Fire surround timber?

[MJA]

Hi folks,
I'm about to start work on our living room and will be ripping out the gas fire in favour of solid fuel (unlimited free logs ). I've seen a few fire surrounds that I fancy the look of but I don't fancy the price to much.

Can anyone recomend which timber I should be using for such a job? I'd like to end up with something similar to http://www.fireplacesareus.co.uk/tradit ... suite.html

Not to bothered about the grain or the colour, it's mainly the style that I'm looking for and a timber that aint gonna move to much with the intence heat of the fire / stove. Somebody suggested a Joinery grade redwood but I'm clueless. I really don't want to spend alot on this because there are a million other jobs that need funding so the cheeper the timber the better. Fortunatly the father in law is a wizard with a saw so he'll do the job but if I ask him what timber to use the whole thing will go so off track that I'd end up down B&Q buying a fake electric stove and a pile of bricks then off down the antique auctions for some brasses

Any suggestions welcome.
Matt

[Steve. F]

Hi Matt,

Personally if it were me and wanted to do it as cheap as possible i would make the whole surround out of veneered mdf as most purpose bought ones are this nowadays.

If you were looking for an even cheaper alternatine then plain mdf painted would be your best bet and certainly less work with not having to cover up your cut edges and minimal splintering of face either.

The mdf would be a stable timber with very little or no movement and going for a plain painted look would simplify the whole job for you.

I dont know how extensive your toolkit is but if you do not already have a pocket hole jig then this would be a good time to buy one for a project like this.

[MJA]

Thanks for your input Steve I've have no real preference of colour but I do want it to show a grain so veneered mdf would be the only mdf option but I just can't imagine it looing all that good by the time we'd tried to make it apear like thick timber.

Ideally I'd like to use solid timber to make construction more straight forward and to allow no question of authenticity so I'm gonna steer clear of mdf this time, and hope that I can find a suitable timber - thanks for the idea anyway bud .

I keep coming across jobs where a poket hole jig would be very useful but it's always to late to go and buy one - I'll try to get one sorted cuz it will get use without doubt! Good idea Steve.

[Tryanything]

You can still make the surround parts made from veneered MDF look like
solid wood by bevelling the joints on the leg sections, top and infills can
be double thickness MDF to give a chunky look and use a wide iron on
edging to cover the cut edge's

[MJA]

Nice drawing, cheers mate. I did have something like that in mind, it's just trying to get nice corners that worries me.

Would the iron-on edging stand up to the heat of a solid fuel stove? I've no reason to doubt it as I've never used it but a 10KW log burner is pretty warm.

Any idea of the cost of veneered mdf sheets?

[Steve. F]

Costly im afraid
Running around the mid £40to £50 bracket

But you would manage the whole project with one sheet.

Even if you did not fancy Try anythings idea of splay cutting external corners then why not just go for a square cut edge and butt nicely pocket hole jointed internally and make a feature out of the different coloured edge being left uncovered.

If you were to clean cut the mdf or at worst clean up any badly cut edges with a sharp plane removing any sawn or burn marks then this way could look just as good.

Edges would need a good seal though as they would be very porous.
In your previous p[ost you mentioned joinery quality redwood which i would advise to stay away from for this type of project as any masterpiece created with this would inevitably end in a twisted cupped or even split mess with the heat of the fire.

You decide though, i am only giving you my advice.
But deep down you know it makes sence

[MJA]

I could certainly live with the price of the MDF, I'd got £150ish in my head so that would work out loads cheeper. I'll have a word with F-in-L and see what we can come up with.

I don't like the idea of the exposed edges so would be having a blast at getting a nice 45deg corner.

Thanks for the input chaps!

[mattk35]

Have you thought about railway sleepers (old or new) to go round your fireplace?

http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Melanie%2 ... eepers.htm

[thescruff]

How to live dangerously

Solid oak sleepers, that would be a novelty. andin any case they will be saturated with creosote/pitch or the likes, which could make an interesting display one night.

Oak beams a good idea, sleepers don't think so, and as for piling loads of wood around the fire, nothing short of suicide

[mattk35]

Sorry meant to point in the direction of the untreated sleepers.
There selling New Untreated French ( ) Oak sleepers 3.6m x 200mm x 100mm £44.47 on there website. Could work out abit cheaper than veneered MDF and alot less work.