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Opening up a fireplace is a great way to add character and value to a period property. But, if you’re tempted to see what’s behind a blocked up chimney, what do you need to know about Building Regs, costs and how to do it safely to make sure you don’t end up with a whole lot of mess? Here’s what you need to know…

If you’re lucky, opening up a fireplace could involve little more than prising off a sheet of old hardboard to reveal a hidden gem. But even if you don’t find a long-forgotten marble masterpiece behind, there’s still plenty you can do to create a captivating focal point.

Do I Need Planning Permission When Opening up a Fireplace?

When it comes to getting planning permission, unless the building is listed, you shouldn’t normally need to worry.

In this example a log store has been built in as part of the open fireplace design. Image: Lifestyle Floors

However, because of the potential risks from fire and toxic fumes, even if you’re only installing a stove in an existing fireplace or lining a flue, the work will need to comply with Building Regulations (Part J deals with combustion appliances). And, any structural alterations, such as removal of a chimney breast, will also need to comply.

Complying With Building Regulations When Opening Up a Fireplace

The provision of a sufficient amount of oxygen, both for occupants and for the combustion of fires or appliances is a key part of compliance with current Building Regulations. This might require vents to be fitted close to the fire.

In timber floors, vents can be inserted into the floorboards so that the fire draws air from under the floor (rather than creating a draught under the living room door), which has the beneficial side effect of enhancing subfloor ventilation. Alternatively, vents are sometimes placed on outside walls just above the skirting. Redundant flues also need to be ventilated to prevent staining to chimney breasts caused by moist air condensing within the flue.

If required, a new gas supply can be piped to the fireplace under a timber floor or via copper pipe (usually 22mm) run externally and clipped to the outside wall surface. But when it comes to the installation of gas appliances, by law this task must only be carried out by a Gas Safe-registered engineer.

As ‘competent persons’, approved installers can ‘self-certify’ that work has been carried out in compliance with Building Regulations and issue completion certificates. HETAS is the equivalent body for solid fuel-burning appliances.

How to Open up an Old Fireplace

Before getting down to work it’s advisable to play safe and cover everything in sight because there is a potential that astounding volumes of soot and dust will be generated when opening up a fireplace — engulfing nearby furnishings, persons and pets in a thick, black miasma.

It’s also worth bearing in mind too that the vibration from builders’ Kango breakers can be very effective at rearranging the neighbour’s ornaments on the other side of a party wall. So a bolster and club hammer is probably a better option for localised demolition where old fireplaces have been bricked up. Having exposed the original ‘builder’s opening’, large deposits of accumulated soot and rubble will likely need to be removed before the chimney can be swept and the flue lined.

In most properties built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the opening will be spanned by a load-bearing brick arch supported on a curved steel former. Exposed brickwork can look very appealing, but if the size of the opening needs to be altered, a concrete lintel can be inserted and the masonry plastered over.

Whatever your taste in fires, once you have a clean opening and a freshly swept flue, the next job is normally to upgrade the hearth, traditionally made from concrete set flush into the floor void. To comply with Building Regulations this will need to be raised above floor level; it’s a simple job to form a new one directly on top from in-situ concrete, or you might opt for a marble or slate hearth.

The new fire surround will stand on top of the hearth, screwed to the wall via small side lugs which can be inset into the wall and plastered over. Finally, if your preference is for a traditional Victorian cast iron insert, this can now be positioned centrally, secured by a mass of weak concrete placed behind it.

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What Style of Fireplace Should I Go For?

The style you go for really depends on the age of the property and the overall look you’re aiming to create. A large inglenook might be perfect for a woodburning stove, for example.

Chimney breasts take up a fair amount of space. So in smaller houses with cramped layouts it can be tempting to remove a redundant chimney breast, perhaps towards the rear of the property in a kitchen or bathroom. However, where a previous owner has already taken out a chimney breast and you want to open up a fireplace, it should be possible to rebuild it without costs escalating (assuming the stack is still in place).

Alternatively, it might be simpler to install an appliance designed to operate via a flue driven through an outside wall.

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Opening Up a Fireplace: Troubleshooting

Q. Does my Chimney Breast Have Damp?

If you spot damp patches and staining on your chimney breasts or the walls around your fireplaces you are looking at signs of underlying damp problems. The two main causes of damp (other than leaks at roof flashings) are rainwater coming down chimney pots and condensation.

Burning fuel produces water vapour which turns to moisture when it hits cold surfaces, especially if the stack is particularly tall or located on a cold outer wall. Fuels such as freshly cut timber are particularly wet and give off a lot of water vapour. Once mixed with soot the moisture can bleed through the plasterwork leaving ugly stains.

In older properties, the stack walls were built without a damp-proof course (DPC), and eroded mortar joints can allow damp to penetrate down through porous masonry. To prevent this, modern stacks have a DPC through the chimney at approximately 150mm above the roof and another near the head.

Condensation inside the stack can usually be resolved by installing a suitable flue liner. But this can sometimes lead to problems where pots and flues are exposed to rain, because rather than being absorbed into the masonry, the rainwater may be channelled straight down the ‘chute’ forming puddles in the fireplace.

To exclude the entry of rain there’s a wide variety of caps, cowls, and hoods available to protect pots and flues. Even if redundant fireplaces are sealed up and you don’t want to use them, there should be a flow of air to prevent condensation with pots hooded or capped, and airbricks inserted in the stack wall.

Where damp is seeping down through porous chimney masonry, repointing the brickwork joints can sometimes solve the problem, or new larger flashings can be fitted that extend higher up and deeper into the brickwork.

Q. Why is my Fire Smoking?

You’ve opened up a fireplace only to find smoke doesn’t go up the chimney but instead blows into the room – or maybe you find that  the fire becomes choked and struggles to burn. What to do?

Fireplaces rely on the principle that warm air rises. A regularly used flue helps keep the escaping smoke warm, aiding its ascendance.

• Some chimneys are simply too cold to draw well, particularly those on outside walls.
• A stack that is too short or overshadowed by high buildings or trees can result in a downdraught with the smoke blowing back down.
• Flues that are too large can cause smokiness because it takes a long time for them to get warm enough to help the smoke rise.
• Flues that are too small can choke the fire.

Probably the most common cause of smoky fires is a lack of air, particularly in houses where draughts have been sealed up. Smoke can also become trapped because there’s something blocking the flue — indeed anything which obstructs the flow of smoke and combustion gases, such as a badly fitted pot, can be a problem. Although there are multiple possible causes of smoky fires, sometimes the problem can even be down to a temporary change in wind direction distorting air pressure.

How to Fix a Smoking Fire

• Air starvation can be cured by boosting air supply by installing (closable) vents or an underfloor grille near the fire
• Flues that are too large can be modified with a suitable flue liner, and a ‘throat restrictor’ can be fitted to narrow the entry zone from the fireplace
• Smoke will disperse more efficiently where internal flue walls are smooth, once lined
• To clear blockages – debris, soot, nests, etc. – ensure that the chimney has been swept
• To solve downdraughts, a special draught-inducing cowl or circular deflector can be fitted, or the height of the flue raised with a pot extender.

What to Do if Smoke Fumes are Leaking into Other Rooms

A blocked flue can divert smoke and fumes into adjoining rooms or adjacent flues. Smoke leakage and fumes may cause drowsiness, and there are potentially very serious dangers from breathing in poisonous fumes and from the risk of fire. Gas or oil-fired appliances are particularly prone to producing deadly, odourless carbon monoxide, too.

Look for signs of bird ingress and blockage such as feathers, sticks, straw and large amounts of soot in the grate. To prevent blockages caused by bird access and nests, unprotected chimney pots can be fitted with bird guards.

Gas and oil appliances need special chimney-top terminals to prevent blockage and to help disperse gases, too.

Gaps may have also formed where mortar joints have been eroded over time by acidic chemicals from combustion gases. Leaks can sometimes go undetected, particularly within lofts or to adjoining houses. The airtightness of a flue can be tested using smoke pellets (available from DIY stores). Where possible, leaky mortar joints should be made good prior to lining the flue. But even where a flue is already lined, old steel liners eventually suffer from corrosion.

It’s essential that flue liners are of the right type for the fire or appliance. Flexible single-skinned liners are used mainly for gas fires and oil or gas-fired boilers, whereas hardier double-skinned liners are required for burning solid fuels (i.e. for woodburners).

How to Prevent Chimney Fires

Fires in flues can burn unnoticed until structural damage is caused or fire spreads to the main house. Symptoms include excessively hot chimney breasts and the smell of burning.

Over time, soot and tar can build up inside flues and may eventually ignite causing hidden chimney fires that are hard to extinguish. A chimney fire can burn at over 1,000°C, causing metal liners to collapse. This is more common where the fuel being burnt is green, unseasoned timber as it generates excessive tar. But soot deposits can also be a result of inefficient combustion caused by poor air supply.

Flues need to be swept annually to remove combustible soot deposits and blockages. Choose a sweeper who’s National Association of Chimney Sweeps (NACS) or HETAS approved and ideally also a member of the Guild of Master Sweeps.

Wood and peat are particularly aggressive fuels and can produce a rapid build-up of tar and resinous deposits on the inside of the flue. But sweeping flexible flue liners can be difficult, so one trick of the trade is to occasionally burn smokeless fuel in a very hot fire which, it is claimed, melts the deposit away.

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About the Author

Chartered surveyor Ian Rock is director of the survey price comparison website www.Rightsurvey.co.uk and author of the Haynes Period Property Manual.

Image: John Lawrence

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House prices could drop by an average of 13% across the UK because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, a consulting firm has suggested.

This new forecast from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said the economic impact of the lockdown measures could significantly disrupt the UK’s housing market.

CEBR predicts that economic uncertainty, falling incomes and fewer house sales will lead to a steep decline in house prices by the end of 2020.

It warned that the largest decreases may be observed in areas with the highest proportion of workers in sectors badly affected by social distancing measures, such as the manufacturing, construction and accommodation sectors. 

CEBR expects an average drop in housing prices of 13%, or £38,000. Northern Ireland is predicted to experience the biggest drop, of 16.5%. Wales is expected to drop by 14.5%, the South West 13%, the East Midlands 12.5% and London 11.25%.

Scotland and the South East of England are predicted to see drops of only 10.5% and 11% respectively.

Forecasts Subject to Change

Given the uncertainty over the pandemic’s impact on the UK economy, there have been varied predictions over how it will affect the housing market. 

Real estate firm Knight Frank estimated last week that UK house prices will fall by just 3% in 2020, before rebounding by 5% in 2021. Meanwhile, financial services company Jefferies anticipates house prices will collapse by no more than 20% this year, a worst case scenario.

Ultimately, the housing market could be vastly different in six months’ time, so forecasts should be taken with a pinch of salt. Property experts tend to agree that clearer predictions will be possible once lockdown measures have ended.

Experts also concur that the impact of coronavirus could dramatically affect the housing market. Rightmove has previously suggested that the impact of coronavirus could grind the housing market to a halt, and Zoopla has predicted that new sales will suffer a 60% drop in transactions during the next three months.

The reasons for this include viewings no longer taking place, mortgages taking longer to process, and people being discouraged from moving into properties unless the property is vacant. 

The current situation marks a vast difference to the end of February, when asking prices were close to an all-time high and the construction sector was reported to have grown at its fastest pace in more than a year. 

Construction Challenges

The construction sector has been working within strict guidelines since social distancing rules were introduced, and this has posed a challenge to those embarking on a self build project, extending or renovating a house. 

Many major build merchants such as Jewson and Travis Perkins are only operating essential delivery services, which can have an impact on self builders when materials are not available.

Follow our live blog for updates on how the coronavirus lockdown could affect your project and the wider construction industry.

Content supplied by Bricoflor

Installing dry back/glue down vinyl (LVT) using using adhesive can be expensive and tricky and definitely requires the services of a professional – but there is a simple DIY solution that could save you both time and money.

Here are five reasons you should buy underlay for your LVT flooring.

1. Save Money

When you purchase glue down vinyl flooring, two things are still required: the adhesive glue and the professional fitter – the cost of which is in addition to the flooring itself.

But buying LVT flooring with an underlay can actually work out to be much cheaper, as this example shows:

For 12m² room, the required glue costs around £40 and fitting cost for LVT varies from £320 to £400 (let’s call it an average of £360) – so you will be looking at around £400 for install the glue down vinyl flooring. 

Now for the same area of 12m², an underlay costs around £80 – that is more than 75% cheaper compared to the gluing method! And fitting LVT with an underlay is a job that can be tackled on a DIY basis.

2. Easy Installation

You might doubt your abilities to install the underlay and the flooring without the professional help, but actually, the process is very simple.

Here are some laying instructions for LVT with an underlay (always remember to follow the recommendations from the flooring manufacturer):

• Before installation, make sure that the floor is clean and dry
• Remember that the mat will reduce the irregularities of the floor up to 0.6mm depending on the underlay used
• Lay the mat on an earlier prepared subfloor, with the protective film upwards
• Spread the next sheets in parallel to the previous ones
• The sheets of the mat must be adjoin to each other, so there are no breaks
• Peel off the adhesive protection layer
• Do not remove the entire protective layer, only the part that is necessary to place several tiles
• Stick the LVT with an expansion of 5 mm from each wall.

3. Additional Benefits

One of the best things about using an underlay is that it can be paired with underfloor heating, leaving your feet warm and cosy – this makes a big difference on chilly mornings!

Beautiful vinyl floor designs can also completely change the style and atmosphere of your kitchen and bathroom. Vinyl is water resistant, so is especially suited to kitchens and bathrooms. Installing it in those areas requires just one extra step to the process mentioned above, which is a silicone sealant around the edges to prevent water damage. 

4. Speed

Choosing to lay the vinyl floor with an underlay is not only quicker than gluing but also means that the floor will be ready to use straight away. There is also good news for those who are afraid of making a mistake while laying the floor – bonding time with an underlay, such as Arbiton, for LVT takes about 30 minutes, so if there’s incorrectly positioned tile, you can simply peel it off and put it in the right place! 

5. Flexibility

Installing LVT with an underlay makes the biggest difference in the rental properties. Using this method for the glue down vinyl makes the tiles as easy to remove or change as laying them down.

The vinyl covering and the underlay are both easy to remove and will leave the subfloor undamaged.

Arbiton Multiprotect LVT Fastlay surface is integrated with a special strengthening mesh, which stabilises the connection between LVT and underlay, offering a long-lasting result. 

For more information, contact Bricoflor.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread uncertainty within the homebuilding sector, including for those who have submitted a planning application, have requested pre-application advice, or are hoping to submit their application. For many, the pertinent question is: will it be harder or take longer to obtain planning permission?

There is good news though. Projects are still receiving planning permission, and in many areas of the country the planning system is still pretty much business as usual. The message from the government is simple: keep planning moving.

Council committee meetings are now taking place virtually, and local planning authorities (LPAs) have been told to take innovative approaches in order to continue the decision-making process. The government’s chief planner, Steve Quatermain, advised planning departments: “We encourage you to explore every opportunity to use technology to ensure that discussions and consultations can go ahead.”

Councils have also been instructed in a letter by Quatermain to “consider delegating committee decisions where appropriate”. This could mean planning officers are able to determine applications themselves without requiring a decision from the planning committee.

But, there are still several questions that many self builders and those planning an extension still have. Homebuilding & Renovating spoke to industry experts to ascertain what self builders and renovators need to know about securing planning consent during the coronavirus outbreak. 

(MORE: Building an Extension: A Beginner’s Guide)

Q. What happens if you submitted a planning application for a new build or extension before the outbreak?

Applications which have been submitted could take longer to go through the consultation process, and with planning departments suspending site visits, perhaps making the process more complex. 

Sally Tagg, Managing Director at Foxley Tagg, and planning expert for both Homebuilding & Renovating and the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), says: “The advice I’d give to people with projects in motion now is to be proactive and keep trying to contact your planning officer. Make sure you do this via email, as this is useful to keep for future reference.” 

Being proactive is important because LPAs are experiencing depleted resources, and with case offices working remotely they may not be able to be as proactive themselves in contacting applicants. 

Paul Testa, from Paul Testa Architecture, says that maintaining communication lines is one of the biggest challenges facing planners and self builders alike right now. He said: “What we’ve found with the projects that we already had filed for approval is that we’re really struggling to get hold of officers.”

Moreover, some LPAs may not be updating their websites with responses following the statutory consultation period of 21 days. This formal consultation period begins once an LPA has accepted an application.

Tagg says: “Some authorities will put consultation responses on their website as a rule of thumb, but I don’t think that all of them have been put up. That means that self builders have got to be proactive and contact the case officer and say ‘Have you had any consultation responses, because I can’t see anything on your website?’ This isn’t because local authorities are trying to be difficult, it’s just that they don’t have the resources to put them on.”

However, Testa believes that a prospective increase in delegated decisions could lead to speedier decisions being made. 

“LPAs are more likely to be making a delegated decision than they were. While they may still be discussing applications with their colleagues, there’s an inherent implication there that there is slightly less due process, therefore the opinion of an officer with regards to whether a proposal complies with planning policy is going to carry more weight than it has done in the past.”

Seems Planning Permissions are like buses.
Ke-design has just received permission for this modern single storey bedroom w/ ensuite & dresser extension to a cottage in Powys. pic.twitter.com/hPDuXhRFSr

— ke-design (@kedesign1) April 8, 2020

The good news is that it appears applications are still being pushed forward. Architectural design practice Ke-Design has received approval for two planning applications this week, including one project before the statutory time limit, demonstrating that there is room for optimism that applications will still be reviewed on time.

Q. Can I file a planning application now?

Yes. As the government has said, it’s business as normal where possible. While planning applications may take longer to validate, no major delays have been reported. Planning applications are still being decided within the statutory timeframe (typically eight weeks for a new home or extension) in many instances.

And while site visits are not taking place in place, councils have set up alternative methods of reaching planning decisions, perhaps utilising Street View, and local knowledge. 

Tagg therefore recommends self builders and renovators take a series of proactive measures to ensure your application is as thorough as possible. “If you’re putting in a planning application now, you have got to be the eyes of the officer as well. You need to be putting in some really good photographs, so the officer can clearly see the proposal site, because they can’t go to the site themselves.” 

(MORE: Self Build: The Beginner’s Guide)

Q. What happens if the date on my planning permission is about to expire?

With build work halting on many sites across the UK, this is understandably a big concern for self builders and renovators. The government has been urged by the National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the House Builders Association (HBA) to automatically extend all planning permissions by a year.

If work has not begun by then then applicants will likely need to submit an outline renewal application, whereby you resubmit the original planning application at one quarter of the fee. This again holds the applications for three years, but conditions may be altered by the planner.

Tagg stressed the importance of being proactive to make sure your application remains live. She said: “If you have a planning permission that is likely to expire before the planning conditions can be released or your scheme can be implemented, you will effectively lose your permission. So you need to plan ahead even more than you might in normal circumstances, as in the current circumstances, the planning process may well be slower. 

“You can resubmit the same application again and so long as the circumstances remain the same, the planning authority should be supportive of the scheme again. But you need to make contact with the council and explain the situation, if there has been a policy change or other material changes you might have difficulty.

“The date on your decision notice is therefore an important one to be aware of, now more than ever, you need to be ahead of the curve and make sure that all planning conditions are cleared down too, as this takes time. Get professional planning consultancy help if you consider that you need it.”

Q. What could council committee meetings (including planning committee meetings) taking place virtually mean for self builders and renovators?

Following last week’s announcements that planning committee meetings can now take place virtually, some have been left wondering “How will this work in practice?”

Planning committee meetings are public meetings where elected councillors assemble to decide whether planning applications should be approved or rejected. Prior to the legislative changes announced in the Coronavirus Act 2020, all councillors were required to attend these meetings. Now, all council meetings can now take place without members being in the same location. 

“This will enable councils to make effective and transparent decisions on the delivery of services for residents and ensure that local democracy continues to thrive,” said the government.

Testa says of this amendment: “You might find that councillors are more generous and more inclined to say yes to your application because they need their local economy to be as productive as possible.”

He added, however, that the new rules could affect self builders trying to represent themselves in committee meetings, unless the LPA can properly manage this. 

“There’s a personal touch you can achieve by going into a meeting as a self builder that might lean a wavering councillor in your direction, that you won’t be able to achieve on a video call. You’re not going to be able to say very much, and you might not even be invited to make a representation. So I’m not sure yet how that is going to work. That might be difficult.”

Tagg does not believe the virtual change should make too much difference though. She said: “I think the system will play out in the normal manner, I don’t think it will make any marked change to how applications are considered. It’s a different method of the meetings taking place, but it won’t affect the decision making process. Each authority has different ways of functioning but, ultimately, the process is the same.”

And asked whether self builders’ representation will be affected, Tagg added: “Each council will have a mechanism for self builders to address the committee, whether that’s by writing something and submitting it, and an officer would read that out; or whether they facilitate a link to the self builder to get involved. It may depend on which authorities have the greater technical provisions.”