Removing PowaFlue Gas fire....Closing Flue...

[benny80]

Hi Guys,
I have a Corgi guy coming in tomorrow to remove our current gas fire. we have a Powaflue fire so i will have a gaping hole through the wall to the outside for a short while until the new fireplace (electric) is fitted on the weekend.

Obviously i want to close the flue from both inside an outside ASAP as its bloody cold at the moment. I have a bricky coming in for the outside but not for a few days and i've ben told there is a sort of 'blanking plate' that you can use to close the hole from the inside???

any help on what this is called and where i can get it from (or any other suggestion for closing it from the inside) would be much appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[benny80]

Guys....it has been suggested that i use expanding foam to fill from the inside - has anyone ever used this in this sort of situation?
Thanks
Ben

 

[ChrisR]

Expanding foam is fine for a temporary filler.
Is it a cavity wall?
For an inner layer you can easily cut thermalite block to size, and fix with fire-retardent foam. If you're going toplaster over it you could use the quick-setting two part foam used for fixing new windows it, to hold the block.
If you have to hang the fire on the block, you might prefer the stronger grades of thermalite. There are about 4, second lightest is fine.

 

[benny80]

The foam would be used as a more temporary fill for the internal hole - that was my hope anyway - i hadn't planned on skimming over it. the outside hole will be bricked this week at some point. it's about a 4" hole in diameter.
the wall is an external wall - plasterboard wall on masonry block then brick outside.
The plan was foam fill from inside, wait for it to cure an cut/slice off to be as flush with the wall as possible. the new fireplace would cover it anyway.
my concern is the heat that the new fire will put out (2kw max) will affect the foam?

 

[ChrisR]

Standard foam is highly flammable, so nowhere near a fire.

If the brickie is going to put whole bricks in outside he'll be chopping the old "hole" out so foam won't get in his way at all.

If you aren't in a hurry to make the inside dry out or look nice, use building materials - masonry and cement mortar! 15 mins max.

 

[benny80]

ok thanks - although i had planned on using the flame resistant foam. however the fact that it will be directly behind the new fire worries me slightly.....
will have to re think this one.