victorian fireplace surround

[Mimmit]

we have a nice gas fire in our living room but no surround or mantelpiece. I have looked into getting a victorian style one but have been quoted £1000 which is just too much for us.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I saw an old thread thae ebay is a good place to pick them up cheap but would have no idea how I should be measuring for it or what I need to know to make sure it can be installed properly. I am so rubbish at house things- need some DIY lessons but guess that is for another thread!!

tricky but doable.
You want to keep the gas fire, yes? So you're not planning on putting the whole shebang in (grate etc.), just the mantel and surround?

The first thing is to measure the width of the gas fire, and the height. Once you know what you have to work around, then go to a fireplace shop and have a look at the different styles. Ask someone there - tell them you have a gas fire, it's x,y dimensions, what would work with it - see what they say. Then - once you have the info - go look on ebay or wherever.
Also, check if there are any places that do reclaimed building materials - they sometimes have salvaged fireplaces (although not many any more, as they are hot property).

Failing all that, you can get new ones that just look old - mantelpieces, that is - for a lot less than your quoted price.

While you're in the fireplace shop, ask leading questions about how the mantelpieces etc. are installed/attached to the wall.

this is a good place to start looking for fireplace shops

thank you thumbwitch for such a quick and helpful reply!
You are right, I want to keep the gas fire, just want tiles and mantlepiece. I know homebase and places do new ones but most of them seem to fix to the wall with the visible brass plates and screws which I don't really fancy. Anyway, I am off to get my tape measure thank you again!

no problem :)

I have recently bought one off e-bay.You can pick them up for under 100 pounds in cast iron.If you want a more ornate one you will have to pay more.I bought one off a guy in Chester who had very mixed feedback.However he agreed to cash on delivery if i was happy with the product.!000 pounds sounds extortionate to me.Look round antique centres and reclamation centres for bargains.

I've just bought a wooden mantelpiece/fire surround for 65 quid. It needs a bit of sanding, and we might end up painting it anyway. Do try ebay. If you just want something nice to go around your existing fire, it shouldn't cost too much!

we bought ours on ebay, paid something like £450. All original though, then picked up an old pine surround, also on ebay for £50 - £80.

I think our measurements were guided by the size the original opening on the chimney breast.