How to shave down brick please?

capeverde

Tony if the blocks arent supporting anything, why would you need a lintel if you remove them? best not give advice if its not right on certain subjects. If there is no support on original brickwork as per my previous post, get a second opinion. Trust me the standard of someone elses work has no bearing on how it was initially intended.

tony6403

capeverde wrote: »

Tony if the blocks arent supporting anything, why would you need a lintel if you remove them? best not give advice if its not right on certain subjects. QUOTE]
Because the concrete commons which I am suggesting should be used to replace the blocks don't float in mid air.
As regards your comment on giving advice if it's not right, just take a few moments and think about your suggestion to install studs in a chimney.

keystone

doningtonphil wrote: »

What is supporting your chimney breast then?

A rather flattened corbel arch but a corbel arch nevertheless - but then again the fireholes ain't very wide compared with the width of the breast. But thats not my point which is about assumptions.

Cheers

capeverde

tony6403 wrote: »

capeverde wrote: »

Tony if the blocks arent supporting anything, why would you need a lintel if you remove them? best not give advice if its not right on certain subjects. QUOTE]
Because the concrete commons which I am suggesting should be used to replace the blocks don't float in mid air.
As regards your comment on giving advice if it's not right, just take a few moments and think about your suggestion to install studs in a chimney.

and you should take a few minutes to read the op's posts, he has stated he wont be using it for a fire and it is purely ornamental. If he was using it for a fire commons would be a waste of time anyway. You need to use a brick that is capable of taking a lot more heat without cracking.

cyclonebri1

As above, remove the plaster until you can see clearly what has been done,
If the original lintelm is still intact and covers the aperture you are going to make then fine, but you will need to remove all this infill, put in an internal doorway lintel and brick over then replaster.

It wasn't done correctly so now it's your chance to put it right, and the only bit you may have difficulty is the replastering, but for the sake of a couple of quid it's worth a try.;)

Regarding there not being a lintel in another posters post, it was quite common to use a steel angle which is often only 3" x3" so is virtually invisible from the front face.

goingtothedogs

capeverde wrote: »

no offence but looking at the wallpaper I assume you'll be decorating anyway.

I picked that wallpaper out from Farrow and Ball last week, you don't like? ;-)

Thanks everyone, think we're going to get a builder in then. Will let you know what happens ...

iveco_man

Dont do what capeverde says do as when you light your first fire it will go up in smoke as in your 1st message you have told all you want it as a live fire place.take out all new block work and bricks up to arch level install new 4" x 1/2" steel as new lintel at required height build back up and pack top course solid up to arch.Bead all corners and plaster.then install fire surround

tony6403

[QUOTE=capeverde;53026859


and you should take a few minutes to read the op's posts, he has stated he wont be using it for a fire and it is purely ornamental. If he was using it for a fire commons would be a waste of time anyway. You need to use a brick that is capable of taking a lot more heat without cracking.[/QUOTE]

Yes I know that he won't be using it for a fire. As I have already said, the point is that a future owner might do this.
A fireback is required to be made to British Standards. Using commons over the lintel ( an area which never gets too hot to touch) should not create any problems.
Here is an extract from elsewhere
Concrete offers great fire resistance to structures. It is reasonably physically stable to about a thousand degrees Fahrenheit, and even above that temperature it usually does not fail dramatically.

capeverde

iveco_man wrote: »

Dont do what capeverde says do as when you light your first fire it will go up in smoke as in your 1st message you have told all you want it as a live fire place.take out all new block work and bricks up to arch level install new 4" x 1/2" steel as new lintel at required height build back up and pack top course solid up to arch.Bead all corners and plaster.then install fire surround

No he hasnt dull lad, he said exactly the opposite, he wont be using it for a fire and it is only for decoration. Trip to specsavers would help.