I'm currently stripping down a room, getting rid of all the old lathe and plaster and replastering it with plasterboard and a layer of plaster.
Room is smallish bedroom on 1st floor in 3 storey terrace roughly 120 years old (top rooms go up into roof).
I'm considering opening up the old bricked up chimney wall in there and making the hole about twice as high so i can put shelves in and store lots of stuff in the extra space created as the storage space in this house is very limited. The chimney in the room below has been taken out (before we got the house) so big lintel/beam across top corner of that room.
I've read lots of posts about similar tasks on this forum, useful input but still need more.
I know its a load bearing wall and dangerous to mess with, I know I need to support it then put a lintel in. Do you have any web links I could look at for how to do this? ... I don't really want to get builders in, and with common sense and the right methods and equipment don't see why I cant do it myself.
I need to know what lintel is appropriate and if the remaining chimney wall (side alone) can support it, or I will need to build/add supports.
What temporary supports should i use, how do i put them in so the chimney is safely supported, then transfer the weight onto the lintel when I'm done?
Would like input so I can decide what to do.
Thank you
Room is smallish bedroom on 1st floor in 3 storey terrace roughly 120 years old (top rooms go up into roof).
I'm considering opening up the old bricked up chimney wall in there and making the hole about twice as high so i can put shelves in and store lots of stuff in the extra space created as the storage space in this house is very limited. The chimney in the room below has been taken out (before we got the house) so big lintel/beam across top corner of that room.
I've read lots of posts about similar tasks on this forum, useful input but still need more.
I know its a load bearing wall and dangerous to mess with, I know I need to support it then put a lintel in. Do you have any web links I could look at for how to do this? ... I don't really want to get builders in, and with common sense and the right methods and equipment don't see why I cant do it myself.
I need to know what lintel is appropriate and if the remaining chimney wall (side alone) can support it, or I will need to build/add supports.
What temporary supports should i use, how do i put them in so the chimney is safely supported, then transfer the weight onto the lintel when I'm done?
Would like input so I can decide what to do.
Thank you