Copper Lintel

[louiseandryan]

Okay to cut a long story short, i wanted to recess a wall mounted electric fire into chimney breast as glass screen could cause my kids some serious damage. Only want to use flame effect, no heat. I cut a test hole out with a plasterboard knife as it was only soft "thermalite" block. Cut into a copper pipe. Not sure what pipe was for so called out of hours emergency number. Gas man said not gas. Plumber said not water, "its a copper lintel due to modernization" (This would explain why the plaster was always cracking). Its a 1950's house 1 tenant from new, had new central heating, wiring, bathroom and kitchen fitted in february 2011 just before we moved in. Alarm bells started to ring, whats this "copper lintel" supporting? and more importantly what have they taken out to get it in? So i removed the surrounding plaster and this is what i found.The throat lintel has a bearing of over 150mm on the left hand side and only 40mm on the right hand side. Am i right in saying that it should have a minimum of 100mm bearing on the right hand side? Do i now need permission to add brickwork below as its structural? Surely a "copper lintel" is against the regulations. How do i prop the throat lintel without destroying it whilst bricking up for the support? Should i really be expected to pay the call out charge for something that shouldn't of been there?

 

[Static]

Sorry are you trying to say you cut through a copper lintel with a plasterboard knife?

 

[beezo]

take some more pics mate stood further back so we can get an overall view

 

[GreenBoy1966]

OK - unless you can prove that the lintel was put in by the same company you called out - then the cost is down to you - you called them.

It looks to me that whoever filled in the fireplace to start with did a nosh job and used a couple of lengths of old copper plumbing pipe - question is is there a proper lintel further up where the original fire place opening went to?

If yes then this is just a bodge to take the weight of one or two courses of bricks and isn't a concern = if you want to fill in the hole go for it - non structural as there is a proper lintel above.

If no - then this needs replacing with a proper lintel other wise there is a danger that at some point the chimney breast could fall down. As its been up this long it may be slight but you never know - especially if you ever do any other structural work in the property - therefore my advise is get it done.

 

[Nige F]

OK - - question is is there a proper lintel further up where the original fire place opening went to?

If yes .

Yes indeed - 1 brick up there is a gert lump of concrete

 

[beezo]

well from what i can see, all you need to in remover the 'copper' lintle and brick up from the existing conrete blocks, to the concrete lintel thats already in place.

better pictures would give more of an idea of whats involved