Fireplace and hearth designs
Fireplace and hearth designs
Another day at work, but today I took an extra couple of hours off in the morning to meet the fire fitter.
A sleep in till 7:22 – luxury after late night Sky testing and blogging, breakfast and then lots of fussing around sorting out spare keys, organising the questions I needed to ask and sorting out the pictures I’d printed of my ideal fireplaces etc. even a large artist pad for my sketches, I am allowed being and art college employee.
I spent the next half an hour texting (the reception here is dreadful and sometimes it can take twenty attempts to get a text out, this will be resolved soon, hopefully, with a cunning plan) to make sure that they’d arrive before my deadline of 9:45, at which time I’d have to jet off to work.
Anyway many texts later Gav’ arrived at 9:22 three minutes earlier than the texted 9:25, given the little time we had I rushed through:
- Why did this idiot just knock out a perfectly serviceable fireplace – Gav’, no bother they’re impossible to get out.
- Tea and biscuit location.
- Fireplace designs, minimalist with big x marks on pictures against no no’s, and big ticks on pictures for yes pleases.
- Mantel location in garage, mantel orientation, upright.
- Spare gaff wood location, just in case they needed it.
- Keys (with Lenore key fob which fitted Gav’s rather gothic look) and door do’s and don’ts.
- Contact me on… contact him on.
- Hearth type, I wanted slate but Gav’ reckoned that Bastille Limestone was best and he’d text over contact details of a local firm so as I could make up my mind before the afternoon installation deadline tomorrow.
- Install completion – three days.
- Payment details were sketchy but that was my fault.
Gav’ is great.
All done and dusted I whisked off to a busy lunch free day at work, I knew I was working till late so it would be a night with the folks who live much closer to the college than home and hence I wouldn’t get to see progress till it was two days in, on the Wednesday evening.
As I’d missed my lunch I didn’t feel guilty about a bit of researching hearths in between jobs.
Gav’ had mentioned a local supplier and he texted the contact details, later though he texted to tell me the bad news that they were out of Bastille black limestone.
I emailed my sis’ with some thoughts and she responded immediately with some good ideas but vouched that I shouldn’t just go for second best and should hang on. Good advice but thinking a bit further, the install was in progress and they couldn’t fit the fire without the hearth and I wanted it done now. She did warn me off granite and marble too, see later.
I quickly got on the phone and was in touch with the supplier regarding a delivery tomorrow which was out of the question as it turns out they were supplied by the container load directly from India and it would be six weeks before the next batch came through. Anyway it turned out I had one of those great fonts of knowledge regarding all things hearth-like on the phone and I spent a few minutes being educated about my alternatives. David was the new man with the plan and although Bastille was bitchin good, there were other alternatives – now although my sis’ had warned me against granite, David had a very good case for it and said that some people might have had a bad experience with softer or shinier granite but ash black granite, flamed and brushed was the most awesome of all fireplace hearths he’d come across – well reading between the lines that’s what he said.
He sent over a bundle of photos and I really liked them but they weren’t as black as I’d like, so anyway back on the phone he countered my lack of blackness with a finish that brought out the blackness. He’d already sent a piccie across to prove this and I was impressed with its blackness and its orange peel stippled surface (was this flaming or brushing I don’t know).
We agreed a specification, ash black granite with the finish that pulled out the blackness while also afforded a bit more protection, sawed and smoothed edges but not shiny, a tiny bevel on the edge (which I personally hate) as I do sometime have a three year old wandering around and a sharp edge might not be recommended, so I bowing to safety and feeling unsure following my sister’s warning we agreed on this. He was to get in touch with Gav (or Gavin as he knew him, hey why did I only get Gav) to agree on the dimensions in the morning and it would be ready to collect by Gav(in) in the afternoon. Bish bash bosh that’s how to organise a fireplace…. Fingers crossed.
Feeling bad now, bet that was good advice I ignored from my wonderful sister.