Brick Wall Fireplace Questions

[mjoe]

My wife and I are in the middle of redoing a 1968 house that was basically all original, so I may have a lot of questions in the coming days. In the house, we have a lovely 1960s wall to wall brick fireplace at the end of the living room and I am curious if this is a possibility:

What I would like to do is put up a stud wall, possibly some insulation, make a new fireplace surround with mantle that is normal size and then drywall the rest of the wall.

Additionally, I would then hang a flatscreen above the fireplace / mantle.

I am curious if this is feasible, because in my estimation I will need to bring the fireplace opening out 2 to 4 inches depending on the stud wall. Would I lay new bricks to extend the opening? Is there another option?

Thank you.

(I want to do the stud wall so that I have something to hang the flat screen from, and also a convenient way to hide multimedia and electrical lines.)

[jtp10181]

It can be done, but you need to maintain clearances to combustibles around the brick and fireplace. You cannot simply wood stud right up to the opening and add a layer of bricks to extend the fireplace.

Do you plan on converting this fireplace into gas or a wood / pellet insert at all? Or will you keep it masonry?

[mjoe]

It can be done, but you need to maintain clearances to combustibles around the brick and fireplace. You cannot simply wood stud right up to the opening and add a layer of bricks to extend the fireplace.

Do you plan on converting this fireplace into gas or a wood / pellet insert at all? Or will you keep it masonry?

Yeah, I knew that I would have to work the studs/framing around the opening and use some sort of fireproof insulation in that area. I guess I was curious as to how to do this.

Is there any special way I would have to build this wall? What should the distance be for any wood framing to the fireplace opening? How much new brick /masonry /(any other options?) should surround the opening? How much new fireplace face should be left (how close can finished drywall be to the new finished opening)?

I think we just plan on keeping it a wood burning fireplace like it is now. Everything is in good shape and this room is on a slab so there is no easy solution in which to run a gas line from the basement.

[jtp10181]

No DIY advice on here allowed. You should consult your building inspector, a mason experienced in building masonry fireplaces, a hearth shop, or a chimney sweep. Or a combination because you will probably get different answers from all of them.