Fireplace Recess Prep for Wood Stove - Hearth Paint and Whether to Remove Black "Stuff"?

[carbs for arbs]

Hi all

 

I'll be having a wood stove fitted in a couple of weeks or so (actually, it's a multi fuel).  It's going into a fireplace recess, and I've got a couple of things I'm not sure which way to go on...

 

1. The constructional "hearth" in the recess could do with a lick of paint.  Any suggestions as to what paint would be best to use?  The fitter said emulsion should be ok, but a little googling seems to suggest emulsion isn't so great with high temps.  I should add we are having a Woodwarm Fireview with no legs.  So the ashpan section of the stove is in direct contact, although I won't really need to paint directly beneath the stove; just the visible parts to the side and front...

 

2. One of the side walls is covered in "black stuff".  I'm happy with the aesthetic; in fact I kinda like it.  But could it potentially cause any problems?  If so, I'm thinking best to remove it now...  

 

Photos below. 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stubby]

Is the black stuff not soot/varnish from an open fire ?

[topchippyles]

42 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Is the black stuff not soot/varnish from an open fire ?

Put your glasses on the right way up.

[Stere]

Whats the bricked off with door  thing it it an oven?

 

Maybe you could   remove that as having the stove central would look better?

[Peasgood]

The hinge was to swing the pot/kettle over the open fire. Don't remove it, it is history.

Wouldn't worry about the black and tbh I don't think I would bother with paint either.

[Dan Maynard]

We had similar when opening up a fireplace, it was hard and black and once the sooty dust was hoovered off it was very stable. Never noticed any smell or other problems, part of the character really. I'm with Peasgood I would keep the hinge and the black, it's history.

[carbs for arbs]

Thanks for the quick replies!  

 

@Stere  Yes, it's an oven, but only there for aesthetics; it doesn't have a function.  We would very much like to open it up to a larger fireplace but the surveyor warned us about making any changes, and since then a structural engineer had a quick look when quoting for other work and said pretty much the same.  Their thinking was that it has been monkeyed around with too many time over the years (centuries?) and further adaptations could be a costly can of worms.  I know it's a bit unusual, and some might find it ugly as is, but I've actually really grown to like it as it is now.  And I could do without the headache (and spending).  

 

@Peasgood  and  @Dan Maynard - No, it the hinge won't be going anywhere!  I love it and spent half an hour or so working back the thick black gloss and getting it to the patina you see in the photos.  I'd prefer to keep the black on the wall too, so I'm pleased to hear of your experience Dan.  I just didn't want to stink the house out, release a tonne of nasty off-gases and kill us, or somehow get it to combust and burn the house down.  If none of that is likely then it stays.  

 

The hearth the stove will stand on looks really quite rough though.  It's a mixture of grey chipped concrete and maroon paint.  So would be nice to do a little something with that if I can find a suitable paint.  

 

In terms of character and history, I'd ***love*** to know how it looked originally.  That's a bit off topic I guess, but interesting nonetheless.  I wonder at what point it was an open fire??  Definitely AFTER some of the adaptations because the old bit of mantelpiece - and above - are black too.  Yet the back and other side aren't.  I should think it has changed a few times.  I'd also love to know when the high mantle was added.  

 

For those interested, this is what it looked like when we moved in.  Excuse the mess!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stubby]

13 hours ago, topchippyles said:

Put your glasses on the right way up.

What do you think it is then oh learned one ?

[neiln]

Errrmmm, you have a slight problem.  Is that not the cut off end of an Oak lintel in the brickwork?  ie. a combustable?

[Peasgood]

I think it may have been there a while