Reinstalling period fireplaces - functional or decorative?

[tabbycatslave]

I'm having Victorian fireplaces installed into the living room and two main bedrooms of my London flat. Currently we have chimney breasts with square empty holes, which looks a bit odd and I'm excited to get the building back to somethings like its original state.

I would never use the fires in the bedrooms and am content with them being decorative, but am disagreeing with DP about the living room fire. The installers say that it would cost no more money to make the fireplace technically functional, and as far as I understand it the way the old fireplaces are constructed means that you wouldn't get crap falling through unless you open it up manually?

I like that an open fire gives you some resilience against power cuts, and also think future buyers might prefer the option to use it.

DP is firmly against having it functional as he doesn't ever want to use the fireplace for a fire. In reality we probably never would but... is there a downside to making it technically possible?

Fireplace people seem (understandably) very passionate about open fires so would like some neutral views if possible!

I think that price probably depends where you are. It is about £90 round here (midlands)

Really? I get my chimney swept twice a year - it's gone up to £75, it's a wood burner I think they charge a little more maybe £100 for open fire - if you've paid £1000s you've been very badly ripped off.

That’s for an annual maintenance charge I’m guessing? My chimney hasn’t been maintained in around 80 years. I haven’t been ripped off, it would have needed a lot of remedial work, sweeping, lining & flue!

That’s not an annual maintenance charge - that’s repair for 80 years of neglect, you do understand the difference. You pay for repairs. And then you maintain - the maintenance does not cost thousands unless you are paying over the odds, maybe you are and who cares - you can pay what you want but it’s not a standard charge.

I agree. Lining a chimney is totally different from getting it swept. That's like comparing getting your gutters cleaned to getting totally new gutters installed.

We have a gas log affect period fireplace looks fabulous, instant heat as well, brilliant.

We’re in London and have 2 chimneys and it only costs us about £60 to get them swept (each). We sweep them once a year before winter starts so they are ready for use. We only light one and it generates an enormous amount of heat. If we light it, we don’t need any heating in the house.