firebrick/chairbrick

[TerryWaite]

Went out to a job the other day to fit an ILFE gas fire, not too hot (excuse the pun) on my fires, fitted a few but im mainly do central heating, turns out I couldnt fit it anyway as the opening was too wide so I have to now wait for some marble slips to be made. My question is, there is a free-standing sort of chairbrick thing which I have never come across before, I have seen chairbricks built in to the masonry but never free standing, do I leave this in or take it out? And does anyone know the proper name for this?

I would prefer to leave it in (if I have the correct catchment space, distance at the back of the flue spigot etc), but the main problem I have is the cable fixing kit, I cant fix to this free-standing chairbrick can I? As when I tighten my cable fixing kit up, it will pull the chairbrick forward will it not?

Im hoping others have come across these before and will advise me on the best way of approaching it. My other concern is if I take the chairbrick out, will there be enough flue pull? Im assuming it was put there in the first place to help the flue pull? Or would there be another reason?

 

[diamondgas]

Picture would help however are you saying that this 'chairbrick' is free standing in the builders opening? If so why not remove it and fix your hooks to the back wall of the fireplace opening? Once the fire is fitted surely the flue pull will be concentrated on the fire flue opening yeh?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

the free floating chair brick as Steve points out can not stay there end of,if when removed you find the back walls shot or the cables dont reach you may need to build a wall to support the cables,bear in mind and i cant make this any clearer if you have a large void behind the marble/fireplace you must reduce this within the opening,most of the time you need to build a brick chamber sloped on both sides at the top with cement to form a proper builders opening,of course you do have the mi,s as to min/max opening dimensions,to large a void behind the fire and spillage will occur

 

[TerryWaite]

Thank you, what is the reaosn the free floating chair brick can not stay there? I could take it out but id have to break it into a few pieces to get it out, yeah i think there will be a fairly large void if i take this out, the fire I stripped out was installed infront of the free-floating chair brick and was fixed to the floor rather than fixed at the rear with a cable fixing kit.

 

[diamondgas]

If this chairbrick is free standing what's stopping you fill behind and around to make it a more solid and filled fireplace opening? Brick up to the original 9x9 and your sorted yeh?

You can then get a fix for th fire I'd imagine

 

[TerryWaite]

thanks, might well end up doing that, have you ever done it that way before?

 

[fuzzy]

the free floating chair brick as Steve points out can not stay there end of,if when removed you find the back walls shot or the cables dont reach you may need to build a wall to support the cables,bear in mind and i cant make this any clearer if you have a large void behind the marble/fireplace you must reduce this within the opening,most of the time you need to build a brick chamber sloped on both sides at the top with cement to form a proper builders opening,of course you do have the mi,s as to min/max opening dimensions,to large a void behind the fire and spillage will occur

why not gas man if he has all the minimal distances and catchment space?