OPENING FIREPLACE & FITTING A LINTEL

Hi everyone, first time posting, so go easy!!

I’m opening up my existing fireplace and am looking for guidance re the lintels.

My existing opening is 1000mm and we’re opening it up to 1500, so my lintels will be 1900 ish.

The external wall is flush outside and the chimney breast sits inside the kitchen wall in an alcove.

The alcove is about 400mm deep, three bricks thick - the first of which has the existing builders arch and will be the final finished wall, the internal two make up the sides of the inside of the chimney.

There’s a loft conversion bedroom above, no other chimney, then the gable end of the slate roof.

I was planning on using two bits of 2x4 nailed together (or some 6x4 sleepers - no money left, so using what I have!!) as my needles with timbers/props underneath them on both sides, inside & outside the house.

I wasn’t sure if strongboys would adequately support the middle row of brick?

Do you reckon I’m best supporting from both sides, or would it be okay supported internally only?

I’m going to fit two lintels, one at the front and one against the back wall, but am now wondering if I need a third for the middle course of brick?

Last silly question, can I leave the needles in once the lintels are in place? I’d be mortaring them in place as much as I could.

I’ve hopefully attached some pictures

Thanks in advance

still waiting for pics?

why not read the Related Threads below, & their Related Threads?

Apologies, I thought I had uploaded the pictures at the start

I’ve been here and on a few other threads and forums and they’ve been very helpful with regards to how I’m going to go about it, but I haven’t seen any specific comments about fitting more than one lintel.

I’m definitely putting one at the back of the chimney opening and one in the front wall, but will that not leave a row of bricks in the middle, entirely unsupported?

Or are the lintels slightly wider than a brick and in that case, two lintels would span (more or less) across the three bricks?

Thanks again

Thanks, the pics have now appeared.

What is your end purpose in doing this work?

fwiw: why not read the Related Threads below and their Related Threads too - you could also follow back my various posts advising on this kind of work?

We’re putting an 1100mm wide range in the fireplace opening, and there will be an extra 200mm surround of the worktop on each of the sides and around the back of the range as well, hence the 1500mm total opening.

If you've read as suggested then you will know that you need the appliance Mfr's installation dimensions?
There's also the matter of the Hood/extractor and its height above the cooker?
Its hard to visualise your overall situation so it would probably be best to get an installer on site to give you a heads up.

It’s going to be opened up to a height of 2400, and there’s plenty of space on all sides according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

We’ve still to decide on the extractor, I was really checking the situation re the lintels.

I’ve found lintels at 140x100, which when I fit 2 will give a total width of 280. My opening is 360 deep, so this will leave an approximate gap of 80 ish, enough space to run some ducting through for the extractor.

I’ve had a few builders in to look at it and they all give varying answers, which is rather frustrating to say the least!!