Another 'Plaster or Plasterboard' query!

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Hi all

I’ve just pulled out an old 1970’s fireplace and have been left with a wall down to (very rough) brickwork. I could use some advice please. Would you:-

  1. Plasterboard where the fireplace was and skim with plaster? (Does it matter that the brickwork is rough?)

  2. Plaster straight onto the brickwork?

  3. Do something else….

  • If the answer is to plaster onto the bricks, do I need to do anything special to the bricks or use a special plaster?

  • If the answer is to plasterboard, can I wallpaper straight on top (if it’s the correct depth), or must it be skimmed?
Many thanks for any advice anyone can give


Ian
 
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Ian, what are you like?! Haha

Nice job by the way, and I see you don't have wet bricks from years of rain water running down the chimney at such a significant moment in time.

Plasterboard? Hummm, after dabbing on the plasterboard adhesive, and then the PB, will it line up neatly with the plaster already on the chimney breast? It's gonna have to be a thing PBOARD.
 
Thanks - it took a lot of doing and even more time clearing the rubble!

The existing plaster varies between 12 and 15mm thick, so thinking about it, it's gonna need a skim even if I use plasterboard.... does PB have to go onto a flat surface (which this isn't!)?
 
Knock the whole breste off and Dot and Dab it. Looks like the old plaster should come off easily. You can brick the chimney up and leave a brick out and put a vent on your P/board when you dab over it. I would get it skimmed over then you can paint or paper it.
 
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Thanks - it took a lot of doing and even more time clearing the rubble!

The existing plaster varies between 12 and 15mm thick, so thinking about it, it's gonna need a skim even if I use plasterboard.... does PB have to go onto a flat surface (which this isn't!)?

I can imagine the task, I've done these before, and the dust gets in everywhere. :/

Not even, no, but as long as your PBs are level, it's all good. The dabs of PB adhesive will compensate for the unevenness.
 
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Wallpaper over plasterboard is no issue, you'll get a neat finish that's for sure.
 
Thanks for all your input - I think I'll go for plasterboard.

One last question.... can I just plasterboard over the opening, or do I need to brick it up?
 
18-22 bricks, sand and cement, give it 24hrs minimum to dry?

As long you seal the joints at the bottom where you'll be placing your skirting board, with caulk, it'll be good; otherwise the draught from the chimney will be noticeable on windy cold days.
 
It'll end up as a complete bodge if you aren't careful. I'd pullout the fire and fill using fibolite blocks. The place two battens at the SIDE of the breast level where you want your render to come out to, then use sand/cement render (plasterers sand) 5 to 1 and bring the whole thing flush using a batten as a straight-edge. May as well do it right.
 
You've removed a gas fire and a (tiled ?) fire surround - in the debris can be seen a junction box and cable and a gas supply tube presumably leading to a gas Restrictor. Are these items dead/ disconnected?

When the closure plate is removed from the fireplace opening it would be best to sweep the flue before blocking up the opening. Install as suggested a vent in the blocked opening, and an air terminal in the pot on the chimney stack.

Lower left in the pic of the c/breast face the bricks and rubble are dark - is this just the pic or damp?

There is possibly a concrete hearth below the carpet.

FWIW to any DIY'ers: the closure plate is dangerous because it doesn't cover & seal the whole opening. A thin piece of ply/hardboard or "cardboard" has been used in an attempt to lower the opening - dangerous fumes could have been escaping, & the cellulose material could have caught fire from the heat of the fumes.
 
Thanks again for all the input everyone.

Ree, it was an electric fire that I took out. I think that the cable you are seeing is the electric cable for the fire. I hope.......

I'm putting another electric fire back in - I assume that I'm ok to block off the chimney without a vent?
 
Prior to the elec fire there was a gas fire - thats a gas closure plate with a spigot opening. If there was a gas fire then there was a gas supply.

Best practice is to vent the redundant flue. Vents can be installed in the chimney breast cheeks or from outside if its and external back wall.
 
Thanks.

The only thing that I can find that might be something to do with is the tube in the first picture - it's around the side of the chimney breast and was covered in plaster - is this it?

The other picture is of an oval tube in the plaster which I assume is the electric cabling?

Thanks again for any input.
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That appears to be the gas fire supply pipe - only copper pipe is not oval?
Given the already made disturbance you could trace that pipe (follow the white "plaster") back to where it probably comes up from the floor and cap it below the floor but only after determining that it is redundant?
 
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Hi

The pipe is steel I think. I've pulled away plaster and it seems to go inside the chimney breast - could it be an overflow pipe?

I know nothing at all about how gas fires work.......

What does anyone think?
 

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