How to refinish fireplace masonry wall indoor?

Hi team,

I have just removed the mantle and old texture coating on my 1920s fireplace. I need to sand it, patch and smooth. A few questions:

What grit sandpaper would you use?
I have concremate expanding cement for the holes, will this work well?
can I just use a gyprock skim coat or do I need a masonry specific one?

thanks!

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EricL

Hi @AshG,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your fireplace.

Just to be on the safe side, I suggest having your masonry wall tested for Asbestos. Having been built in the 20's it would be difficult to tell if the surface is Asbestos impregnated, if it is, it would be unsafe to sand its surface as this would spread the Asbestos into the air.

Here is a link to our best advice: Where might you find asbestos in your home?

If the test comes back positive, I suggest contacting a local Asbestos specialist and asking them for a quote on how much to either seal the Asbestos or to remove and dispose of it.

Should the test come back negative, can you please post a close up of the material of your fireplace wall. It's important to determine if it is a plaster type covering or made of masonry. There is a broken portion on the lower left of the fireplace, this would be an ideal spot to see and determine what type of covering it is.

Please keep in mind that whatever product you decide to use, it must be heat and fire rated as it is right next to your fireplace. An example of this is the Dingo 10KG Fire Rated Mortar Bag. It is a cement based, rapid setting, ready to mix mortar for high temperature applications. The 10kg mix is made up of alumina cement and graded aggregates, suitable for use in pizza ovens, fireplaces and barbeques.

I also suggest engaging the services of a fireplace installer/specialist and asking them for a quote on refinishing your fireplace. They would be familiar with the current rules and regulations of your local council. Plus, having it refinished by a professional means that the work will be under warranty.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

AshG

Hi Eric,

Thanks for this. Had someone come out and test for asbestos and checked the paint wasn’t lead paint before touching anything in the house; I very much appreciate your concern.

Below are close up photos.

Thank you for your assistance Eric 👍

EricL

Hello @AshG

Thank you for posting those extra photos of your fireplace. It appears to be a mixed batch as someone has tried to patch the bottom face of it with regular render and as you go further up, you'll see the specialist render that's heat rated.

I think this will be an involved revamp as the surface of the fireplace will need to be assessed and see where the concrete render was used. The painted surface will definitely need to removed before any new render is applied.

I still recommend engaging the services of a fireplace specialist/ installer as they will assess and remove the incorrect product used on the surface of your fireplace. They'll then recommend what heat rated render to use for the surface.

My best advice is to get several quotes and remember to ask for a reference so that you can see what kind of work they do.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

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