I'm thinking of putting an original cast iron fireplace c 1930 back in my house of similar age. Then I'd like to sort the system for an open fire.
What are the things I need to do/consider? Is a reclaimed fireplace going to be okay, I've got this fear it may crack for some reason. Smoke testing, fireclay & where to put the stuff, I'm aware I need to fill any voids, anything else?
Good resource for info?
TIA
Is your chinmey up to it ? Building regs may want to take a look, exp if any chinmey work happens They make dirt in the house R U in a smok les zone ? How will you get the ash over the white carpet ?
Rick
Where will you put the fuel? Wood needs somewhere out of the rain, and takes up a large amount of space. It needs seasoning so the space really has to be dedicated to wood storage even in the summer. Coal burns hotter and takes up less space but is a little dirtier.
Real fires can have quite variable heat outputs, above the 3kW often put out by a gas fire, and it's best to have the fire surround slabbed and jointed ( i.e. the superimposed hearth and the fire surround split into 3 and 2 parts respectively, the they are cemented back together to reduce the thermal stress that might crack a single piece of marble/limestone/slate/whatever ).
Go for a fireplate ( probably brass, mine is ) directly in front of the fireplace on the superimposed hearth, as stuff tends to spill out of the fire and this debris will stain the superimposed hearth otherwise.
Hearth regs have changed since the '30's, and there are regs about the width of the superimposed hearth, its depth etc. Also, if the fire is lit directly on the back hearth ( for instance, as I read it anyway, if you have a basket grate that sits inside the fireplace and drops redhot ash onto the back hearth ), then the constructional hearth ( that bit on which the superimposed hearth sits ) must be 5" thick or more, must extend to a certain depth and width, and must not be seated upon combustible material (i.e. wood ).
AFAIK there is no requirement to line your chimney for a solid fuel fire, as there is with gas, so that is up to you. It's probably £300+ for a stainless steel flue liner if you wanted one and installed it yourself. I just teated my chimney for leaks, found none and used it as it was. Check up in your loft as well remember.
Solid fuel fires are a bit dirty, definitely inconvenient, and hard work, but they have character that is unbeatable and IMO come into their own at Christmas. Plus, you can throw rubbish like walnut shells and wrapping paper onto them without worrying that you'll contaminate the mechanism! BTW, if you have a thermostat in the same room as the fire, move it, as the fire will fool the thermostat.
Andy.
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