I have a currently disued fireplace in the lounge, which I want to have a gas fire fitted to, but I have a few questions first.
The fireplace has a brick chimney, I've scraped out the dodgiest of the mortar and replaced it with new stuff (It's not what I'd call a perfect job though). There are some sound but unnattactive tiles around the front of the fireplace which I'd like to change.
Can I just tile over the existing ones, or would it be better to remove the old tiles first? Do I need special heat-proof tiles?
Also, I've noticed that in winter I do get some dirt coming down the chimney when it's windy, though not a huge amount. Would I need to get the chimney swept before I had a gas fire installed?
There's already a gas point for the fire. Thanks for any tips.