Opening up a fireplace

kinobestew123

kinobestew123

kinobestew123

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Hi all, I'm trying to open up the fireplace in our 1957 built dormer bungalow. I've followed instructions which generally say to remove the plaster until you find the lintel.

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I've found one lintel which is 60cm from the floor which lead me to believe i'd find another higher up. I've continued to dig and not found anything.

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I've looked up into the chimney and this is what I can see.

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Anyone any experience with where to go next?
 
That's probably your lot, in the 50s they probably wouldn't have made it any bigger really. Big cheeks, those lintels were probably cast on site. You have a flue liner up there already, what do you want to put in?
 
Is there an appliance/another chimney breast on the other side of the this one? It just looks like that liner has been tapped into that chimney from another location
 
zarnage said:
Is there an appliance/another chimney breast on the other side of the this one? It just looks like that liner has been tapped into that chimney from another location
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Midlife Crisis said:
That is deffo another liner from another stove/cooker/??? you may have a bit of a job getting another liner up there
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My first thought! You have got something else venting up that chimney so your not having a stove in it unless you remove what ever else is using it! Given the liner I'm guessing a gas boiler for the central heating has been chopped in.

If you fix the above opening the fireplace further maybe an option you'd just need to install another lintel which is pretty straight forward and cheap.
 
You lot are great. I was wondering why the stainless flue was tucked away like that. I was thinking it was because they had just moved it out of the way when bricking it up.

It just occurred to me that on the other side of the wall is a very old (and probably broken) extractor fan above the cooker in the kitchen. Somebody must have used the flue as the extraction duct. The extractor is getting removed anyway and so I can either remove the stainless flue or look if it's suitable to be used for the woodburner. I understand it would need to be a Class 1 flue however which it probably isn't. Anybody know how I will be able to determine what kind of quality it is?

In terms of the lintel, I think you're right that I'll need to look at having one put in higher.
 
As above, Lintel is max for your house.

I am sure you would need a different flue. Better to be safe than sorry.

If unsure about putting in a lintel higher up get a pro to do it.

You are better off getting some fire installers to check the flue to see if it can be re used.
 
Yes, I think I'm going to get somebody in.

I was quite confident at being able to clear out the hearth myself having read around but without a lintel higher up, I'm not as confident about installing one.

The other issue is that the gather is also pretty low.

I've approached a couple of local stove installers to see if they're able to come and quote. I think it's the worst time of year for it though, they're all pretty busy.
 
Dont get too hot under the collar about it as it will be a clean sweep once things get started and you will feel grate when its all done and dusted.
 
An update for anyone that's interested.

We got a couple of builders in who today are installing new lintels (they said two?) higher up. We drew on the wall the shape we wanted and they're trying to get it as close as possible.

They've just sent me a photo of where they're up to:

NEIsrup.jpg
 
Two lintels, one for the inner skin one for the outer, can't see from the pics, but there should be a header break that joins the two skins. Normally a catinic lintel does the job. At least those builders are playing safe with a couple of strong boys. I have got away without any in the past but different situations.
 
Haha. I was thinking that. Half of people are paying to have theirs opened up and half of people are paying to have them made smaller.

I suppose if we ever want to go smaller in the distant future then we can safe in the knowledge that there is a lintel higher up for if we want to go larger again in the even more distant future. :cool:

I've been looking at slate hearths and I'm trying to decide if it will look odd if we have a square slate hearth the same width as the opening then coming forward (rather than being a T Shape). I'm struggling to find photos of similar.
 
kinobestew123 said:
Haha. I was thinking that. Half of people are paying to have theirs opened up and half of people are paying to have them made smaller.

I suppose if we ever want to go smaller in the distant future then we can safe in the knowledge that there is a lintel higher up for if we want to go larger again in the even more distant future. :cool:

I've been looking at slate hearths and I'm trying to decide if it will look odd if we have a square slate hearth the same width as the opening then coming forward (rather than being a T Shape). I'm struggling to find photos of similar.
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as far as im aware you need 150mm from the edge of your stove to the edge of the hearth

so you may be forced into getting a t shape one depending on the size of your stove.

edit: just checked thats correct according to building regs.

hearth23.jpg
 
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