Hi
We have recently opened an old fire place, i think it has been out of action for some time but we have had the flue checked and given the all clear. The fireplace itself is an old cast iron affair and very rusty, i have started extracting the various components with a view to replacing them.
I found that there is actually an old back boiler which is also rusting and needs to come out (it is no longer connected to the water tank). This leads to my first problem: When i knocked through the rusty boiler, sandy material began to pour out from behind the metal, when i removed the plate, a found a large void behind it filled with this sandy material. Does anyone have any ideas what this material is? could it be that it is an insulation mix which has broken down over time? or is it more of a structural concern? the brickwork behind it isnt too clever and will at the very last require rendering. Also, if it is insulation is there any chance that it contains asbestos? as it was built in the 1920s (I dont want to poke about in it if it does!).
My second issue lies in what to do with the space, now i have found quite a large cavity behind the fire opening, would it be possible to open this up into a small inglenook style fire or would it be best to replace the iron sections and keep to a standard (victoirian) style fire?
any help anyone can offer would be much appreciated!
many thanks
Jody
We have recently opened an old fire place, i think it has been out of action for some time but we have had the flue checked and given the all clear. The fireplace itself is an old cast iron affair and very rusty, i have started extracting the various components with a view to replacing them.
I found that there is actually an old back boiler which is also rusting and needs to come out (it is no longer connected to the water tank). This leads to my first problem: When i knocked through the rusty boiler, sandy material began to pour out from behind the metal, when i removed the plate, a found a large void behind it filled with this sandy material. Does anyone have any ideas what this material is? could it be that it is an insulation mix which has broken down over time? or is it more of a structural concern? the brickwork behind it isnt too clever and will at the very last require rendering. Also, if it is insulation is there any chance that it contains asbestos? as it was built in the 1920s (I dont want to poke about in it if it does!).
My second issue lies in what to do with the space, now i have found quite a large cavity behind the fire opening, would it be possible to open this up into a small inglenook style fire or would it be best to replace the iron sections and keep to a standard (victoirian) style fire?
any help anyone can offer would be much appreciated!
many thanks
Jody