Any chimney breast experts out there

DVN999

Hello all,

We live in an Edwardian semi and have a huge chimney breast in the kitchen, which we want to open up to push the oven back into.

im trying to save some money by doing as much as possible before lintels need installing and have unearthed what you can see in the pictures below. 

The chimney on the floors above seems to tie in with the ‘inner’ breast downstairs so looks like the outer bit has just been added on and doesn’t seem to be supporting anythingn. 

Does anyone have any experience of houses of this era having unnecessary large breasts downstairs?

Eldi_Dos

Do skirtings in the whole room give any clue as to any additions made to chimney.

DVN999

It looks like a different skirt on the outer breast. That, and the breeze block construction, make me think it’s newer. It’s just the massive lintel that’s confusing as why have it, if there is nothing above to support??

DVN999

pic 1 is RHS skirting, pic 2 is side of breast, pic 3 is LHS with no skirting

stuart45

What's the depth of the lintel?

Eldi_Dos

Can you ask any of the neighbours in similar style houses what theirs is like.

DVN999

130mm deep. Back wall to front of breast is 580mm!

stuart45

Hack off the rest of the plaster below. Can you get a photo looking up inside the flue?
You could remove a block at the ceiling to see what's above and behind.

DVN999

stuart45 said:

Hack off the rest of the plaster below. Can you get a photo looking up inside the flue?
You could remove a block at the ceiling to see what's above and behind.

I was thinking that’s what needs to be next, plaster below. Do you think is safe enough to take out one of the breeze blocks from above the lintel?

stuart45

One block will be OK, or one of the bricks below.
What's your plan? Take out the lintel and make the opening higher and wider?

DVN999

stuart45 said:

One block will be OK, or one of the bricks below.
What's your plan? Take out the lintel and make the opening higher and wider?

Yes, we want to remove the entire front section, expose the original chimney area, then put a lintel in there, above head height, so our oven will slot in