Does this look like a lintel?

[JackieA]

UPDATE!! I've reached the brickwork. Great news, there's a lovely arch! Bad news, arch is in a state :-/ what would you do..? New pics in comments below


Hello! I'm new to the so please be gentle!
I'm trying to open up our fireplace, but I'm feeling nervous about it. I've taken some of the plaster off, and by the looks of it I think there could be a lintel hiding in there? What should I do next?
I'm pretty good at diy, but never touched anything structural before, so any advice/reassurance would be great! The chimney breast is 130cm wide, how big do you think I can safely open it up?
Thanks in advance!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Does not look like anything yet!
You need to expose the brick/stone work behind the plaster/render.

 

[kazuya]

looks like youve only taken the skim off, theres another layer of plaster to take off
knock that off then post another picture
dont worry to much it will either have a lintel or an arch

 

[JackieA]

Thank you! I thought that might be the case, but didn't dare go any further until I'd checked
I'll keep going and update shortly...

 

[JackieA]

 

[kazuya]

yea there's the arch, it doesn't look great, your probably going to want to put a lintel in there

 

[JackieA]

Thought that might be the case I was hoping to get away with something like the link below, but I'm not sure it's in good enough condition to get away with it.
Off to get my Google on and look up installing a lintel - any advice before I do? Other than get a builder to do it!
Thanks again
http://www.diy-extra.co.uk/spanning-openings-brick.html

 

[kazuya]

its right what that website says in your link, at the most all that might fall is a triangle above where the lintel is going, but very rarely does that happen.
have a go yourself, most of the time you'll get the odd one or two coming loose but more often than not none fall at all.

 

[JackieA]

Brilliant, thank you again! I'll post the outcome hopefully it'll all go to plan!

 

[Doggit]

Jackie, if you've got this far, doing the rest shouldn't be beyond you're capabilities. This isn't really what you'd describe as structural, so don't panic too much.

First determine how far you want to open the fireplace up. Is it going to be just the original opening, or are you going to take it back to brickwork. Are you happy with just a lintel, and then plastering over it, or do you want to see the original arch that was there.

Assuming a square opening with a lintel; cut back the plaster etc to clear the line or bricks above the arch, and and at least a brick width either side of the opening. Cut out the line of bricks above the arch, and a further 6" either side of the opening, Get a concrete lintel from wickes that is 12" wider than the opening, and cement it in place, and use bits of slate whacked in above the lintel to push up the bricks above, and then cement in the gaps. Remove the arch below, and more of the plaster above to check for any bricks that have dropped and loosened themselves, and refix them in, and then get the plasterer in.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It would be worth taking some more of the plaster/render of further up, I have come across a secondary lintel being there.
But the arch looks tired and if you are considering opening it up, use of the arch is not opening the distance vertically that much.
I would also proceed with caution when undertaking a task when it is unknown how sound the chimney breast is and removing structural elements of it!
These do collapse and can cause serous damage and injury+, so if you are to remove supporting elements, I would be using props to hold the chimney together.

I personally would be requesting a structural calculation by a SE, but that is up to you!

 

[JackieA]

Thank you both for your advice! Yes hoping to open a square, so a lintel will be good the opening will hopefully be around 70/75cm, so I was looking at using the 1m lintel from wickes.
Very good point about the brick work, I'll do some more investigating today.
In the absence of acros etc, what would be a suitable alternative as a prop? I was hoping as I'm only opening up 75cm that physics would do me a favour and it would hold itself up! But I get that it's wishful thinking, and with an old house (built 1894) I probably shouldn't assume anything!

 

[kazuya]

you wont need any props to fit a 1m lintel

however i get that your nervous, having never done anything like this before, so if you wanted to have a prop for your own piece of mind, just knock a hole out in the course above and put a piece of 3x3 thorough the hole then cut two more pieces of 3x3 to support either side, put them just close enough to wall so they allow you room to work and get the lintel in.

personally i wouldnt bother using a prop unless the brickwork was very loose or crumbly, but then id probably be taking the loose stuff down and rebuilding it anyway

 

[JackieA]

Brickwork isn't completely awful, but definitely seen better days! Think I'll put the lintel where the bottom row is (marked blue either side) - the bricks above that seem in better condition so would be happier about removing below there. What do you think about the bricks below though, do you think that when I've taken the arch away it'll have enough overlap to support it? The space between the bricks directly below where the lintel will be 75cm which is fine, but the last brick on the arch eats into the next row if you see what I mean..?

 

[kazuya]

when you take out the arch youll have to repair the bit the arch went went into, as long as there a bit to sit the lintel on for now, get the lintel in place on a bed of sand and cement, then very important, pack the top of the lintel tight with sand cement and bits of old slate if you have any.
then repair the side of the opening if needed afterwards

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

That is bad luck, I would go ahead and fill the missing bit of the bricks up with mortar. It would be too thick to fill the hole in one go, but should do it in a couple of goes. leave the surface of the first layer scratched so the second layer will stick to it.
Frank