the fireplace). The top
of the opening is a brick arch about a metre high of the same
type used over the windows of this 1900 house, except it also
has a 1/4" thick strip of steel under the brick arch mortared
in to the walls either side (presumably to stop the arch
dropping if the mortar gives due to the heat of the fire).

I also constructed a new floor in the fireplace. It was just
earth and rubble but was bridging the damp proof course. I dug
it out down to same level as the damp proof course in the walls,
layed a sand bed and a dampproof membrane, and then a layer of
vericulite, topped with a layer of sand and cement (should be
OK if anyone reverts it back to a working fireplace).

--
Andrew Gabriel