Do I need rubble in fill behind a new fireplace??

[Nige F]

Blimey you`re all @ it - I`m doing one here in my house too . All good info, cheers.

 

[joefinan]

We're replacing our fireplace - simply didn't like the old one, so I'm hoping it'll be very easy but I still have a couple of questions.

Finding vermiculite is a nightmare! Is this stuff from B&Q suitable for mixing with cement/water and using to backfill (along with all the rubble we've saved from removing the old fireplace, of course).

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?isSearch=true&fh_search=vermiculite&x=0&y=0

I think I understand everything except creating the sloped smoke shelf. Although I can see it'd be easy to do directly behind the fireplace, how on earth do we do it towards the front of the fireplace (ie, directly behind the decorative insert)?

If it helps anyone who would be kind enough to try and explain, this is the exact insert we've got (except we have a wooden mantle).

http://www.victorianfires.co.uk/jig_fireplace_inserts/rx087.html

 

[rodabod]

Hi,

New member here.

Out of interest, when back-filling a fireplace with a built-in cast iron fire back, do you fill it up via the flue hole? The only alternative I can think of is to lean the entire fireplace insert forward from the wall, and pour in the vermiculite from the top.

Here's a smaller example of the type of fireplace that I'm talking about:

http://www.ukaa.com/stockimages/4505_3.jpg

Thanks.

 

[Lower]

Yes.

You take out the damper/flue closing plate and pour it in through the flue hole. You pour the vermiculite in loose and then make a weak vermiculite cement mix to cap off the loose fill vermiculite.

 

[rodabod]

Magic, thanks.

 

[luty-uk]

Vermiculite is a dry mix.
You need to mix it with cement and water (like aggregate) to form a lightweight concrete.

In its dry form it can be uesd as loft insulation, fireback insulation, ragworm insulation

When mixed 5:1 with cement it forms a lightweight concrete perfect for forming the slope behind a fireback.

See here - www.dupre-vermiculite.co.uk/dupreprodmicafil.htm

 

[luty-uk]

this is probably a really silly question at this point,
how exactly is the 5;1 mix compiled.
what I mean is,
when you mix cement I would use a shovel 3 shovels of sand and 1 shovel of cement.
is it the same for vermiculite? or,
if I use 100liters of vermiculite does that mean I need to used 20 liters of cement.

litre is a measurement of volume not weight so 20 litre of cement would be about 50kg.
do you see my confusion.
other than that I found all the information on this page really helpful

thank you all

 

[Hot&Cold]

2008 thread

If the fireplace is going to be used to burn any fossil fuel,sorry to say you need it done correctly by a registered installer who will provide a certificate saying its safe.

 

[SFK]

Luty-uk,
"how exactly is the 5:1 mix compiled" when using vermiculite.

It is a volume mix so yes if you use 100liters of vermiculite you use 20 liters of cement, or use 5 shovels of vermiculite to 1 shovel of cement.
sfk

 

[luty-uk]

Old&Bold
can you recommend anyone that can do this in the Yorkshire area?

many thanks
Luty-uk

 

[luty-uk]

Thanks SFK