Ideas for chimney breast

[clio007]

I've got a chimney breast in my lounge and ideally want to a media wall instead. I'm thinking a modern fireplace type with the TV ontop.

Is it practical to use the existing chimney breast and cut into it for the TV? I've rung a few builders and they don't seem interested or keen. Probably as it's such small work.

Anybody have any other ideas? Do I take out the chimney breast completely and then build it back?

[clio007]

I don't have a place to put the TV hence the idea of a media wall. It looks like it needs to go on the wall somewhere.

The pics above are from the rightmove ad.

If structural, I've seen a beam or brackets used to hold them up if removed?

Building a chimney frame would mean it protrudes out even further which I want to avoid

[clio007]

After some head scratching, swmbo won and the chimney is all out

Personally liked the gas fire but with young kids it probably wasn't going to be used

[clio007]

No ideas for a name said:

clio007 said:

After some head scratching, swmbo won and the chimney is all out

Personally liked the gas fire but with young kids it probably wasn't going to be used

Not try ing to be an a*se, but how did you deal with the remainder of the stack?

When we did ours the whole chimney from the pot on the top, through the roof, and down to the floor came out - a hell of a lot of bricks in that.

ETA: We started at the top, not the bottom!

Edited by No ideas for a name on Thursday 27th June 09:01

Yes it's all come out from the roof down to the lounge. The chimney stack was much smaller on the first floor

There was hardly anything in the loft due to the shape of the house. Here is a pic of the first floor with it removed

Edited by clio007 on Thursday 27th June 09:45

[clio007]

bristolbaron said:

clio007 said:

After some head scratching, swmbo won and the chimney is all out

Personally liked the gas fire but with young kids it probably wasn't going to be used

Out of interest, how much was the structural engineer report for doing this?

I didn't get a structural engineer

[clio007]

Chumley.mouse said:

clio007 said:

After some head scratching, swmbo won and the chimney is all out

Personally liked the gas fire but with young kids it probably wasn't going to be used

Dont young kids get cold .?

Probably do.

The underfloor heating will sort that though.

[clio007]

donkmeister said:

Bluevanman said:

2 GKC said:

Put a mirror up and leave it at that. TVs over fireplaces = council.

Media walls are a fad that will soon come to an end and look dreadfully old fashioned.

I fear they are the laminate flooring of the 2020s... Execution is everything, and a few look good (I quite like the planky one a few posts up), but most don't as they've been thrown up "to get the look".

However, I will be watching Clio's project with interest as someone who is prepared to take down an entire two storey chimney is unlikely to half-arse it!

I'm still on the fence with the media wall. Getting the rest of the house sorted and then I'll return to the wall

Im of the same opinion. Some look terrible and others look really smart. I think those that are flush against the wall with panelling look the best.

[clio007]

Chrisatronic said:

I have pretty much the same issue in my new buy, be interested in the cost for taking the chimney out as I may end up doing the same.

It's difficult to split it up because there was so much other work being done but I'd say it cost me around £3.5kish in total to remove it all from top to bottom and make good (ie plastering, skimming, concrete etc but not painting)

The chimney in the loft was tiny so if yours is larger it could be more

I checked a few other builders and the general pricing was around £1500-2k per chimney. These are SE prices though so in London or up north it could be different