A Focal Point That Earns The Room
A brick chimney breast changes how a room is used, not just how it looks — it is the difference between a wall with a fire on it and a fireplace.
Brick Slip Specialists
Brick Slip Fireplaces& Chimney BreastsFitted In Middlesbrough
Turn a flat plastered chimney breast into the reason people sit in the room — real brick, real corner returns, set out so every reveal around the stove looks like original masonry.
Five-star reviewed on Google · 25-year workmanship guarantee
30 years in the trade25-year workmanship guaranteeOwn Middlesbrough showroomFive-star reviewed on GoogleFree, no-obligation quotes
The Service
The Wall Everybody Looks At, Done Properly
A chimney breast is the natural focal point of a room, and it is also the most scrutinised surface in the house. People sit in front of it for hours. That is exactly why it is the least forgiving place to cut corners on brickwork, and the most rewarding place to get it right.
Cladding a chimney breast in brick slips gives you genuine brick around the stove, up the breast and into the recess, with purpose-made corner slips wrapping every external return so no cut edge is ever on show. Where original brickwork has been painted, patched or rendered beyond recovery, this delivers the look people are usually trying to recover by stripping back — but with a face you actually chose.
It also suits new installations. A modern log-burner recess formed in board or blockwork has no character at all until it is finished, and brick is the finish that makes it look like it was always there.
Who it is for
- Anyone installing a log burner or stove who wants the recess and breast to look like original masonry.
- Homeowners who have exposed original brick and found it painted, patched or too poor to leave bare.
- Renovations where the fireplace has been boarded over and needs to become the focal point again.
- Rooms with a media wall above the fire that needs to sit within brick rather than plaster.
When it is needed
- Before a stove is finally commissioned, so the surrounding brickwork is set out around the appliance properly.
- After a chimney breast has been opened up and the original brick is unsuitable to expose.
- During a room renovation, once plastering is done and before flooring, hearth and skirting are finished.
Why It Matters
Where Fireplace Brickwork Goes Wrong
The recess is the hard part. A fireplace has more corners, returns and short runs per square metre than any other wall in the house, and each one is at seated eye level. Mitred edges instead of corner slips, courses that do not line through from the breast into the recess, and joints that change width in the tight sections are all instantly visible once you live with the room.
Setting out around the appliance is the other trap. If the coursing is not planned around the opening, the stove and the hearth, the wall ends up with awkward slivers of cut brick exactly where the eye rests — and no amount of good pointing rescues that.
Get either wrong and the fix is disproportionate: the brick has to come off, the substrate is usually damaged in the process, and the whole breast is back to bare board before anything can be re-fitted.
Common mistakes we are called in to fix
- Using flat slips and mitres at the recess returns instead of purpose-made corner slips.
- Setting out from the floor instead of from the opening, so cut bricks land in the most visible place.
- Choosing a bright, uniform brick that fights the stove instead of a blend with tonal variation.
- Failing to plan how the brick meets the hearth, the mantel and the surrounding plaster.
- Ignoring the substrate condition behind an old fireplace, where patch repairs and old finishes are common.
Our Process
Five Steps From First LookTo Guaranteed Finish
- 01
Step 1 — Inspection
We look at the actual wall, not a description of it. Substrate type, flatness, moisture, existing finishes, sockets, skirtings, window reveals and the way daylight hits the surface all change what the finished wall will look like. Send photographs and rough measurements, or visit the Middlesbrough showroom, and we will tell you straight away whether the wall is suitable as it stands.
- 02
Step 2 — Brick Selection & Free Quote
You choose the brick from the full range in the showroom — in your hand, in daylight, against your own colour samples if you bring them. We then set out the quantity required including wastage and corner slips, and issue a free, no-obligation quote covering supply and fit, or supply only if you would rather fit it yourself.
- 03
Step 3 — Preparation & Protection
Surfaces, floors and furniture are protected before the first slip goes anywhere near the wall. The substrate is prepared so the adhesive bonds to something sound, and the setting-out is marked before fixing begins — bond pattern, joint width, start course and corner returns are all decided in advance rather than improvised halfway up the wall.
- 04
Step 4 — Installation
Setting out runs from the opening outwards so full bricks land where the eye goes and cuts are pushed to the least visible positions. Corner slips wrap every return on the breast and into the recess, and coursing is carried through from the recess onto the face of the breast so the whole thing reads as one piece of masonry.
- 05
Step 5 — Pointing, Verification & Guarantee
Joints are pointed and struck for even colour across the breast and inside the recess, then cleaned down. We check every return, reveal and course line before protection comes up. Every installation carries our 25-year workmanship guarantee.
What You Get
The Difference A SpecialistMakes To The Finish
Corners That Do Not Give It Away
Purpose-made corner slips on every return mean no exposed 20mm edges anywhere on the breast or in the recess.
Character Without Structural Work
No rebuilding, no opening up beyond what is already there, no structural involvement to get a genuine masonry finish.
Brick Chosen Against Your Stove
Bring a photograph of the stove and the room to the Middlesbrough showroom and compare blends in daylight before committing.
A Surface Built For Heat And Use
Fired clay handles a hard-working room far better than paint or plaster, which mark and scuff around a fireplace.
Guaranteed Workmanship
30 years in the trade behind the setting-out, a 25-year workmanship guarantee behind the installation, and free quotes before you decide.
In Detail
Fireplace Brick Slips In Detail
Fireplaces are detail-heavy work. Specific clearances and heat-related requirements for your appliance are governed by the stove manufacturer's instructions and the relevant building regulations — those figures are Not Provided here and must be confirmed for your installation.
Chimney Breasts
Full-height breast cladding, breast plus recess, or the recess alone with plaster around it. Full-height typically has the most impact in a larger room, while recess-only suits a smaller room where a full brick breast would dominate.
Log-Burner Recesses
A recess is a concentrated set of returns and short runs. It is set out from the opening so the coursing looks deliberate, with corner slips on every external angle and cuts kept out of the main sight line.
Media Walls Above The Fire
Where a television sits above a stove or fire, the brick has to work around fixings, cable routes and often a recess. That layout is agreed at setting-out stage so the brickwork and the equipment do not fight each other.
Brick Choice For Fireplaces
Reclaimed-look and antique blends suit period rooms and traditional stoves; smooth greys and darker faces suit contemporary installations. Tonal variation across the blend is generally more forgiving on a small, heavily viewed area than a flat uniform colour.
Pointing Around A Fireplace
Joint colour has an outsized effect on a small area. A pale joint against a dark brick makes the pattern pop; a joint close to the brick tone lets the mass of the breast read quietly. This is agreed before pointing, not discovered afterwards.
Heat, Hearths And Appliance Clearances
Clearance distances, hearth requirements and any heat-related specification for your particular appliance are set by the stove manufacturer and the applicable regulations. We work to those requirements — the figures themselves are Not Provided here and are confirmed job by job.
We supply and fit across Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Durham, York, Harrogate, Newcastle and Sunderland, working from our showroom at Thompson Yard, Middlesbrough, TS3 8RQ. See the full brick slip range, browse recent work or check the areas we cover.
Questions
Fireplaces & Chimney BreastsQuestions Answered
Still unsure? Ring Stuart on +44 7747 771113 — a two-minute conversation usually settles it.
How much does a brick slip fireplace cost?
It depends on the size of the breast, whether the recess is included, the brick chosen and the amount of corner work. Quotes are free and individual to your job.
How long does a chimney breast take?
Fireplaces are detail-heavy rather than large, so the time is driven by the number of returns and cuts rather than the square metres. You get a realistic timeframe with your free quote.
Can brick slips be used around a log burner?
Brick slip cladding is very commonly used on breasts and recesses around stoves. Clearance distances and hearth requirements for your specific appliance are set by the stove manufacturer and the relevant regulations, and we work to those.
Are brick slips heat resistant?
They are real fired clay brick. Any specific heat rating or clearance requirement for your appliance is Not Provided here — it must be confirmed against the manufacturer's instructions for your stove.
Can you clad just the recess and leave the breast plastered?
Yes. Recess-only, recess plus breast, or full-height are all common. We will talk through which suits the scale of your room.
My original brickwork is painted — can you cover it?
Usually, but it depends on the paint and the condition underneath. We assess the substrate at inspection stage and tell you what preparation is needed before anything is ordered.
What guarantee do I get?
Every installation is backed by our 25-year workmanship guarantee.
How do I choose the right brick for my stove?
Bring a photograph of the stove and the room to the Middlesbrough showroom and compare blends in your hand, in daylight. It is far easier than choosing from a screen.
Do you work outside Middlesbrough?
Yes — Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Durham, York, Harrogate, Newcastle, Sunderland and the wider North East.
Will the room be left clean?
Yes. Surfaces are protected before work starts and the area is cleaned down at the end — something our Google reviewers mention repeatedly.
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What Else We Do
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Learn moreKitchen Brick Slips & Splashbacks
Brick slip splashbacks and kitchen walls that survive daily life, sealed and finished to a standard you'd be happy to photograph.
Learn moreShowroom & Samples
See and handle the full range in person before you commit. It is far easier to choose a brick in your hand than on a screen.
Learn moreNext Step
Get A Free Quote ForFireplaces & Chimney Breasts
Send a few photographs and rough measurements and Stuart will come back to you with a free, no-obligation quote. Every installation is backed by our 25-year workmanship guarantee, and the showroom is open six days a week if you would rather see the bricks first.
30 years in the trade · 25-year workmanship guarantee · Five-star reviewed on Google