New door in solid stone wall?

SameOldRoundabout

We’d like to make some alterations to our kitchen soon, the main one of which is to take down the chimney breast (the chimney itself is already gone) and put in its place a new set of double doors. There is currently still a breast in the room above, will this need to be removed or will it be supported by the lintels? On that note, would multiple lintels suffice or would it be an RSJ job? It’s a 12 inch thick solid stone wall, which has structural anchors going into the floor joists of the first floor to prevent further delamination of the wall. 

Ive got our builder coming next week to look and will be getting a structural engineer in further down the line, but I’d just like to know what kind of level of work we are looking at. 

Robin9

Not a job for the common builder .  Probably Lime Mortar.

Is the property listed ?

SameOldRoundabout

No, not listed. Standard late Victorian end of terrace. We will be specifying lime mortar to be used, and limecrete for the kitchen floor which needs to come up (along with the entire hallway too, I’m dreading that!). I’m just not sure whether it’s RSJ territory or concrete lintels! 

TELLIT01

The scale of work will be similar whether RSJ or concrete lintels are used.  I wouldn't think cost would differ much either as a percentage of total cost.

FreeBear

SameOldRoundabout said: We will be specifying lime mortar to be used, and limecrete for the kitchen floor which needs to come up (along with the entire hallway too, I’m dreading that!). I’m just not sure whether it’s RSJ territory or concrete lintels! 

Your structural engineer will be the best person to specify the type of support (i.e. Concrete or RSJ) - That is what you are paying him for after all.

Some builders will add a bit of cement to lime mortars & limecrete to "help it set" - Whilst cement does indeed help the mix to set, it also destroys the breathablity of the mortar. Watch them like a hawk, and don't be afraid to castigate them if they reach for the bag of cement.

Will you be using foamed glass for insulation under the floor ?

SameOldRoundabout

@FreeBear, yes I have got a MikeWye page saved with the foam glass on, but as our builders are standard builders and I’ll be in charge of supplying the materials and telling them how to use it, I’m nervous I’ll get it wrong. As far as I can see online it goes Earth, geo textile, glass, geo textile then screed? With cork board at the edge but I’m unsure whether the cork boards start at the earth level or need to be sealed to create a bond or something between geo textile and board?

FreeBear

Mike Wye would be your best source of advice regarding the placement of cork boards (are they even necessary ?).