Fireplace help advice

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Red14

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My fireplace currently looks like this, I'm getting a wood burner installed next month. I have done quite a bit plastering in other rooms, but didn't realise plastering round a fireplace was such a minefield.

I'm looking to keep either the back of the chamber brick and render/plaster the sides or keep the whole chamber brick and just plaster the front. If I buy hydrated lime,cement and plastering sand from b and q, will this do the job?

Will it leave a smooth finish like plaster or do I need to buy the victas stuff ( I'd prefer not to as it will cost around £70 for the render and plaster)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated
 

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personally plaster the face leave inside brick,,but if you do want it plastered you need hydraulic no5 lime and sharp sand, no cement, the mix you planned would fire crack and come loose eventually,,,,4 sand - 1 lime mix 1st,,lay on and scratch/key it,,leave 3-4 days then 5sand-1 lime,,lay on and flatten with trowel or small rule,,,rub up with small plastic float , then finish off with a sponge,,that victas plaster is an absolute nightmare to use and expensive,,,hope this helps
 
ps , dont use metal or plastic beads on head and uprights,,metal will get hot and crack,,return in wood rules
 
If you’ve got decent clearance from the sides of the stove to the walls ie 100mm then don’t worry, you can dot and dab some cement board on (12mm) then pva the life out them and skim, itll be fine
 
fit cement board, make a neat job and emulsion. no plaster. no angle beads as they will crack from the heat of the stove.
i would tile the cement board as it gives you a maintenance free finish.
 
malc said:
fit cement board, make a neat job and emulsion. no plaster. no angle beads as they will crack from the heat of the stove.
i would tile the cement board as it gives you a maintenance free finish.
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Never seen an angle bead crack from the heat
 
malc said:
fit cement board, make a neat job and emulsion. no plaster. no angle beads as they will crack from the heat of the stove.
i would tile the cement board as it gives you a maintenance free finish.
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i agree there but i have lime rendered loads of fireplaces with no cracking ,nhl5 and sharp sand 2 coats , no beads involved returned in wood, no need to paint inside neither because fireproof paint is quite dear
 
leefaithfull said:
i agree there but i have lime rendered loads of fireplaces with no cracking ,nhl5 and sharp sand 2 coats , no beads involved returned in wood, no need to paint inside neither because fireproof paint is quite dear
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I would form the angles with rules then turned freehand. I dont like the idea of wood near the heat of a log burner!
 
how would you get over the face of the lintel, usually that would be covered by the fireplace or a mantelpiece?

wouldn't eml expand and crack?
 
malc said:
I would form the angles with rules then turned freehand. I dont like the idea of wood near the heat of a log burner!
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to much to type ,,thats what i meant,,old school before beads were invented,,me n me brother been in game over 40 years, dad and his 2 brothers were spreads, as a young labourer amongst many jobs in the morning was to clean all pre cut re used skirting board angle rules,,,
 

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Tinytom said:
If you’ve got decent clearance from the sides of the stove to the walls ie 100mm then don’t worry, you can dot and dab some cement board on (12mm) then pva the life out them and skim, itll be fine
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Done a repair job recently, inside area was skimmed, generally ok but the top section just cracks from the heat so had to disagree. The area had over 100mm clearance.
 
had to repair a load of fireplaces with log burners that had been boarded with glassrock and pva'd skimmed, all blew after a few weeks of heat exposure, removed the plaster gritted them and then re-skimmed, didn't hear any complaints since about them.
 
Nash plastering said:
Done a repair job recently, inside area was skimmed, generally ok but the top section just cracks from the heat so had to disagree. The area had over 100mm clearance.
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I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m saying not a single 1 of mine have ever cracked.
I use fermacel power panels, 2 weak pva 1 strong and skim the sides, leave the back
Closure plate to the inside lip of the top angle bead
 
Tinytom said:
If you’ve got decent clearance from the sides of the stove to the walls ie 100mm then don’t worry, you can dot and dab some cement board on (12mm) then pva the life out them and skim, itll be fine
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Rather you than me Tom. You can get away with skimming it at 100mm but its a bit of a chance and depends on the stove and how it is used. I'd rather just paint the boards with cheapo emulsion and be done.
 
I use both, boards with metal stop-bead or hand-formed edges in lime, depending upon the size/use of the stove and the opening size. You need a lot of headroom above the stove because of the increased heat.
Just sometimes the board inside can crack also - usually so fine and at the back that the client either doesn't notice or does'nt care.
 
Thankyou to everyone that has replied, I really appreciate your expertise. I'm still in two minds what to do. I will keep you posted with what I decide to do, after I have built the hearth.
 
Sorry one last question, if I decide to stick a fire resistant board against the sides of the chamber and let the board protrude past the edge of the brick, could I use the board as an edge to plaster up to? Or will it not leave a neat finish?
 
leefaithfull said:
personally i,d just block it up and fit a nice 1970,s retro gas fire,they are making a comeback
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The logging company has stopped work in our local wood as there is no demand for the timber. the tories now state that only kiln dry timber may be burnt. The days of the log burner are ending.
 
malc said:
The logging company has stopped work in our local wood as there is no demand for the timber. the tories now state that only kiln dry timber may be burnt. The days of the log burner are ending.
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mind you what with all this co2 problems how about a nice electric fire effect jobbie,
 
leefaithfull said:
mind you what with all this co2 problems how about a nice electric fire effect jobbie,
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my grandson has just brought his first house. he had an electric hot water boiler fitted. it is shaped like a tube about a metre in length 150mm in width.as he live alone this will give him enough supply of hot water.
 
malc said:
my grandson has just brought his first house. he had an electric hot water boiler fitted. it is shaped like a tube about a metre in length 150mm in width.as he live alone this will give him enough supply of hot water.
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do,s the job hey sweet as a nut,,down here in portsmouth we still got tin bath and have to boil kettle for a bath,during the spring we go round picking up horse and cow s**t, spesh in new forest, dry it out in summer and use it like coal for heating over winter,any left we use for barbies following summer ,,
 
malc said:
The logging company has stopped work in our local wood as there is no demand for the timber. the tories now state that only kiln dry timber may be burnt. The days of the log burner are ending.
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Only ever burn kiln dried me
Does my head in people burning pallets etc
 
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