Fireplace, raising lintel, chimney,

[Helnback]

I'm thinking of having the fireplace raised to accomodate a stove. Its currently only 600mm high which is limiting my choice of stove a bit. Looking up the chimney there's a ?concrete lintel which has a big crack in it but a course of vertical bricks just above with what I think is a metal bar underneath. Would it be safe to remove the lower lintel and just leave the bricks? The builder's opening is 700mm wide, 400mm deep. Any advice would be welcome.View attachment 151531 View attachment 151532

 

[blup]

No, because the lintel is cracked and the metal bar is unlikely to be structural.

A replacement lintel requires building regulation approval: your local building control office (the Council) might be prepared to offer you advice or point you in the direction of where to go e.g. experienced builder or structural engineer.

Blup

 

[bobasd]

you dont need BCO, you need a HETAS on site to advise you.
but first you need the new stove install dimensions, the dimensions you give above are useless without knowing the selected stove dimensions.

use thesearch button an look below for similar threads - thers been a lot of them recently.