Fireplace / Firetrap

[Nick Ostrowski]

This house had a whole lot going on. In the basement beneath the fireplace forms, I saw charred wood bits on the top of the foundation wall. YOW!!!!

I don't know if there are any options that make sense aside from tearing out the existing fireplace/hearth and starting over. What a mess.

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/nicko555/fireplace1_zps6cf5773d.jpg

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/nicko555/fireplace4_zps6dcd7e7f.jpg

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/nicko555/fireplace3_zpsbbe50c30.jpg

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/nicko555/fireplace5_zps807c7891.jpg

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/nicko555/fireplace2_zps93fba1c7.jpg

[John Kogel]

Another option? They can seal off the chimney and put an electric fireplace insert in there. :D

[Nick Ostrowski]

You should have seen some of the other eyesores going on in the place which was selling for a paltry $680 K. This was just part of it.

[Harry Janssen]

I have seen something similar in a brand new home,good thing the clients had a home inspection,or the house may have burned down the first time the fire place was used.
My clients walked from that deal,never did find out if this was ever corrected.

[Vern Heiler]

Why not support the hearth extension that has settled and re-point the mortar joint?

[Nick Ostrowski]

Why not support the hearth extension that has settled and re-point the mortar joint?

I'll wait for Bob H to check in with his thoughts on this as I'm sure he's seen slop like this too. Maybe it can be salvaged but I don't know. If you notice the last pic, you'll see the hearth extension was built using some three cell bricks that the installer just turned on their side towards the wall. The lack of attention to detail doesn't inspire much confidence in making me think they did enough right to make this worthy of salvage. At the very least, the surround and hearth extension to me appear to be in need of a redo. In addition, the masonry fireplace chimney had multiple vertical cracks and the structure moved with hand pressure when I was up on the roof.

[Bob Harper]

Pretty sad. At the very least the hearth extension and facing should be removed so the foundation inspected and repaired as needed. I doubt the HX sits on a cantilever off the foundation wall. If not, you'd be looking at drilling into the foundation, pinning in a rebar cage, temporary forms, our a concrete pad, cure, strip forms then rebuild hearth extension and facing with the profile gap fully grouted. I'll bet once that facing is pulled you'll find charring in the wall. Probably pyrolized combustibles in that wall as well as underneath. That HX is probably sitting on the combustible floor...