Prepping historic fireplace for gas stove

4 years ago

I have a professional gas stove installer scheduled to install a small Regency stove into my old fireplace in a month or so. He has already been out to measure to make sure the clearance was right for the size of stove.

I want to make the fireplace/firebox look more finished. When I bought the house the fireplace was blocked off with a piece of steel in the arched fireplace opening. There was also a wood burning stove in front of the fireplace. I have taken out the wood burning stove as I did not want not manage firewood, plus it took up a lot of space in the middle of the room. So I pulled out the piece of steel and have found a right mess. I am sure this is why it was closed off before.

It looks like there is a patch of some kind of small pebbles/rocks in a concrete over chipped up brick. The morter between the bricks is like dust. Is there something I can use over the rough surface just to smooth it out? I don't think it will get that hot under the stove. And can I just chisel out the odd part that stands out in the middle?

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Comments (3)

HU-867564120
4 years ago
With a small gas stove going into the space, a fair amount of the existing inside brickwork would still be visible. I would get an experienced mason in to fill in mortar joints, etc. to clean things up and provide a more finished look, and give the stove a flat surface to sit on.
Sigrid
4 years ago
Frankly, if your fireplace is that eroded, I'd worry about your chimney. Too much erosion is a structural problem. Also, do you have a cap on your chimney as, perhaps rain going down your chimney was a problem.
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Sara D
Original Author
4 years ago
@HU-867564120

I am defnintely going for a more finished look. I am trying to figure out if I can DIY parts. Labor around here for any of the trades is super scarce right now.

@Sigrid

I bought the house in April 2018 and in had a chimney inspection in addition to the home and pest inspections. There are actually 2 chimneys. One that must have been for the kitchen in addition to this one in the dining room or parlor. The chimney cap on this one was working as needed. The chimney cap for the other one was repalaced as it was leaking a little. Both chimenys were passed wihout concerns for structural issues.

I have had the local chimney pro out to inspect. He is not concerned about the safety of the installation at all. It is more the looks part. I started taking down some of the "Carnegie" bricks that were the fire wall. What I am finding behind them is appearently a hodge podge of other brick and mortar. The mortar is all turnign to dust.

Heat is not the issue for the gas stove with the proper clearances. I am just trying to figure out how to smooth it out. Most of the videos I have found have been about stucco to fireplace surround. Or creative uses for a no longer used fireplace, but not much about simply cleaing the brick up. Found one UK video where they put split slate on the floor of the fireplace to level it out.