(On the boyfriend's insistance) We are fitting a solid fuel burning fire into our house in the second fireplace. My boyfriend intends to fit it himself but I am going to get a HETAS installer in to do the job (or at least finish it off) and make sure that it's safe and we don't die.
However, I want to keep the cost down by fitting the hearth and increasing the opening in the chimney breast and replacing the lintel ourselves.
Two issues-
1) The constructional hearth is damaged a bit with a loose layer on the top. On the advice of my builder (who is now unavailable for advice) we are going to remove the top layer that's beenchipped away and apply a new layer of mortar (?) to make it level with the floorboards.
He recommended a product that we could paint on the hearth before applying the new layer of mortar to make itdamp proof- any ideas what it might have been? and does that sound right?
2) When the constructional hearth is sorted, how do we fit the granite hearth on top? It is split in two halves (solid fuel) and it's kind of 'hollow' behind the sides on show (I hope you know what I mean, can't think how to describe it).
Any advice would be much appeciated.
However, I want to keep the cost down by fitting the hearth and increasing the opening in the chimney breast and replacing the lintel ourselves.
Two issues-
1) The constructional hearth is damaged a bit with a loose layer on the top. On the advice of my builder (who is now unavailable for advice) we are going to remove the top layer that's beenchipped away and apply a new layer of mortar (?) to make it level with the floorboards.
He recommended a product that we could paint on the hearth before applying the new layer of mortar to make itdamp proof- any ideas what it might have been? and does that sound right?
2) When the constructional hearth is sorted, how do we fit the granite hearth on top? It is split in two halves (solid fuel) and it's kind of 'hollow' behind the sides on show (I hope you know what I mean, can't think how to describe it).
Any advice would be much appeciated.