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Opening up a fireplace cost | How Much?
15
Jun
Jun
Thinking about opening up your fireplace?
So you have found what could be the ideal fireplace but its covered over or not quite how you want it? Now your wondering what the cost involved is to open it up either for use again or decoration.
So before you rush in its worth noting that original fireplaces don’t always come without their problems! Let’s explore what you may uncover and the costs that could be incurred in opening up that old fireplace.
If your lucky opening up your old fireplace might mean just removing a wooden cover or some plasterboard. What’s behind may not always be pretty but on some occasions you may just be surprised as to what was actually boarded over.
Don’t worry though if you do open up your fireplace and you don’t have anything pretty to look at it’s pretty easy to create that feature fireplace you have in your minds eye.
Reasons to open up your fireplace
There are many reasons people like to open up a fireplace. For some its a decoration thing and others its more practical like adding a wood burning stove. Whatever your reasoning the process remains the same.
- Decoration
- New Wood Burning Stove
- Reinstate an open fire
- New Gas Fire
- Make more space
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Who do I need to inform to reinstate my fireplace?
Unless you live in a grade listed building then then its unlikely that planning consent will be required. However, if your considering putting a new fire in the recess either a wood burning stove or open fire then all works would need to comply to Building regulations. You can find more information under part J which relates to combustion appliances.
Furthermore, if you remove the chimney breast this would also need to comply with current building regulations to ensure that the structure above was adequately supported.
I am ready to open up the fireplace!
Your eager to go and get stuck in but its advisable to be prepared. Make sure to think around the immediate area and cover anything you value as the chance of vast volumes of soot and dust are highly likely. All furnishings, ornaments, electrical should ideally be removed or covered.
Before you dive in with your jack hammer it may be advisable to let your neighbours know your working on your party wall (if they are connected of course).
Taking a electrical demolition tool to any job comes with risk it may be advisable to go in with a club hammer and bolster chisel to begin with and see how you get on.
Be prepared with rubble sacks once you start to take down the layers of bricks as there will be large amounts of rubble and dust to clear away.
Depending on when your property was built the opening may be spanned with a load bearing brick work arch supported by a steel former. Exposed brickwork is a popular design choice for many, but if your considering changing the size of the opening you will require a concrete lintel to support the stack above.
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