Knocking through bricked up fireplace

[wiffola]

We live in a 1895 semi with stone rubble walls.

I want to knock through the dining room fireplace for a log burner. There's just an air vent at the moment and it's been bricked up with modern concrete bricks (or something similar).

I've put my arm through the opening and taken a photo of the inside - looking back at the bricked up wall. It seems there is an archway of original bricks, can I confidentally just knock these modern bricks away and open the fireplace up?

This photo is looking up the chimney with original stones/brick on the left and the new bricks on the right. The chimney opening would be going up left out of shot.

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• wiffola
• 21 Nov 2011
• 1

 

[wiffola]

Can anyone help with this?

Or is the only option to bite the bullet and chip off the plaster on the front of the chimney breast to checks it's integrity?

 

[Lower]

If the arch is intact and the supporting walls either side of the arch are still also in situ then you should be able to just knock out the new brickwork.

However, as you're going to end up damaging the plaster when you knock out the new brick work and its going to need replastering any way i'd be inclined to strip the plaster off anyway to check that everything looks stable before removing the modern brickwork.

 

[wiffola]

OK thanks for the tip. Got myself a baluster and lump hammer so it's time to find out.

I'll post some pics of my progress!

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Knock of the plaster, you should find a lintol, then the obvious sign of different bricks where the opening was blocked up.
So long as the lintol is sound and has good solid bearing knock the opening out.

 

[Ricke21]

GO FOR IT!!!!! The pic clearly shows the original arch brick work lintel. You can knock it out worry free. Just go slow at the sides incase they tide the brick work in. Chances are that it's not but assumptions are the mother of all #$¢¶ ups lol

 

[wiffola]

Has anyone got any tips on getting the render off the modern bricks? I'm smashing it with lump hammer and chisel (tried big and small ends) and its just denting it and not coming off. Plaster is easy of course but just can't get through it!

Any tips?

 

[Ricke21]

Has anyone got any tips on getting the render off the modern bricks? I'm smashing it with lump hammer and chisel (tried big and small ends) and its just denting it and not coming off. Plaster is easy of course but just can't get through it!

Any tips?

unless you gotta take it off, then just leave it. You'd never put back something as strong. If it has to come off, a drill with chisel on should do the trick. Keep in mind render thats hard will deface most bricks

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Try a scutch chisel, with the toothed blade, it gets behind the render better, failing that a small kango or sds drill, set on hammer action with a spade bit in.

 

[wiffola]

Here are my findings!

Turned out there's a metal lintel, so no worries with structurally.

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• wiffola
• 28 Nov 2011
• 1

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• wiffola
• 28 Nov 2011
• 1

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• wiffola
• 28 Nov 2011
• 2

Borrowed an SDS breaker to channel into the modern render - it was hard work even with that! Exposing the arch was easy when I hit the original render.

The plan is to leave the stone/brick exposed in the cavity, skim the sides and leave the archway exposed.

It'll need some tidying up, as the bricks arent in great condition - all part of the charm though.

Then we'll get a log burner in there.

Thanks for your help all.