Recessing wall for fire

Mar 04, 2004 2 Replies

I want to put a flat to wall electric fireplace on an external wall of our house (we don't have any chimney's ) However the fireplace I want doesn't allow for much of a depth behind it and I don't like the look of fires that have spacers between them and the back plate, so I need to recess the wall itself.



The wall is plastered breeze blocks with a gap then an outer wall of brick. So my questions are


  1. Can I just chisel out a rebate into the breeze blocks, if so how deep can I safely go without compromising the structual strength


  1. Would I be better to just take the breeze blocks out altogether and put in a lintel. Is this considered a diy job, I'm fairly competant with plumbing, electrics etc but don't have any real building experience

  2. Any tips on how to approach the job for either method

Cheers



Jim


Ok, I'm not a builder either - but since no one has (yet) replied - I'll take up your questions...

That's your first clue... a flat to wall fireplace *DOESN'T* have any space behind it...

NO!

NO!

You *NEED* the services of a structural engineer to specify the size/type of lintel (more like RSJ) if you decide to go down route 2. Plus you'll need Building Regs approval and maybe Planning Approval.

Very true, though there could sufficient depth if he went through the plaster down to the surface of the breeze blocks.

Peter

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