Chimney Breasts and Built-Ins
- New chimney breasts in brick or board
- Openings sized to your fireplace
- Wood stores and display niches
- Corner and double-sided builds
- Flue hidden inside the breast
- Clearances set to the manual
A built-in fireplace becomes part of the wall, so the wall needs as much planning as the fire. Our building and tiling team designs and builds chimney breasts, cladding, mantels and TV walls around new and existing fireplaces across Cape Town.
A fireplace only looks right when the wall around it is in proportion. The chimney breast, the cladding, the mantel height and the hearth all have to suit the fire and the room. We plan them with the fireplace, so nothing has to be cut back or redone later.
Heat is the part people forget. Every fireplace has minimum clearances to anything that can burn, including timber mantels, shelves and the TV. We build with brick, stone, tile and fire-rated board, and follow the manufacturer's manual and SANS 10400, so the wall stays safe for years of fires.
For the fireplace itself, see our fireplace installation page. For sizing and planning, read our guide to choosing and installing a built-in wood fireplace.
Every wall and every fireplace is different, so we quote once we have seen the space. These are the things that change it.
New or existing breast. Building a new chimney breast is a bigger job than cladding one that is already there.
Cladding material. Plaster and paint, tiles, brick slips and natural stone all differ in cost and fitting time.
Size of the wall. A floor-to-ceiling feature wall needs more material and labour than a surround around the opening.
Mantel and hearth. A timber beam, a stone shelf, a raised hearth or a flush one each change the build.
Extras. Niches, wood stores, shelving and a TV wall add work, but are easiest to build in from the start.
1. Ideas and photos. Send photos of the room and any fireplaces or walls you like.
2. Measure and plan. We measure the wall, check the floor and the flue route, and note the clearances for your fireplace model.
3. Design and quote. You get a simple layout and one written quote for the building, cladding and fireplace.
4. Build the structure. The chimney breast, hearth and openings go up first, with the flue and fireplace placed inside.
5. Clad and finish. Stone, tiles or plaster go on, followed by the mantel, niches and paint.
6. First fire and handover. We light the fire, check the draw and the heat on the cladding, and leave the room clean.
Chimney breasts, cladding and mantels from recent Cape Town jobs, photographed on site.
Send us photos and a look you like, and we will come back with ideas and a quote.
Floor-to-ceiling stone. A full-height stone chimney breast that makes the fire the centre of the room.
Tiled feature wall. Glazed or porcelain tiles with built-in niches for wood and display.
Fireplace and TV wall. The TV sits high enough above the fire, with a mantel or shelf below it to push the heat forward.
Brick-lined alcove. A plastered breast with a brick-lined recess for a freestanding stove.
Old fireplace restored. An old brick fireplace stripped back, fitted with a closed insert and finished in stone with a timber mantel.
It depends on the fireplace. Each model has a minimum clearance above the opening, and a mantel or shelf helps push heat forward. We check the fireplace manual and the TV's heat limit before we set the height.
Brick, natural stone, porcelain and ceramic tiles, plaster and fire-rated board, fixed with heat-resistant adhesive. Timber mantels are fine when they are far enough from the opening. Vinyl, plastic and normal drywall finishes stay away from the heat.
Often, yes. We either build a new chimney breast in front of the wall or open up an old fireplace. The flue route decides a lot, so we check it on the first visit.
Yes. If the fireplace still works well, we strip the old surround, reclad it in stone, tile or brick slips and add a new mantel. If it smokes or leaks, we fix that first.
Recladding a surround usually takes a few days. A new chimney breast with a built-in fireplace and stone cladding takes longer. We give you a timeline with the quote.
