Fireplace - how do I repair this?

[TCruise]

It looks like cement or mortar of some sort..it's cracked but feels solid. I would like to repair it.

Any thoughts on what to use, and if it's a bad idea?

Thanks

EDIT
To be clear, I'll be using this and having fires in it. That's why I want to repair it before it gets worse.

It's not stone, it's a cement type thing. You can see that up close, also I know that from dismantling others.

Thanks for the Everbuild cement suggestion. I just want to make sure that it's the right thing. Given it's about 140years old, I'd like to use the same type of substance, so that I do not create different expansion rates and cause more cracking.

Thanks

Edited by TCruise on Monday 3rd February 21:09

[bennno]

Fill the hearth with wood or decorative pine cones and ignore.

[Dog Biscuit]

Not sure on the repair....it will be stone and no doubt cracked due to heat and movement over the years.

Personally I'd leave it be as it's part of its history and charm

Lovely thing

[RGG]

Something like this -

Fill the cracks - scrape them out a bit if you can.

It'll be temporary but it will be the best you can do without a total replacement.

https://www.toolstation.com/everbuild-xl-fire-ceme...

[RGG]

Something like this -

Fill the cracks - scrape them out a bit if you can.

It'll be temporary but it will be the best you can do without a total replacement.

https://www.toolstation.com/everbuild-xl-fire-ceme...

[Louis Balfour]

TCruise said:

It looks like cement or mortar of some sort..it's cracked but feels solid. I would like to repair it.

Any thoughts on what to use, and if it's a bad idea?

Thanks

Looks fine to me. They do crack, but work perfectly well.

[TCruise]

To be clear, I'll be using this and having fires in it. That's why I want to repair it before it gets worse.

It's not stone, it's a cement type thing. You can see that up close, also I know that from dismantling others.

Thanks for the Everbuild cement suggestion. I just want to make sure that it's the right thing. Given it's about 140years old, I'd like to use the same type of substance, so that I do not create different expansion rates and cause more cracking.

Thanks

[bennno]

TCruise said:

To be clear, I'll be using this and having fires in it. That's why I want to repair it before it gets worse.

It's not stone, it's a cement type thing. You can see that up close, also I know that from dismantling others.

Thanks for the Everbuild cement suggestion. I just want to make sure that it's the right thing. Given it's about 140years old, I'd like to use the same type of substance, so that I do not create different expansion rates and cause more cracking.

Thanks

If you use it then it’ll immediately crack again, double don’t bother.

[RGG]

TCruise said:

To be clear, I'll be using this and having fires in it. That's why I want to repair it before it gets worse.

It's not stone, it's a cement type thing. You can see that up close, also I know that from dismantling others.

Thanks for the Everbuild cement suggestion. I just want to make sure that it's the right thing. Given it's about 140years old, I'd like to use the same type of substance, so that I do not create different expansion rates and cause more cracking.

Thanks

Another idea worth a try is a thinnish firebrick placed over the cracked area.

It'll reduce the fuel capacity but cover the cracked area. Again it's not really a proper solution.

The cracked area isn't a major problem - Personally I've used the fire cement and it's been remarkably resilient. I was surprised how long it lasted, and the tubs there to reapply several times.

[rossyl]

OP - that IS firebrick that is cracked. It also looks like it has been repaired a few times before. I wouldn't worry and would repair it again.

- Scrape out/remove anything loose.
- Buy fire cement
- Wet the parts you will be repairing
- Use your hands/small tools to form the cement into the shape required.
- With wet hands, push it into the areas being repaired, and also with wet hands smooth it.

That's it.

Just looking at other responses. You'll be fine. Yes it might crack, but will probably out last you, with small repairs.

Edited by rossyl on Tuesday 4th February 15:49

[speedyman]

You could make a mold from the broken firebrick and make a new one. https://bestsmallwoodstoves.com/how-to-make-fire-b...

[TorqueDirty]

It will be fine. I had a similar fireplace in my old house that had considerably worse cracking than that. I used a few times a year over 10 years with no issues.