Lava Rock Fireplace - Please help!!!!!
 

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We just bought our first house and it has this horrid lava rock fireplace! The old owners added a Schrader fireplace insert. We'd like to take that out and use the original fireplace cut out. The problem is, we can't figure out what to do with the design.

We can't afford all natural rock so we were thinking of doing part natural rock and the other part would be turned into either a wall or we'd use plywood with trim all around.

ANY OTHER IDEAS? We are really stuck on what would look good.

Thanks for ANY help! :)

Some ideas. Sticks & Stones: You Have One Ugly Fireplace Use an air chisel on the lava rock?

My mom bought a house that had that very same stone on it. I hated it from day one, well after a couple years I took the BIG hammer to it, back to the studs, after new dry wall, new fireplace surround and hearth I don't mind looking at that wall anymore.

Well I don't think that you should make the whole Fireplace a rock. A normal wall won't look that bad IMO.

Man- I wouldn't want that job. That'll be a bear to take off.

Once you get it off, you could drywall the whole thing & do a wood fireplace surround & mantel with granite or marble tiles around the actual fireplace opening, then do a slab granite/marble hearth w/ tiles on the riser part of the hearth. That would give you a completely different look & not be such a big presence in the room.

That thing looks huge- is your overall room that big ?

Good Luck- Have fun

Olddog, How long did it take with your big hammer?

Only took a couple hours for the demo, then the clean up, then the new drywall installation, new fireplace surround/tile hearth. Couple weekends total and what a difference

You make it sound easier than I know it was.

3' x 5' x 8" x 30 #/cu ft = 300#?

Four guys maybe could handle it in one chunk. :confused:

Once it's lying over, each end is only 150#.

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