How to shave down brick please?

keystone

ic wrote: »

You won't be able to just chop away at the lintel, and if widening by that amount could unseat the lintel altogether - which is supporting the brick work above the hole.

Why is there a growing assumption in this thread that there has to be a lintel? None of my 1930's fireplaces have got lintels.

As mentioned above has breeze block been used to reduce the size of the original opening?

Errm OP said yes it has in the post above yours.

Cheers

doningtonphil

Why is there a growing assumption in this thread that there has to be a
lintel? None of my 1930's fireplaces have got lintels.

What is supporting your chimney breast then?

new_owner

ic wrote: »

So you want to widen the hole by eight inches, and increase the height by two inches? You won't be able to just chop away at the lintel, and if widening by that amount could unseat the lintel altogether - which is supporting the brick work above the hole. How old is the building? As mentioned above has breeze block been used to reduce the size of the original opening? If that is the case there might be another lintel above. Can you post photos?

Best bit of advise posted there, post a pic.

I have just done the opposite of what you are doing by ripping out the insert and the brick fireplace is huge. it properly has a brick arch at the top which is the support. I had to hack away lots of cement that was done sometime at in the past.

goingtothedogs

Thanks guys. The house was built in 1908.







This is me holding the camera inside the chimney to take a photo of the top section we want to take two inches off.

new_owner

can you photo up the chimney from the base?

Camera on the inside of the chimney on the floor pointing up

goingtothedogs

Ruski

Dont even try taking anything off the 'top' - it will bring down the breeze blocks.
Get someone in to take it back to the original arch/lintel and get the hole resized with a new lintel and plaster and skim up.

Couple or three hundred quid IMHO.

HTH

Russ

new_owner

what a curious setup...

Is the original chimney just above the blocks? Cannot quite see from the last photo...looks like it...

as said before be very careful if going ahead.. is the original arch/lintel above the blocks?

You should be able to tell from the inside.. above the blocks.

You possibly should have removed just the plaster back to brick and block to see what had been done...You can always support what is there and then remove the plaster to get a better look.

It might be a simple case that they have blocked using breeze block and left the original fire place alone, in which case you should be able to remove all the add-on brick work.

Or get someone in...

capeverde

right, from the materials on the photo, someone has obviously blocked up the aperture at a later date for whatever reason. You would therefore assume that it is fairly safe to simply knock out the blocks, dont bother chipping away at bits, you will probably lose them anyway. install your fireplace and put stud and plasterboard upto it. no offence but looking at the wallpaper I assume you'll be decorating anyway.

Heres the caveat, when dealing with other peoples work, never assume. Any brickwork with a hole under it needs support, this can be in the form of a lintel or an arch. A cursory look will tell you if either or these are in place above the blocks from sticking your head in with a torch. If in place carry on and knock the blocks out, if not, best to ask someone in for their opinion.

tony6403

My opinion - no part of the added blockwork or bricks is keyed in. Given the general poor construction it is not providing structural support. If you set to work with a hammer and bolster the added stuff will loosen or more probably fall down.
If it were mine I would want it removed. Apart from the plastering, replacing this is easy to DIY. A concrete lintel (Wickes) and some concrete commons + sand and cement would not cost very much.
Just read the previous post . I would never use studwork in a chimney - a future owner might decide to light a fire!