I'd like to put a large wooden beam across my 1930's fireplace and open it up for a stove exactly like this:
The overall span of the chimney breast is 5ft and I assume it is single skin brickwork.
Would I need to put an angle iron or reinforced concrete lintel above the beam to take the weight ? This is downstairs and there is a chimney breast in the bedroom above it.
I initially thought of using the wooden beam as the lintel but wood shrinks with heat so might not be a good idea structurally ?
The overall span of the chimney breast is 5ft and I assume it is single skin brickwork.
Would I need to put an angle iron or reinforced concrete lintel above the beam to take the weight ? This is downstairs and there is a chimney breast in the bedroom above it.
I initially thought of using the wooden beam as the lintel but wood shrinks with heat so might not be a good idea structurally ?
