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I live in flat that's part of a 1800s building conversion. It has this nice fireplace, which is perfect as a TV nook, but there's constantly bits of debris (dust and even bits of brick) falling down. I've put up a chimney balloon (from Chimsoc), and also hung a plastic sheet, suspended on nails, inside the hearth to catch some of the debris, but there's still stuff falling down around the edges. Additionally, the inside of the hearth appears very brittle, if you touch it, soot and dust immediately falls off and this also falls regularly onto the TV below.

What solutions would you suggest?

A possible plan I've made is to install some shelf brackets onto the solid brick wall at the back, and then put a shelf on there, so that it would catch debris. Does that sound like a good plan, and if so, any tips? If not, what's the alternative?

Thanks!

Picture 1: The view of the hearth ('far' wall marks the solid bricks behind) The view of the hearth

Picture 2: the look up the hearth, crumbly wall, and the proposed spot for the debris-catching shelf look up the chimney

Picture 3: The inside side of the 'near' wall, showing how crumbly/sooty it is. View from placing camera inside the hearth, looking out into the room. near wall inside

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Less and more permanent options:

  1. Buy mineral wool (not fiberglass - mineral wool is more solid, less compressible) insulation, trim for a friction
    fit, shove in to fully plug the flue.
  2. Screw expanded metal lath into the bricks and stucco or plaster it to completely seal the opening.
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