hello all I am looking to reinstate a solid fuel fire from a living flame gas fire. It was previously running a back boiler that has been removed.
From what I can determine the things I need to do are; Remove old living flame gas fire (capping off gas supply safely and to regs) Rebuild fireback Brick up openings where pipes ran into back boiler cavity (currently stuffed with what looks like loft insulation) Remove metal chimney cowel and replace with teraccotta pot Get chimney sweep out by qualified sweep chimney
My question to the group is, when the previous owners of the house installed the gas fire they also installed a very nice marble fireplace and hearth that I would rather keep. On looking about it appears that for a solid fuel marble hearth it is recommended that it be cut into three pieces with expansion joints to avoid the marble cracking. Does anyone here have experience of doing this themselves or should I call in the pro's (what pro's). I would rather do it myself but the only tool I have to cut marble is a small angle grinder. Is it possible to cut marble neatly with a small grinder? Or alternately should I just take a gamble with the marble hearth, light a fire and see if it cracks (a friends suggestion)