Suitable support for a railway sleeper on fake fireplace.

[austinbyrne]

Hi All,

I am planning on building a fake fireplace and chimney breast in my house and am looking for some advise. I have no building experience but am a keen DIYer. The fireplace is going to house a Flueless Stove style gas fire with a railway sleeper as the hearth. I want to be able to put a 42" lcd on the sleeper hearth too so there will be considerable weight to support. Will a single layer stack of cemented breezblocks about 4 foot high be stable enough to support both the sleeper and 42" lcd? I want to leave a hollow behind the breezblocks with a wooden frame/plaster board structure for the rest of the chimney breast. I also want to put hidden compartments in the sides of the fireplace behind the breezblocks to put a dvd player etc. Any help on this we be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Austin.

 

[stuart45]

4ft is really high for a hearth. Have you got a drawing of what you intend to build?

 

[austinbyrne]

Think I have mixed up my terminology, Odnt htink I should have said Im using the sleeper for the hearth. The sleeper will be on top of the breezblocks. I have attached a rough drawing, the chimney breast and breezblocks will be plastered but so you can see the structure I have drawn them in. Cheers.

Untitled

• austinbyrne
• 4 May 2009
• 2

 

[stuart45]

If you lay the blocks flat they should be OK. You can also use frame cramps to tie the blockwork into the timber framework. Are you going over the top of the sleeper with a timber framework.

 

[austinbyrne]

Cheers, I am hoping to leave the top of the sleeper clear and putting the timber frame behind the sleeper to complete the chimney breast look. So you think the cemented breezblocks will be able to support the sleeper and 42" lcd ok?

 

[nobody]

I would be looking to wall mount the lcd rather than putting it on a stand on the sleeper.

Given that you are making the fake chimney breast anyway, I would build it with a recess so that the screen sits flush with the wall surface.

 

[stuart45]

The blocks will take the weight no problem.