Chimney breast - windening opening

[subhuman]

Hi,

We are currently decorating our front room. The chimney breast was blocked up years ago with fireplace fitted in front.

I'd like to box the old hole in and fit some shelves etc... for AV kit.

However, the hole is 400mm wide and I need about 500mm for stuff to fit!

To widen I'd hoped that all would be needed would be an appropriately sized lintel and a bit of brickwork rebuild.

However, on inspection of the inside of the chimney I suspect that it has been partially rebuilt at some point - and actually can't see any lintel above the opening.

Pics:

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• subhuman
• 7 Feb 2010
• 1

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• subhuman
• 7 Feb 2010
• 1

Untitled

• subhuman
• 7 Feb 2010
• 1

Untitled

• subhuman
• 7 Feb 2010
• 1

Untitled

• subhuman
• 7 Feb 2010
• 1

Next to the breast are some old boxed in pipes, think these were for a back boiler which may have been fitted in the past - when removed perhaps previous owner had bricked and tidied up?

My brother, who has done a similar change in his own property, seems to think moving each side out by half a brick would do the trick, but I'm obviously concerned that these may be supporting what looks to be a big slab above!

So... what would my options be?
Does this seem like a common construction?

Cheers

 

[r896neo]

I would say that someone has as you say removed the back boiler and in doing so removed some of the brick work on the front above the opening to get the flue out. They then just simply built a bit of a 2'' paving slab in there to act as a lintel and then rebuilt the front of the brest.

That what it looks like to me but others may have more expericence with throats that look like that.

To be honest the only way you can be sure is to remove some of the plaster on the front of the brest to expose/ confirm a lintel of some sort.

 

[subhuman]

Thanks for the response.

My worry is that the left and right hand brickwork are acting as supporting columns and that removal of these and moving them out a half brick either way might be a problem.

 

[r896neo]

Yes i agree that is probably the case, so you have to remove a bit of plaster on the front of the brest to make sure the lintel spans far enough for you to remove some bricks.

What i reckon has been done is someone removed the lintel in order to get the flue out, damaged it by accident and so built a course of brick up the inside of the cheeks (sides) and put a bit of a paving slab on and then rebuilt the bricks on top of it.

 

[subhuman]

No problem removing some plaster, but I suspect that there's no lintel - as the pics don't show any (on the inner anyway!)

 

[r896neo]

You'll have to remove it anyway to put one in if you want to do that. It's not a big job really. As you are aware The concrete you can see is definatly not a lintel but may be a throat of some sort, its pretty unlikely though.

While your at it know a bit of the render off the cheeks on the inside and you'll soon see how original the brick looks.