Floating cast iron fireplace

[jsheargold]

Hi All,

My house has a cast iron fireplace that has seen better days, I would like to get it back to its former glory but I don't even know where to start. The thing that is confusing me the most is that fact it seems to be floating about 4.5 inches off the hearth and when I look at pictures online they all seem to be flush (as you would expect). Does anyone have a clue what has gone on here (is it as simple as someone has just bought a fire that is too small)? It looks like someone has made a right mess trying to fit / remove it at some point!

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Silentrunning]

It looks like the fireplace and insert weren’t installed by a qualified craftsman. If this is the case you can pretty much bet the chimney and damper could be faulty. If you are not going to have fires in it and just have it as a decoration, you can do whatever suits your taste. If you are going to use it for fires I would get a professional to come over and check it out thoroughly. You have to make sure that the chimney has the proper draft for the size of fireplace you have. You also should have the chimney cleaned before you have any fires. Safety first!