Need a bigger hole for my Aga.

laxeylady

We're in the process of replacing our old Aga with an newer old one! Unfortunately the people who fitted the existing one built sandstone sides upto the lintel along the top AFTER the aga got put in so we need to knock them out to enable easier fitting of the newer one. What can we use instead? The sides can only be 4 inches wide. Hubby says to use steel reinforced concrete lintels and just paint them. Would that work? Any other ideas? Cheers

Artytarty

It depends on the look you want, I can "see" rustic brick or timber looking OK as well.

keystone

If the lintel was put in first (before the first AGA) why does it need extra support now? Surely the sandstone is infill rather than load bearing if thats the case?

Cheers

laxeylady

The only thing we're sure of is that the bits at the side have been done after the aga was put in. They are not totally square and butt right up to sides of aga leaving no room for removing the top. It isn't a deep chimney breast - currently each side is about 5 inches wide and a foot deep. Both sides have to go before hubby can remove old one, and the bloke fitting the newer one expects to see either a couple of acrows or new thinner sides when he returns. Just worried about how to proceed but want to get it right as we'll have to live with whatever it looks like for a long time!

keystone

Thanks but, sorry, that doesn't answer whether the sandstone is supporting the lintel or whether they are just fillers. Do you have a piccy?

Cheers

laxeylady

Will take a pic tomorrow when all my undies on the airer above are dry!!

DVardysShadow

laxeylady wrote: »

Will take a pic tomorrow when all my undies on the airer above are dry!!

You don't need to dry them for the pic.

PasturesNew

laxeylady wrote: »

Will take a pic tomorrow when all my undies on the airer above are dry!!

And I always thought people with an Aga were posh.....

aeb_2

PasturesNew wrote: »

And I always thought people with an Aga were posh.....

Can't be 'cos I've got one.

I don't quite understand what you mean but I do have a metal lintel above, quite a bit of ironwork in various places. They are painted black, with many layers and painted roughly so they look [STRIKE]old[/STRIKE] rustic and I hang things from sticky out bits

doningtonphil

I think we need to know if the lintel going across the top was already there before your existing Aga was installed. If so, then it didnt need the sandstone side bits for support back then so wont need them (or acrow props) now, in which case they were cosmetic only. However, if when installing the Current Aga the installer had to make the opening wider (for maneuvering etc) then it may be he removed some of the support for the lintel, which he reinstated by building the sandstone columns after

laxeylady

If I've done it right there should be pics here somewhere! My grey big girl's knickers were dry so you're safe! What we would like to do is replace the upright bricky bits with something only 4 inches wide (the door to right restricts width unfortunately) that can be plastered. Would also like to cover the lintel too with plaster so I end up with a flat finish all round. Ideas anyone please? The right hand leg does go to the floor.