UKC

We're getting a wood-burning stove fitted into a space that I knocked out from our chimney. The original fireplace is pretty minging looking brick, very dirty and could do with a bit of repointing.

Is there anything stopping me getting the space just plastered over? The stove will be about 50mm from the back wall.

In reply to brothersoulshine: perhaps the heat off it? ours at home is brick around it but its about a foot away. it might say on the manufacturer (of the stove) website...

In reply to gnarlycharles:

Building regs say that the back of a stove has to be at least 50mm from a non-combustible surface (or 750mm from a combustible surface). I'm assuming plaster is non-combustibe. What I'm not sure of is if it'll crack or not, or whether there are special kinds of boarding or something you're meant to use.

I have looked around a lot of sites before trying UKC!

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Should be no problem plastering with a weak mix - pink plaster does tend to crack with high temp (seen it happen with a log burner).

Make sure after plastering that you leave it for as long as possible before lighting the fire (maybe up to 6 weeks), to ensure that it is fully dried out.

Take a look on Screwfix's forum - lots of trades folk on there.

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Kevon the road may be on here tomorrow, if not email him for advice.

Can't remember what went behind the club hut stove now so cannot help myself.

In reply to brothersoulshine: Your standard plaster will crack at a low heat. You can either buy additives or buy an already made tub of 'firecem' or 'heatback' plaster to do the job.
A quite common request I get for this kind of area is to tile it, easy to clean etc (worth thinking about). Nothing at all to stop you doing this.

In reply to scrubmunched:

Tiling sounds like a good option cos if I do what Bryn said and wait six weeks it'll be the middle of November before we can have a fire.

In reply to bryn:

i'd recommend the diynot forums over screwfix

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Cement render it says here;

http://www.fluesystems.com/blog/index.htm

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Yeh, you'll be up and blazing in a couple of days if you tile it. You can get a good adhesive made by BAL that will allow to tile direct to brick, get a Mapei additive like a letex, name avoids me, but maybe Bal make one also, get it expensive compared to B&Q all in 1 but professional gear, £29 50 per bag + £6-8 additive. And off you go.

In reply to brothersoulshine: What is it? My parents just put in a wood burning esse stove that not only cooks and does the hot water but runs a couple of radiators too. They unfortunately couldnt have the £3k grant open to them as pensioners because the fuel couldnt be metered, had to be oil, gas or electric.

In reply to brothersoulshine: i would of thought it would be ok.

In reply to brothersoulshine: Thought I'd waited long enough...ie weeks and weeks, lit stove and was moderately peeved to see plaster bubble and peel. Scraped it all off and mounted some heat resistant board ( asbestos substitute) instead and painted that to create a 'feature'.
tiling seems good alternative.

In reply to Fawksey:

We fancied an esse but they're too expensive! It's a just a room heater one, not for cooking or water. After lots of looking around we've got one coming off ebay (from a very credible looking seller called tambagan).

In reply to everyone:

Useful info. Thanks a lot

In reply to brothersoulshine: They also have a small metal box painted green with a glass front in the lounge for burning logs and I remember that being over £500, I thought at the time wheres the money?

In reply to brothersoulshine:

I've vaguely heard something about a thing called Fire-resistant plasterboard. Is this a real thing and is it a suitable option? Can you stick some of that up without skimming over it and waiting six weeks for it to dry?

In reply to brothersoulshine: the stuff i have worked with was rated as fire resistant, we used it to build fire walls in roof spaces. skim will crack as it will expand at a different rate to the board behind. you could research resin based mortars like the ones used in industrial brick chimneys. i think one trade name is potsil

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Ask at builders merchants or fireplace shops.

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Hardibecker board! a cement board that comes in 6mm or 10mm, new to the industry over the last 4 year. I use it alot now. More expensive but good stuff!