I have a fireplace in an 1880s house that is missing its ornamental cast-iron surround--the three-sided, right angled thing that goes right next to the hole, overlapping the ornamental tiles that also surround the fireplace. I found a good fit in a salvage place but one of the sides was broken off at the bottom. The missing piece was still available, and fitting it together I saw that 1) it had been broken and welded on from behind at least once before and 2) when you put the pieces together it was an absolutely perfect fit---from three inches away you couldn't see the line of fracture. So I crossed my fingers and bought it at a reduced price. Now all I need is someone to marry the pieces and install it. What kind of craftsman would do that, and what is a ballpark figure for the service? (Hint: I live in New Orleans, where both craftsmanship and prices can vary from dirt cheap to "the sky is the limit"--and high prices, alas, do not necessarily go with an equally high standard of work.) zemedelec
- posted
20 years ago