How to fit a fire surround

A simple way of reinstating a period feature in your home is to use a fire surround kit. This DIY guide shows you the steps involved.

Level of difficulty

Level 2 – Intermediate

What you need

• Fire surround
• Grout
• Dust sheet
• Power drill
• Wall plugs
• Screws
• Thin pieces of wood
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Tape measure

The steps to follow

1. Fit the fire back and hearth before fitting your fire surround.
2. Measure the dimension of your fireplace to get an idea of the size for the fire surround. To give you an idea, the average length of a fire surround is 1.2 m (4 ft).
3. With that measurement, you can purchase a fire surround kit from your local DIY shop.
4. Cover your work area with dust sheet.
5. Assemble the fire surround pieces
6. Prop the assembled fire surround against the chimney breast.
7. With a helper, centre and place the fire surround and mark the positions needed for the fixing screws.
8. Take the fire surround off the wall and drill screw holes with a power drill.
9. Insert wall plugs into the holes.
10. Place and the fire surround columns upright and make sure the mantel is horizontal. Use a spirit level to check if it's level.
11. Next, shim the columns of the fire surround with thin pieces of wood if needed.
12. Secure the fire surround onto the wall with screws.
13. Apply grout around the edges of the fire surround and let it dry.
14. After you have fitted the fire surround you can finish installing the rest of your fireplace.

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• How to restore a fireplace

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