Removing lath & plaster round a fireplace (for stove)

[JKScotland]

Hi folks, first post here.... Keen amateur diy-er, but v.little experience with plaster (or old stone houses).

I'm planning on having a multi-fuel stove installed and want some advice on the lath & plaster surrounding the fireplace (I'm trying to do much of the prep-work myself).

I'm in an old sandstone house (c 1890) and wall surrounding the fireplace is lath & plaster; it's been suggested that I should remove the lath up to around 500mm from the opening. The stone lintle and pillars might be around 200mm but that still leaves a fair amount of gap. My guess is that I'll be down to the bare stone by that point (but I don't know), so I'm guessing adhesion/breathability might be key.

Can anyone advise on what plaster/techniques should be used to fill it?

Or the best way to cut the lath neatly?

Many thanks,
JK

 

[JKScotland]

I see Peaps suggests (here) using lime putty mix 3 months before the job, but that was for rendering in the recess itself - I'm looking at the wall around the fireplace, though I'm now worried, I'll still have to wait a fair while for it to dry/set.[/url]

 

[roughcaster]

Hi JK,, put a photo up on here if you can. I think you have been advised to cut back to 500mm because of the heat. Cutting back lath is not a problem. When the photo/s are up we can all see the situation much better.

 

[JKScotland]

Hi, yes the advice was based on the heat given the lath is combustible and probably very dry.... Hopefully these photos post here ok....

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• JKScotland
• 11 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• JKScotland
• 11 Dec 2013
• 1

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[roughcaster]

Hard to say with this one JK. Sometimes, the opening is lined with fireboard, other times it is rendered with a lime based render. You'd be better to get some advice from an installer. I worked in a room a few weeks ago where they had a freestanding woodburner installed about a foot away from a flat plasterboard wall, with the flue going up through the ceiling, but an area of wall behind the stove where the heat was, was lined from floor to ceiling with what looked like an 8x4 sheet of fireboard. The fireboard was then taped into the plasterboard. You might be similar, fireboard in the old fireplace opening, and fireboard on the wall above the old opening. Consulting an installer would be the best bet, just to get their view as to the way forward,