Fixing old fireplaces

I'm about to repair 2 old victorian fireplaces one with a marble surround the other with a timber surround

Questions:
1. Can anyone recomend a website with instructions on how to pull a apart and replace both a marble and timber fireplace?

2. How do I clean the old marble fireplace which has lost its shine and has soot stains?

3. Will normal pre-mixed sand and cement be OK to repoint brickwork behind the fireplaces?........one fireplace will reamin as a decorative feature, the other will have gas stove inserted

Thanks in advance .....John

For the marble mantle its loss of shine is just age and it will need a repolish. Ebeaut do have EEE and wax which will work providing you clean up the mantle etc. Start with soapy water, a move up from there is a piece of solvol soap or even cuttlefish. Be very careful with any abrasive, a fine water stone may serve you well but no coarse grades unless you want to really lift the surface. Only remove the marble fireplace if you have to. It is most likely fixed in place with plaster of paris or white cement. You remove the mantle first by scraping out all jointing cement and whatever advesive is holding it to the wall. From there try to remove each column as a complete unit along with the key/arch which you need to be carefull with. You can refix with cornice adhesive or if you are game silicone which seems to hold most of Australia together. If you are a traditionalist get a small bag of white cement and refix the joints with that. A clean sponge and dry soft rag will help with cleanup. You have to work out how it is assembled and dissassemble living the columns intact and only the mantle, and arch pieces fully seperated.

The timber mantle is most likely nailed from the side. Try to find where the nails have been puttied to work out where you need to release the fixings. It should be possible to remove the lot as a complete unit and will possibly only have the odd nail on each of the outside edges.

Cheers, John.