Opened up old fireplace - how to get it to useable state? Re-generate an old or tired space and give it a fresh breath of life. Click here for answers, information and tips

[amact]

We've pulled away a hideous brick/gas construction to uncover the original fireplace, which is small but looks like it's been well-used in the past.

My dad says they are designed to be built out from the wall as well in order to have the proper depth. Can anyone corroborate this? If so, is there anything specific we need to know like depths, materials, etc? I want to ensure it sucks the smoke out properly!

Our original hope was to install a nice piece of chunky oak or some other wood into the wall just above, but I'm worried about the safety of this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We currently have builders in who can do the work, but they have never done a fireplace before.

Cheers,

Anna

[thedoctor]

See our project on opening and closing a fireplace at the following link.

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/fireplace2.htm

[amact]

Yeah I read that, but I'm looking for more information on fire surrounds and whether I need to build out from the wall to make the fire operate properly... Was thinking of maybe buying a grate and seeing how far out it sticks then building the fire surround out to that point. But is it acceptable to do this using wood? And if so, does it need to be treated in some way or would something like oak be OK as it is?