Fireplace supporting chimney breast?

[cam1989]

As the title really. I'm opening up a fireplace in a 1920s /30s house.

It has the usual brick arch above, but as I'm opening it up I'm noticing cracks in the mortar above (which may have been there before and I'm just paranoid). Could this simply be due to banging about near it, or could the brickwork of the old fireplace be supporting it in some way? (pics attached)

Cheers

 

[Angush]

is there a metal bat beneath the arch?

 

[cam1989]

Not that I can see/feel.

 

[tell80]

Why are you opening the fireplace up?
Are you working to any particular opening dimensions? If so what for?

Given your doubts about the cracks then:
If you intend to retain the arch then, for the moment, you could leave the infill as it is, and angle grind out all the pointing in & above the arch that seems to need renewing - hack out to 25mm depth - and then repoint.
When the pointing has set (24 hrs) then safely remove all the infill from below the arch.

The sheet metal is probably a register plate so I suspect that there is a SS liner going up the flue to terminate in a chimney stack pot?

 

[cam1989]

Opening it up because the old one was minging. It's a house we've just bought which hasn't had any modernisation in 40+ years, the idea was to just open it up a bit and no doubt my better half will find a use for it.

I can't see a metal liner, that's not to say there's not one there.

Given the state of it I'm intending now to get hold of an acrow and put a lintel in, to remove any doubt. Will also make it easier for boarding!

Cheers

 

[George_engineer]

The opening has been widened - the edge bricks have been chiselled away. Presumably this was to make room for whatever was put in.

This has made the arch ineffective. Doubly so if there's no metal strap (this was probably removed when the opening was altered).

You'll need to put a lintel in.