Fireplace Help

[Bubbauk]

Hey everyone, my fireplace looked like this last week

http://app2.propertynews.com/images/large/36792993.jpg

It currently looks like this (I have removed all the lose filling stuff now)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/8963/image346.jpg

My plan is to mount the TV on the wall and build a unit in where the fireplace is to house my av receiver, dvd player etc, i want it to be flush with the wall so it just looks like cut outs in the wall with my equipment.

I am not really sure How I am going to go about this, I am getting those pipes cut back and stop ends put on this afternoon. I was thinking of screwing plasterboard onto the inside walls of the fireplace and also the top of it (after blocking off the chimney, although not sure how I am going to do this either!)

How do I finish the front of it, will I need to get a plasterer in or is it something I can do myself?

Anything else I should be aware of then please let me know as I have not done anything like this before.

Thanks for anyhelp

 

[Richard C]

You can line internally with plasterboard & get it skimmed or use a render base & then skim. I would make good the outside wall with render or Bonding plaster & then skim the lot. If you’ve not done anything like it before it’s going to be a challenge & you need to do a bit more research.

You should not totally block off the chimney flue either; fit a vent at the bottom & vented rain cap on top of the pot; no ventilation is likely to lead to condensation in the flue & possibly damp patches appearing on walls.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I'd dot and dab the recess of the fireplace, with plasterboard, then plaster the wall in front, using a basecoat (hardwall, browning etc..) then finish the dot'n'dabbed boards and wall with multi-finish, putting thin coat beads on your angles.
Blocking the chimney up, may need a register plate and some ventilation, others will advice on this not my forte. But you'd need a rainproof cowl to cap the chimney off.
I would have the chimney swept prior to this, so all the debris and soot is removed.
You will also need to plan for your cables, so before you do any remedial work, plan for that.

 

[Bubbauk]

Thanks for the replies, chimney runs through the middle of the house and is not on an outside wall if this makes any difference.

What is the best way to route cables through the fireplace, I need cables to run from the opening to above the fireplace for the tv, I will also need to bring speaker cable out for my front and surround speakers, centre speaker is going under the tv.

 

[Richard C]

Thanks for the replies, chimney runs through the middle of the house and is not on an outside wall if this makes any difference.

No, it still needs ventilating.

What is the best way to route cables through the fireplace, I need cables to run from the opening to above the fireplace for the tv, I will also need to bring speaker cable out for my front and surround speakers, centre speaker is going under the tv.

Many different ways of doing it depending on the AV cables you need to run. I fit a standard 35mm steel electrical box (you can get many different cover configurations) at either end of the run, cut (angle grinder) a 50mm wide x 30mm deep (or whatever to give you 5mm of plaster over lid) between the two & fix a 40mm plastic trunking & lid. I then fill it all in out to existing wall level with Bonding plaster & usually re-skim the entire wall; a 40mm trunk will accommodate most people requirements but size your to suit.
Many ways to hide speaker cables; in a channel under the carpet, behind the skirting, chase the walls. The choice is infinite depending on your system quality & size/type of cables, which ultimately links back to how much your spending; or you can be really flash & have RF but then you need a power supply for the speakers so it doesn’t really help much.

I installed something similar in an old fire opening many years ago when they were completely unfashionable. The thing to bear in mind is that times have changed & your chimney is really quiet a valuable asset, in spite of what you may think at the moment so don’t do anything that’s not reversible.

 

[Bubbauk]

Whatever I do cant be worse than it was before lol! I plan to be here for at least 10 years although there's no reason I wont live here for the rest of my life.

Floor is floorboards and will be recarpeted, is it worth lifting floorboards to run the cables or will running them on top of the floorboards then carpeting over them be OK? Front speakers will be bi wired using relatively thick cable, rears will use similar size cable but just a single run to each speaker.

For the rears I am thinking of of tracking the walls, for such a small cut out will it need to be re plastered or can I fill it myself?

I have all the equipment apart from some new rear speakers and cables that are going to reach everything so shouldn't have that much to spend hopefully, first house and money is pretty tight at the minute.

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Richard C]

Floor is floorboards and will be recarpeted, is it worth lifting floorboards to run the cables or will running them on top of the floorboards then carpeting over them be OK?

You’ve got the ideal situation for running speaker cables.

Front speakers will be bi wired using relatively thick cable, rears will use similar size cable but just a single run to each speaker. I have all the equipment apart from some new rear speakers and cables that are going to reach everything so shouldn't have that much to spend hopefully, first house and money is pretty tight at the minute.

To go off track a little, what system do you have? I’ve been into Hi-Fi/AV for many, many years; but admittedly not so much in recent years. I have what was considered 10 years ago to be a high end (but not audiophile) system & IMO, silver cables & Bi-wire will not make any significant difference to what you will hear in your lounge, especially if it’s mainly films you do. It’s the quality of individual components that really matters & don’t believe all you read in the AV mags! Be careful how you spend your money & consider how much hassle it is to hide those huge cables for the benefit you will get; one time fashionable/statement but huge silver Bi-wire cable on display is no longer an issue when nearly everyone focuses on silly Bose mini-cubes.

Sorry for all the questions!

No problem; enjoy your Hi-Fi, that's what it's all about

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It's not the best place to put fixed wiring under the carpet, this must be avoided.
If the floorboards are being lifted, that's a good place for cables, but beware of cold as it can effect cables and rodents also, they love to chew them. So if under floor conduit advised, if this is a problem.
Installing your power circuit will depend on what you have already installed, it could be a ring final or radial circuit.
You will need a few plug points available, TV, sat/digi receiver, DVD, transformers for speakers maybe, games consoles etc... So at least two double outlets will be needed.
So you will need to be thinking of extending the circuit, rather than creating a spur, this will also need to be RCD protected.
When routing cables mains power cables should be separately routed to non power cables.
What do you mean by tracking?

 

[Bubbauk]

I have a Marantz SR4500 AV Receiver with tannoy fusion 4 floor standers and centre speaker, gonna purchase some rears to match. Not got my TV yet but will be buying a 50" Panasonic plasma, just got a crap 37" lcd tv atm.

Speakers are bi-wired at the minute using some gale 400 cable so will be using something similar, also if Im going to be running cables under floorboards I will want it to be future proof if I upgrade any of my equipment.

Lounge will mainly be for movies games etc as most of my music listening will be done in my computer room although I will still listen to music there some times.

I have a NAD C320BEE running some old monitor audio speakers in my computer room, also a set of sennheiser HD595 headphones.

Power wise I really only need one power socket as I have an 8way surge protector that I plug everything into, there is a double socket to he left of the fireplace and a single to the right so Ideally I would want to just move one of these into the back of the fireplace. I know a spark that can do this for me .

When I say tracking walls I mean cutting a groove in the wall for the cables to run and then filling over it.

Some pictures of my stuff in my old apartment.
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5927/imag0094iw.jpg
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/7148/imag0093i.jpg
http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/5356/imag0080d.jpg
http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/9552/imag0095.jpg


I would consider myself a bit of an audiophile, just dont have the money for the proper equipment so will make do with what I have.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

That's chasing out then for cables. That will depend on the depth and size of the chase, you'll find that damage will occur to the area as you chase so plaster may well be needed or maybe a few application of easifill.
it's good to hear you've got an electrician on board, as the will be able to you advise best.

 

[ajrobb]

I recently lined a similar cavity. Removed the old fire back and about 2 dustbins of rubble to get back to the brick. I used the best of the rubble bricks and a weak mortar to build a platform above the new skirting board. I then installed an MDF shelf on dabs of normal mortar. I made the front edge my datum for plastering. I primed the bottom of the shelf with PVA. It was easy to level the shelf with a few gentle taps.

I used filler to stick a batten to the back of the cavity to take the top lining. Before installing, I cut a hole in this lining for ventilation and glued a plasterboard cover over it (using filler again) on 25 mm cubic plasterboard 'pillars' with a 25 mm overlap. This seems to prevent rubble falling through the hole. I used filler to stick the top lining to the batten and the front bricks. It is supported by the side linings too.

Dot and dab the plasterboard. Maybe put 2 layers of 12.5 mm on the back to take a 25 mm electric box so you don't have to cut into the chimney. You can easily channel wiring into the first layer.

I assume someone will be spilling water on my shelf at some point, so I caulked the bottom of the plasterboard to the shelf. Using eggshell, I painted the shelf and the bottom 50 mm of plasterboard and the plaster below the shelf with eggshell to reduce the damage such a spill would cause. I've painted over this with emulsion.