Restored fireplaces installed in Wimbledon (SW 19), South West London.

We restored an original Edwardian cast iron arch insert for a customer, supplying a pine Edwardian corbel surround in one room and supplied a beautiful original restored Edwardian cast iron arched insert, Edwardian corbel pine surround and slate hearth in another room. Both fireplaces were installed decoratively and with pine surrounds to be painted.

Restoration in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (CB4)

4 weeks ago we removed a Edwardian slate surround and cast iron tiled insert, an Edwardian tiled combination fireplace and a small combination fireplace for restoration. They all were restored and reinstalled this week. The slate surround pictured below was restored back to honed slate and will be having a tiled hearth later on. The fireplace was installed for solid fuel use.

Customer review.

When we moved in to our house, the original Victorian fireplace was in quite a state of disrepair, with front bars completely detached, a broken grate resting on a stone, and the back rusted through in places. Another company we approached took the view that it would have to be replaced entirely, which seemed a real shame. In contrast, Paul & Richard at RPS were very happy to take on the work to restore the fireplace, including all the removal and refitting of the marble surround, replacement of the hearth, and arranging a flue lining for the chimney. After their efforts last summer, and a winter of heavy use since then, the fireplace still looks as good as new. They were polite, helpful & informative throughout. I thoroughly recommend their services for anyone wanting to retain the original character of a fireplace. Thank you! O. Lockwood (Amersham, Bucks) Before After

Fireplace restoration in Cambridge (CB4).

We removed a large Edwardian slate surround and cast iron tiled insert, a cast iron tiled combination and a small cast iron combination for refinishing and refitting. The slate surround will be stripped down to its individual parts, the original lacquer finish will be stripped off and the slate honed, the surround will be rebuilt and given a primer finish as it’s due to be painted on installation. All the cast iron will be sandblasted, repaired, fitted with missing parts and sprayed in our heatproof matt black paint and reinstalled with slate hearths. The work will take approximately 3 weeks start to finish, we will post before and after pictures after installation.

Fireplace restoration in Richmond (TW10), South West London.

We removed and restored an original Georgian marble crossover surround and cast iron arch insert. The fireplace was then refitted for gas use, we also supplied 2 reproduction arch inserts and 2 reproduction crossover marble surrounds. All the fireplaces were installed on slate hearths for gas use.

Antique Victorian fireplace restoration in Kensington (W8) West London.

We removed 2 Victorian slate surrounds and cast iron inserts for restoration, conversion to gas and installation with slate hearths. The surrounds were stripped, polished and rebuilt before having a primer coat added so the client could paint. The installation was for gas use with Nu-Flame gas fires, the gas fires will be added at a later date when the property is ready.

Busy week removing antique fireplaces all over London for restoration.

This week as well as all the installations we are also removing lots of antique fireplaces for restoration all over London, Marble surrounds from Belize Park (NW3) and Muswell Hill (N10). Antique cast iron surround and insert from Dulwich (SE21). Two original slate surrounds from Forest Hill (SE23) and a an antique small bedroom fireplace from Tunbridge Wells (TN1). Busy week!! Before and after photos coming soon.

Restored antique Edwardian slate surround in Herne Hill (SE24)

Our customer chose to retain the faux marble painted finish of the slate surround so after a complete rebuild we worked around the original finish redoing the black laquer but leaving the faux marble intact. The surround was reinstated with a slate hearth, slate slips and an Aarrow Ecoburn plus 5 wide-screen stove.

Customer feedback from a stove installation.

We supplied and installed an Abbey Fireplaces Cleve in marble along with slate slips and a slate hearth for use with the customers own stove, a very striking fireplace! “Finally had the stove installed and it looks great! 

Thanks again for installing the fireplace for us. 

Cheers

James.”

Another happy customer in Brockley (SE4) South East London!

A review of a Victorian cast iron surround and tiled insert restoration, completed recently ā€‹”Thank you for a really excellent restoration of my sonā€™s fireplace and mantelpiece. He has just seen the finished work and is very pleased.

It was also a pleasure to meet you both and to benefit from your helpful advice and excellent service.”

Fireplace restoration in Tooting (SW17), South West London.

Before After The cast iron surround was initially pinstalled with an ugly tiled block and painted brown with many layers of paint. We removed and sandblasted before refinishing with a satin White and installing with an original tiled insert from our stock and a bespoke slate hearth and gas coal effect fire.
“Youā€™ve done a wonderful job and it looks amazing”

Slate fireplace restored and refitted in East Dulwich (SE22), South East London.

We removed an original slate surround for restoration, originally the slate was covered in black laquer with a marbelised pattern. The customer felt it was too dark for the room but rather than replace it with a limestone/ white marble surround we stripped it and polished it out before rebuilding the surround and painting it white, it was then installed with a plain highlighted cast iron arch for use as a gas fire with slate hearth.

Bespoke Marble fire surround supplied and installed in Brockley (SE4), South East London.

We returned to an old customers property to remove an old tired liver Marble arched fire surround, the surround want to the customers taste so was to be replaced but at 72″ it would need a big surround to take its place. We commissioned a 72″ Carrera marble fireplace to be made to replace the old one, installed it along with the original arched insert which had been sandblasted and restored at our workshop in Sydenham (SE26). The fireplace was reinstated with a slate hearth for solid fuel use. 

Marble fireplace restoration in Brockley (SE4), South East London.

We removed and restored a Victorian black marble fireplace and cast iron arch insert in Brockley (SE4).  The Victorian marble fireplace looked every bit it’s 140 odd years prior to restoration, After our extensive restoration work the fireplace was refitted, before plastering, looking a world away from where it started.

12 Victorian fireplaces removed, restored and reinstalled in Clapham (SW4), South West London.

A huge restoration of a 2 side by side propertys in Clapham, derelict for years. An exciting project to be part of, both houses completely restored to there former glory. Project consisted off removing 8 Victorian cast iron surrounds and 1 slate surround. All cast iron restored to a highlighted finish and the slate surround stripped and polished before being rebuilt. We supplied a number of reproduction cast iron tiled inserts supplied from www.abbeyfireplaceslondon.com  and  3 carrara marble surrounds . All fireplaces were installed as purely decorative items with slate hearths. Pics to be posted to www.facebook.com/rpsfireplaces soon.

Victorian Fireplace restoration and fitting in Kew (TW9), Surrey.

We restored a Victorian slate surround and 2 cast iron Victorian tiled inserts for a customer in Kew. The slate surround was stripped back to individual panels and rebuilt, the slate as is often the case was assembled from multi coloured slate so it was given a light coat of paint to make it indistinguishable from oiled black slate. One fireplace was installed as a a purely decorative install, the other installed with a bespoke gas fire.

Testimonial from restoration customer

We took on a job recasting a cast iron front bar for a customer, we rebuilt the front bar in a 2 pack filler before sending it away for casting in iron at a foundry. Below is the customer feedback.
Excellent service and quality of work ā€“ well done RPS Fireplaces & thanks Richard R. Seville

Fireplace fitted in West Norwood (SE27), South East London.

We were called in by a customer who had purchased an original fireplace, unfortunately it had been badly installed by the previous firm. We had to cut the plaster away and remove the tiled combination fireplace, remove all backfill from the chamber and then carefully reinstall the tiles correctly before refitting and plastering the fireplace ready for use as a solid fuel fireplace.

Restoration of 4 fireplaces in Crystal Palace , South East London (SE19).

We ambitiously took on a restoration job for the complete refurb of 4 fireplaces with the caveat that we only had 3 days to do it, including removal and restoration of the inserts!! Monday saw us begin the job with 1 team removing all the cast iron arched inserts from the fireplaces and prepping the chambers and another team working on running the cast iron inserts back to the workshop (luckily only 10 minutes away) and sandblasting them before rebuilding and refinishing including new firebricks. The fireplaces were then reinstalled over the next 2 days with marble reproduction surrounds and slate hearths for use as working fireplaces.

Clapham North restoration and reinstall.

We have picked up where the contractor left off on the restoration of 8 cast iron fireplaces in Clapham. The fireplaces had been partially stripped with paint stripper. We have now removed all 8 surrounds for sandblasting and highlighting, they will be reinstated with slate hearths and reproduction cast iron tiled inserts. We are also restoring a slate surround and reinstalling with a reproduction cast iron tiled insert and slate hearth and supplying 3 reproduction marble surrounds along with tiled inserts and slate hearths. We will do before and after pictures in January when it’s all back in looking amazing!

Feedback from a recent restoration project in Croydon.

We removed and fully polished an original cast iron tiled fireplace, the fireplace was reinstalled with a new bespoke gas coal effect fire.

“Many thanks for the works done on my fireplace – which we Love by the way.”

“With both the removal and installation the guys worked efficiently and were extremely polite and thoughtful.”

L.Francis- Croydon (CR0)

Fireplaces supplied and installed in Peckham (SE15) South East London.

We supplied and installed 2 reproduction Carrara marble Victorian corbel style surrounds which were installed with slate slips and a solid fuel slate hearth for use eventually with firebaskets for solid fuel. Plastering to be done by building contractor. Upstairs we supplied and installed a white combination fireplace for use purely as a decorative feature. Downstairs front room  Downstairs back room Upstairs master bedroom

Recent testimonial

ā€‹ I am delighted with the fitted fireplace. Excellent work! -M.Done (Kensington, West London) Marble surround restoration and cast iron insert rebuild with parts cast from a pattern in a local foundry to give a truly authentic finish and installed on a slate hearth for decorative purposes in West London.

Recent customer feedback

ā€‹Just wanted to say thanks for doing the job so quickly, it looks great! R.Priddy (Dulwich, South East London)
A rush job for a previous customer, we supplied a Carron fireplaces combination fireplace and slate hearth and installed before the decorators started.

Recent customer feedback

We are really happy with our newly installed fireplace – it makes the whole room look so much better. Thank you. We will definitely be recommending you to friends and family. J.Bedlow (Bow, East London) We removed a marble surround, completely restored the surround and then supplied an original cast iron Victorian arched insert and a slate surround before refitting everything.

Quick update

Sorry the blog has been completely lost of late but here’s a quick rundown of recent work, pictures will go up asap. 3 restorations of antique Georgian marble surrounds for a development company in Fulham (SW10) along with installation of a new surround and insert. 4 restorations of antique Victorian marble from Hampstead Heath (NW3), all installed with gas fire baskets. A cast iron surround removed, polished and reinstalled with slate hearth, chamber hearth and slips along with the chamber renders for solid fuel use. Also 3 templated hearths at same property, for a development company in West Hampstead (NW6) 2 cast iron Victorian surrounds and cast iron tiled inserts removed and sandblasted and refitted with slate hearths for solid fuel use. Also removed 1 slate surround and cast iron tiled insert which was removed and fully refurbished before being reinstalled on slate hearths, we also supplied a similar antique Victorian slate surround and tiled insert in Herne Hill (SE24) Sevenoaks (TN11), biggest job of the year, 6 Victorian marbles removed and restored with their cast iron inserts and one reproduction Victorian corbel Carrara surround supplied with an original Victorian cast iron insert, all refitted with slate hearths. Along with a host of smaller jobs, we have been very busy this summer!! 

Testimonial…

The following is a testimonial from a customer regarding our restoration services,

ā€œRichard of RPS Fireplaces undertook a sandblasting and pewter polishing of my 1930s cast iron fireplace, as part of a rear extension project.

The quality of workmanship was exceptional, and the fireplace was transformed from a boring white gloss finish to a truly stunning metallic finish.  Richard picked up and returned the fireplace efficiently, and the cost of the service was very reasonable.  I would have no qualms about recommending RPSā€™ services to others. Thanks Richard!ā€

Fireplace restored and refitted in Teddington (TW11), Twickenham.

We removed an original Victorian cast iron tiled combination from a beautiful house over looking the wall to Hampton Court. The fireplace was sandblasted and rebuilt including some extensive repairs before being refinished in our heatproof black spray paint and refitted on a slate hearth. We also installed a limestone flat Victorian reproduction surround along with a cast iron arch on a granite hearth for future use as a gas fireplace.

Marble fireplaces restored and installed in Sevenoaks (TN13), Kent.

We removed and restored 6 marble surrounds in Sevenoaks, we also restored 5 cast iron inserts for use with the surrounds, sandblasting and refinishing them in grate polish,  supplied 2 Abbey Fireplaces Telford arches in a grate polish finish and 1 massive bespoke Carrara marble reproduction of a Victorian corbel surround. Unbelievably this was only stage one and there are more fireplaces going in for stage 2!! Keep an eye out on www.facebook.com/rpsfireplaces for the pictures coming soon.

    Restoration and installation of original cast iron Victorian surrounds in Beckenham (BR3), Kent.

    We were contacted by a customer at the very beginning of a massive refurbishment project in Beckenham,  the client wanted 5 cast iron fireplaces and 2 marble surrounds to be removed, restored and refitted with slate hearths. All for use as working fireplaces. The customer was keen to use a company capable of doing all the work in house. We removed 2 Victorian bedroom combination fireplaces, 2 Victorian tiled combination fireplaces and 1 cast iron surround and insert along with 2 huge statuary marble surrounds, similar to normal carrera but with a much whiter background. All the fireplaces were taken back to our workshop and the team began work sandblasting, rebuilding and refinishing the cast iron fireplaces, while the marble was stripped into individual panels and polished before being rebuilt. Today after an entire week of work in the workshop and half a week of installation we finished the job. Pics coming soon.

    3 fireplaces restored and refitted in Wandsworth (SW18), South West London.

    We collected sandblasted and refinished 3 cast iron fireplaces from a customer in SW18. One large tiled combination fireplace sandblasted and refinished with a grate polish centre and white gloss exterior and 2 bedroom combination fireplaces sandblasted and refinished in a grate polish finish. All the fireplaces were refitted as decorative features.

    Fireplaces restored and fitted in Dulwich (SE21), South East London.

    We had previously removed a slate surround and tiled insert along with 2 Art Nouveau cast iron tiled combinations. All the cast iron was sandblasted and fully polished to a pewter type effect. The slate surround was separated into its original panels, then each piece was polished before the whole surround was rebuilt. Today they were reinstalled, downstairs the slate surround was installed with a tiled insert for use as a gas coal effect fire and upstairs both polished cast uron combinations were installed for purely decorative use.

    Fireplace restored and installed in Teddington (TW11), South West London.

    We removed an Edwardian cast iron surround and tiled insert a few weeks ago for restoration. TheĀ  fireplaces were sandblasted and refinished in a traditional grate polish finish, tiles were changed to customers preference. Then the fireplace was reinstated for purely decorative use with hearth to be tiled at a later date by the customer. image

    Fireplaces collected for restoration

    Last week we collected fireplaces for restoration from the following areas- Sidcup, Kent. Teddington, South West London. Croydon, Surrey. Shepperton, Surrey. Brentwood, Essex. Catford, South East London.

    Fireplaces restored and installed in Wanstead (E11), East London.

    We restored two antique cast iron inserts, they were sandblasted and refinished in matt black with new firebricks and installed them in Wanstead. One was installed with a slate hearth and a bespoke pine surround in a white primer for use as a gas coal effect fire and the other was installed with a slate hearth but purely for decorative use. image

    Restoration and fitting in Beckenham (BR3), Kent.

    We removed an original Victorian green marble effect slate surround and tiled insert for restoration. The slate surround was separated into panels and re-polished before being re-assembled. The cast iron insert was sandblasted and refinished in a matt black paint and the whole fireplace was reinstated for solid fuel use. The plasterwork is still to be done and the fireplace is freshly oiled. image

    Fireplaces restored and fitted this week

    Customers own wood surround and arched insert fitted for gas use with a Carrara hearth in Brockley (SE4). Fireplace parts installed in situ in Sydenham (SE26). A decorative slate hearth installed in Balham (SW12). A  chamber opened up with brick pillars built to support an oak beam, plastered with the chamber walls rendered with a heatproof render, slate hearths laid ready for a stove to be installed in Gypsy Hil (SE19). A limestone surround with limestone panels and hearth installed for use as a gas fire in Tooting (SW17). In Richmond (SW14) we removed a cast iron tiled insert for restoration. It was sandblasted and refinished in our matt black spray before being reinstalled with a beautiful small original period Carron cast iron surround and a small slate hearth.

    Restored original fireplace installed in Kidbrooke (SE3), South East London.

    We picked up a Victorian cast iron combination for restoration, the customer had spent a fair amount of time trying to strip it by hand before giving up and calling us in. We took the original fireplace back to our workshop where it was sandblasted and refinished in our heatproof black paint. Before being returned and refitted for solid fuel use on a slate hearth.

    Marble fireplaces restored and installed in Beckenham (BR3), Kent.

    Earlier we removed 4 fireplaces from a period property being fully refurbished in Beckenham, 3 Carrara marble surrounds and a slate surround. All the stone was stripped, polished and rebuilt. The cast iron inserts were sandblasted, repaired and sprayed with our matt black paint. Today the 3 restored antique Carrara marble surrounds were refitted for decorative purposes, the customer is doing there own plastering. We are one the only places (if not the only place) in London and surrounding areas capable of carrying out all the work in house at our Sydenham (SE26) workshop, no need to out source. image image image

    Fireplace restored and refitted in Hornsey (N8), North London.

    We removed an original Victorian marble surround and a reproduction cast iron arched insert from a property undergoing an extensive restoration. The marble surround was stripped into separate parts before all the parts were polished andĀ  then rebuilt. The cast iron arch was sandblasted and refinished in a traditional grate polish finish before being measured for a made to measure gas coal effect fire. The whole fireplace was reinstalled on a slate hearth for use as a gas coal effect fireplace. The restored fireplace image image image Before restoration image

    Fireplace restored and fitted in East Dulwich (SE22), South East London.

    We removed a Victorian tiled cast iron insert for some basic restoration in East Dulwich, South East London. Once it had been removed from the wall, we cut off the old corroded fireback and replaced it with a new cast iron fireback. Then the whole fireplace was refitted with a new bespoke slate solid fuel hearth replacing the tiled hearth that had previously been installed. image After restoration image Before restoration.

    Antique Victorian fireplace restoration

    We took on a complete restoration of a Victorian combination fireplace. The restoration included sandblasting, replacing the hood, welding the back and refinishing in our black heatproof paint. We are one of the only, if not the only company, who can carry out this sort of restoration in house from start to finish. image The fireplace at our starting point, note the hood had previously been broken off. image The same fireplace after sandblasting, the hood and a set of front bar and ashpan cover had been added. We still had the firebrick to set and the spray paint finish to complete. image The fireplace with firebrick set. The paint is still wet at this point. .

    Fireplace supplied and fitted in East Dulwich (SE22), South East London.

    We supplied a made to measure pine surround and custom sized slate solid fuel hearth with an Abbey Fireplaces Sheldon cast iron arched insert for use as a solid fuel fireplace. The surround was primed white ready for the customer to apply a top coat. Fitted with the best selling Abbey Fireplaces Sheldon arch insert in black and a cut and joined solid fuel slate hearth in East Dulwich, South East London. image

    Restoration of a brass table for trade customer

    We had 2 tables in the workshop today in need of an overhaul. Paint was stripped from the legs and base and then the base was polished by hand, unfortunately some of the chrome plating was too far gone and some rust remains. The table top was polished by machine to a high finish. image image Before restoration of the table. image image After the restoration process.

    Restoration and fitting in Brentwood (TW8), West London.

    We removed an antique original Victorian cast iron surround and Victorian cast iron  tiled insert fireplace for restoration. Once back in the workshop it was all sandblasted in house to get it back to the bare metal of the original casting. From there a light coat of black paint was applied before everything was polished to produce a pewter like effect, the remaining black paint in the depth of the detail makes everything stand out and makes a stunning fireplace. Once refitted, we tiled the hearth with the customers own tiles. The fireplace was fitted as a purely decorative feature, maybe one day housing a gel burner. Pics up soon.

    Restored fireplaces installed in Brixton (SW2), South West London.

    We installed 2 matching original Victorian tiled inserts with marble surrounds and slate hearths in Brixton, South West London. We had previously restored the cast iron inserts, sandblasting and refinishing to traditional grate polish finish, they were fitted with new reproduction tiles before being installed with the marble surrounds and slate hearths for use as solid fuel fireplaces.