Hearth removal

[TKS]

Hi

I'd like to remove this electric heater and hearth. The heater isn't hard wired, it just plugs in and seems pretty simple to remove. The hearth is what I'm worried about.
Does anyone have any experience of removing one of these? Or if you got someone in what kind of costs would I be looking at?

Thank you.

20200815_092537

• TKS
• 15 Aug 2020

 

[JohnD]

it looks to me very much like the tiles have been laid on top of a laminate floor covering, and will chip or lift away. The laminate may be marked by adhesive.

If it is solid wood you have a chance of sanding and refinishing. otherwise, buy a hearthrug.

When you take the fire out there may be an old fireback inside, possibly dirty and sooty, or it might be clean. If it is an electric fire it will not have needed a chimney. if the builders hid rubble inside (this is very common) shovel it out into rubble sacks and take to the tip, as it will encourage dirt and damp.

A lot depends on how old your house is.

Disused chimneys need to be ventilated top and bottom or they will get damp from condensation. An airbrick sized ventilator is usually enough.

 

[TKS]

Hi John,

Thanks for your reply. The hearth was there when I moved in a few years ago and the laminate was laid around it...if that makes sense. The floor was like concrete, so if I lift the hearth away there shouldn't be too much damage to the floor?

I loosened the the top of the heater and had a peek behind. It's sitting in a opening which yeah I guess will need cleaning out. There is an actual chimney breast the other side of the wall, so in the room behind. Does that make any difference in terms of needing air vents etc? It's odd because there's no chimney's upstairs. Just that one breast in the kitchen and this in the living room.

Thanks again

 

[JohnD]

if there were two fireplaces, there will be two flues, which both need ventilating.

It's possible the upstairs fireplaces were taken out. Can you see any chimneypots on the roof?

How old is the house?

 

[TKS]

I think the house is 1940's. There is a chimney visible outside.
The chimney breast in the kitchen has no fireplace in it, it's just bricked up from floor to ceiling. It looks like the hole in the living room backs into the breast in the kitchen.

 

[foxhole]

Check loft , is there a chimney running thru it or a gallows bracket holding chimney.