I wasn’t considering having the fireplace in our dining room repaired.
It was visibly crumbling & something had to be done with it.
I called a contractor who said he built fireplaces. I wanted him to tell us how much it would cost to repair the fireplace. He took one look at it & told us the fireplace was irreparable. He thought my good friend and I should either have it completely rebuilt or have it ripped out. I didn’t want to rip the fireplace out of the house, however I couldn’t afford to have a new fireplace installed; My husbandy & I talked about the information the contractor told us, & my good friend and I were frustrated. We knew he was actually right about the fireplace, but that didn’t make us feel any better. We bought the dwelling because my good friend and I fell in adore with the fireplace. We weren’t ready to part with it. My husbandy recommended my good friend and I have the hearth repaired & block the chimney. She thought it was the ambience that went with a fireplace, & thought if my good friend and I just repaired the hearth, my good friend and I could get a fireplace insert. We sat there talking about the fireplace insert. By the time one of us fell asleep, my good friend and I were sure that was the route my good friend and I wanted to take. We didn’t need a fireplace with a firebox that was so big my good friend and I could stand in it. We could cut it down & keep the mantle, & a smaller opening, & put the fireplace insert in the opening. My husbandy woke up early & was pulling me out of bed. She wanted to go shopping & find the perfect fireplace insert for the hearth.