How to open up fireplace with stack on side?

[SpecialK]

Hello, redecorating my living room and the wife would like a woodburner fitted when we can afford it.
I'm looking to open up my fireplace to fit a free standing log burner like a morso squirrel etc.
The chimney in the living room is large but in the bedroom above its small and it appears to sit in the right hand side of the lower chimney.
Is it possible to widen the opening in the living room and any ideas on how I go about supporting the chimney above?
Any advise appreciated!

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[tim00]

There has been a fair bit of posting about c/breasts and flues on this site in recent weeks, research it and then come back with some pics of both the rooms in question. In the meantime smoke test both openings - one at a time - and note the chimney stack terminal emitting smoke, note if smoke appears inside the property. Also consider having all your flues swept, esp. the flue proposed for a wood burning app.

Breaking out the fire opening and linteling across is easy enough, but first do the above.

 

[Richard C]

As this comes up so often, I’ve put together this generic post; read the links but not all may apply to you.

You can DIY a stove install but you need to understand the Building Regs (which changed in October 2010), submit a Building Notice & pay a fee. Your LABC will inspect &, assuming everything is OK, issue a compliance certificate; the BI may want to witness smoke & spillage tests. No compliance certificate may lead to difficulties when you come to sell your property; if cannot produce a compliance certificate in the event of a problem, your insurance company may invalidate your policy & reject any claim.

Lots of archive threads on this, & other things you have to watch out for, here a few links for you to read:
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_building_regulations.html
http://www.hetas.co.uk/public/certificates.html
http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/pdfs/buidling_regs_consumer leaflet.pdf
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=183614
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=211524
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=242738
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=224751

& some more sobering just in case you think it’s all a load of old tosh:
http://www.solidfuel.co.uk/main_pages/news.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...wood-burning-stove-leaks-carbon-monoxide.html
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/warning_over_heaters_after_norfolk_couple_s_death_1_811099

Also get at least 3 quotes from local independent HETAS installers:
http://www.hetas.co.uk/nearest_member

You might be pleasantly surprised & you should ask yourself if you really want all the hassle & risk getting it wrong; climbing onto the roof with an 8M stainless steel snake on your back is not for the feint hearted!

__________________


With regards to enlarging the fire opening, anything is possible but it’s impossible to know what will be required without seeing it. You will also need to remove the original & install a new structural lintel for which you will need a Building Notice, structural calculations & someone who understands how to prop chimneys during the process; get it wrong & the whole lot could come down.

 

[SpecialK]

Sorry must have made some confusion in my first post.
There is only one opening and one chimney, im just looking to widen the fireplace. The chimney bends around and goes up to the room above, where it is a single width. This chimney sits on the right hand side of the chimney downstairs.
Just wondering how I open up the fireplace without it all falling down.

Thanks for the generic post but I have no intention of not getting it installed professionally.

 

[tim00]

Thank you for posting that information Richard. But, with respect, one doesn't need calcs to enlarge a building opening such as the one above - there are many other types of break-thro's that dont req calcs either. Neither will the whole lot come tumbling down. For the average DIY'er i'd suggest useing a Strongboy,but i recall only one occasion ( where we got close to the corners of the chimney breast ) when Acrows or Strongboy's were used.
As for requiring a permit or Regs for what we are discussing, well it's a new one on me. I say that with knowledge of jobs where BI's were passing to and fro every fireplace enlargement in the property, typically Grant jobs where every Tom, Dick and Harry was also inspecting something and nothing was said about Regs. Perhaps we were wrong?

 

[Richard C]

Thank you for posting that information Richard. But, with respect, one doesn't need calcs to enlarge a building opening such as the one above - there are many other types of break-thro's that dont req calcs either. Neither will the whole lot come tumbling down. For the average DIY'er i'd suggest useing a Strongboy,but i recall only one occasion ( where we got close to the corners of the chimney breast ) when Acrows or Strongboy's were used.

Well you might be right about the calcs but maybe not depending on how much the OP wants to open it up; you’d find out soon enough under Building Notice. Having made a few window openings, some in gables without any propping, your probably right about that it won’t come tumbling down but, depending on what the OP currently has by way of a stack & it's condition, there could be an awful lot of weight up there; I made a generic post & am erring on the side of caution as the OP clearly has no experience.

As for requiring a permit or Regs for what we are discussing, well it's a new one on me. I say that with knowledge of jobs where BI's were passing to and fro every fireplace enlargement in the property, typically Grant jobs where every Tom, Dick and Harry was also inspecting something and nothing was said about Regs. Perhaps we were wrong?

You won’t need B Regs for breaking out a fire opening under an existing lintel but you may do if significantly opening it out & installing a new support lintel. You’re completely wrong that there are no B Regs requirements for stove installs, there are several & it’s all there in the links in my generic post; how long ago was it you were doing this? The OP wants to open up his chimney breast & install a wood burner & he will need to comply with BR’s end of.

Thank you for your useful comments & chastisement, I know it's good for the soul.

 

[tim00]

With respect again Richard - and i mean it, i enjoy and learn from your posts. With respect, i did not make any claims with regard to installing stoves, except in the case of a flue sweep, i advised merely for enlarging building openings or fireplace openings. I did not even mention wether the openings would be active or redundant. Where i note: "what we are discussing" it's implied by all my previous comments that i'm referring to the building work only.
I stand chastised too for not making myself more clear.

 

[SpecialK]

Cheers or the advice guys. Taking a hammer to it tomorrow. Wish me luck!

 

[SpecialK]

Got this so far...

View media item 35787 View media item 35786 View media item 35785
The lintel is a throat forming one, would it be wise to replace this with a standard lintel to allow the register plate to fit better? I will just cap the chimney with a sheet of wood with a hole for a vent until funds can be found to have the stove fitted etc.

 

[tim00]

1. To what dimensions are you working? Presumably you've been aware of your fire opening dims?
2. Be aware of hearth dims for a stove.
3. width dims give lintel length plus 300mm.
4. Stay away from the c/breast corners while hacking off.
5. Keep clearing away rubble as you work

 

[SpecialK]

Dimensions are fine, just wondering if its standard practice to replace throat forming lintel with a standard one to allow easier fixing of register plate / temporary board?