Hi folks
In our kitchen we have a chimney breast, currently with a cupboard in it. We did plan to try to open up the hole (vertically, it's already wide enough) but having looked a bit more, it's not so simple (is it ever?)
The chimney is on the external wall, but you can see from the outside it tapers in, starting from the top of the current opening, something like this, looking from the side..
[code:1]
| |
| |
| \
| \
| \
+----+| top of opening
||
||
======| floor
|
[/code:1]
The chimney extends past the floor (on the outside) as there are a few steps up to the kitchen.
The top of opening level is currently boarded - I have not removed said board yet to see what lurks behind. It is around chest height if you're standing in the kitchen.
I am guessing it wouldn't be possible to fit a cooker in there 'as it is' due to lack of clearance, and there is certainly no room for an extractor fan.
I guess it's in theory at least possible to raise the sloping section, but is that likely to be a massive expense? I guess the rest of the chimney would need to be supported, then the bit that sticks out rebuilt?
There is also issue that the 'hole' isn't really deep enough (front to back) it's around 48cm, and a cooker is 60cm, so it would "stick out", but I guess increasing that would mean even more work, and possibly dealings with the council..
Most of the other houses around have the kitchen extended (which loses the chimney anyway), so it could be that that's the only real solution.
In our kitchen we have a chimney breast, currently with a cupboard in it. We did plan to try to open up the hole (vertically, it's already wide enough) but having looked a bit more, it's not so simple (is it ever?)
The chimney is on the external wall, but you can see from the outside it tapers in, starting from the top of the current opening, something like this, looking from the side..
[code:1]
| |
| |
| \
| \
| \
+----+| top of opening
||
||
======| floor
|
[/code:1]
The chimney extends past the floor (on the outside) as there are a few steps up to the kitchen.
The top of opening level is currently boarded - I have not removed said board yet to see what lurks behind. It is around chest height if you're standing in the kitchen.
I am guessing it wouldn't be possible to fit a cooker in there 'as it is' due to lack of clearance, and there is certainly no room for an extractor fan.
I guess it's in theory at least possible to raise the sloping section, but is that likely to be a massive expense? I guess the rest of the chimney would need to be supported, then the bit that sticks out rebuilt?
There is also issue that the 'hole' isn't really deep enough (front to back) it's around 48cm, and a cooker is 60cm, so it would "stick out", but I guess increasing that would mean even more work, and possibly dealings with the council..
Most of the other houses around have the kitchen extended (which loses the chimney anyway), so it could be that that's the only real solution.
