problems with a chimney breast

[gaztfa1]

Hi, I was wondering what the potential problems are and really how to achieve the following.
I wish to remove to front of the chimney breast wall up to 8ft from the ground, I realise I will have to leave the side walls to support, and use a lintel? to support also, but I want to ultimately achieve extra space and put a cooker in the hole, and make feature of this.
Is there anything that is'nt obvious to acheiving this? I'm a medioka DIY'er and demolition is one of my favourates! However, in previous projects in my home, due to my little experience I have come across problems that were not present in planning.
Thanks in advance. Gary

 

[masona]

See this to help you.

 

[gaztfa1]

ah, thanks very much

 

[aaront]

I have just done what you mention. I assume you only have 1 flat above you.

3 150mm lintels (about £6 each from Wickes) are needed to place at the top of the pillars to support the load above. Take out the course of bricks yopu want the lintel to go into, brick them in, then remove the bricks as and where required.

I also supported the front of the ceiling with a couple of acro's for a week while the cement set.

 

[oilman]

Aaront, did you have any difficulties from the building control department?

 

[aaront]

I originally wanted to remove the whole thing. Building control very very evasive as to whether they would give it a building certificate. They referred me to a structural engineer who said that as far as he was concerned gallows brackets would take the load on the wall.

Where the real problems arose was with The Party Wall Act. The neighbours have the right to appoint their own engineers (at my expense). The engineer referred to me by the building control dept. said that in all likelihood they would object to the works as it creates an uneven load on the wall.

He said the best way to get round it was to simply raise the lintel to the ceiling. This doesnt need any permission or building consent (at least in Barnet).