Exposingchimney

[jonathan1davies]

Hi All,

Just after some advice........

I have taken out the old baxi boiler and gas fire and want to expose the chimney breast. I have started to hack away, and can see that the original fire hole has been made smaller to fit the baxi boiler.

I have attached photos.

My question is can I just take out the added bricks that were put there to take the hole back to the original size?

The red dots outline the original size hole, and the yellow dots are what I believe to be the original steel lintel??

Untitled

• jonathan1davies
• 30 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• jonathan1davies
• 30 Dec 2013
• 1

 

[Blagard]

I would suggest it has twice been reduced with the higher brick soldiers above the original opening - however I feel the arch may be too flat to be relied upon as stable.

It would look good if you could even take out the higher arch and rebuild with a greater curve for stability. You would need a former to support the new arch as you build it.

The old bit of steel is going to look crap anyway so I would take that out first and make good the beds it was embedded into. Or if you only want to open it that far have some new steel ready to go in.

It should be OK to remove the old bricked in section

 

[catlad]

If it was mine I would take it out if the bricks felt solid enough.