Double thickness chimney lintel question

[FlyingDuck]

Hi there. First of many posts.

We've just started renovating our house and one of the first orders of business was to open up the old chimney ready for a range cooker. We used acrows to support the brickwork and opened up the space. We installed one concrete lintel across the space.

All well and good, but it is a double layer of bricks and the second layer is still being supported by the original arch (which you can't actually properly see because the first layer is in the way). Because of the angles involved, coming down on each side, I think this will cause problems when it comes to installing an extractor fan. It will also look daft and make the fan too low to meet specs of cooker. I'm guessing the correct thing to would be to fit two lintels from the front at the same time?

So my question is, is there any way of retroactively securing the second course of brickwork so I can remove the side bricks and secure the throat, without undoing all of the work already done? I don't fancy trying to put acrows up inside the chimney and standing in it while I try to fit a concrete lintel!

Could I perhaps drive something through the first course to support the second course?

Hope this makes sense?

DSC_0049

• FlyingDuck
• 16 Jan 2017

 

[vinn]

Presume you mean that the face of the chimney breast is a 9" wall and that the new lintel is only supporting 4 1/2".
If that is the case then you will have to insert a second lintel to be perfectly safe from any cracking or sagging - even though you appear to have header courses supporting both "skins".

However, if the concealed arch is supporting the inner skin then there would be no need for a second lintel.

Are your acrows Strong Boys?

Ref. the Range cooker: your opening must always be to Mfr's dimensions and yours is ample for most domestic Range cookers. The average cooker size is about: 900H x 900W x 600 D.
Will it be gas or multi or elec?
Have you sourced an extractor - you typically need a dimension of about 650 to 700 above the cook plates to the extractor.
You will probably need a SS flue liner.
Consider first fixing gas and elec before you go too far.
The flue will need sweeping and the opening soot wire brushed off.
The lead pipes are the old flow and return from a copper cylinder.

 

[FlyingDuck]

Presume you mean that the face of the chimney breast is a 9" wall and that the new lintel is only supporting 4 1/2".
If that is the case then you will have to insert a second lintel to be perfectly safe from any cracking or sagging - even though you appear to have header courses supporting both "skins".

However, if the concealed arch is supporting the inner skin then there would be no need for a second lintel.

The arch is supporting the inner skin - but I'd like to get rid of the arch altogether, because it will force the extractor to sit too low. So ultimately, I'm trying to understand if it is possible to further support the inner skin and the brickwork leading up to the throat WITHOUT removing the first lintel to position the second. For example, is it possible to add two additional lintels, from the outer face to the back rear wall?

Are your acrows Strong Boys?

Yeah

Ref. the Range cooker: your opening must always be to Mfr's dimensions and yours is ample for most domestic Range cookers. The average cooker size is about: 900H x 900W x 600 D.
Will it be gas or multi or elec?

Multi

Have you sourced an extractor - you typically need a dimension of about 650 to 700 above the cook plates to the extractor.
You will probably need a SS flue liner.
Consider first fixing gas and elec before you go too far.
The flue will need sweeping and the opening soot wire brushed off.
The lead pipes are the old flow and return from a copper cylinder.

The plan was to use a recirculating extractor. I've got a 700mm one arriving tomorrow - the shallowest model I could find on budget. Sparky is coming in a couple of days

 

[vinn]

If the arch is in the way of the ext. installation then it appears that you have set the first lintel too low.
If thats the case then start again by removing the in-place lintel and going up higher with two lintels.

Forget your scheme for whatever - dont give yourself problems do things the conventional way.

 

[Ian H]

The plan was to use a recirculating extractor. I've got a 700mm one arriving tomorrow - the shallowest model I could find on budget. Sparky is coming in a couple of days

Is that one that will be out of sight? Got a link to it?

 

[FlyingDuck]

Is that one that will be out of sight? Got a link to it?

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/eiqcanopy70/electriq-eiqcanopy70-70cm-canopy-hood

 

[Ian H]

I've been looking at some for a very similar chimney breast, it's got a lintel in the back but now I think it might be in the way. The chimney in the room above is much smaller so I could open it from above.

I've been looking at these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151908219941

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291699797416