My house might collapse?! Urgent advice needed.

[BigBoi86]

I just wanted to thank Blagard and big-all for your help at putting my mind at rest! I would appreciate it if you guys could kindly advise me on how to cut through the steel bars before drilling.

The core bit and drill is struggling and I was thinking of purchasing an angle grinder, but that would not fit in the hole. Do you think a multi tool such as Dremel will be any good?

Thanks.

 

[mointainwalker]

Are you serious or having a laugh ?

Even if you know nothing about buildings, logic and common-sense must tell you that something tiny that fits easily in one hand is not going to cut concrete and steel bars, especially when it is advertised polishing little bits of metal and the like.

We are not yet in the realm of hand-held lasers that cut through buildings in a few seconds

I would suggest drilling/breaking with a chisel, exposing whatever metal exists and then cutting it out. Depending on size you could maybe start with bolt-cutters or a small angle-grinder - 115 mm.

This will inevitably end up with a messy hole larger than required.

 

[IJWS15]

My first thoughts aligned with Bigalls but on second thoughts I am puzzled by why the builder would use a steel lintel over the window but a concrete lintel over the flue.

I would suggest you take pictures inside and out from about 10-15 feet away to show what is aroung the hole, especially to the right looking from outside.

May just be a lintel over the flue but why concrete when the window lintels are steel? The boot lintels I am used to are full thickness of the wall, one brick high at the outer skin and 2-3 at the inner skin so it is not one of those.

 

[BigBoi86]

My first thoughts aligned with Bigalls but on second thoughts I am puzzled by why the builder would use a steel lintel over the window but a concrete lintel over the flue.

I would suggest you take pictures inside and out from about 10-15 feet away to show what is aroung the hole, especially to the right looking from outside.

May just be a lintel over the flue but why concrete when the window lintels are steel? The boot lintels I am used to are full thickness of the wall, one brick high at the outer skin and 2-3 at the inner skin so it is not one of those.

Hi IJWS15, all the relevant photos are in my album:
//www.diynot.com/network/BigBoi86/albums/6212

 

[maltaron]

I'm not sure that the info on when the house was built is correct. Those bricks are vastly older than 1981, I would suggest the property is nearer 1881 and has been considerably modified.

 

[IJWS15]

Hi IJWS15, all the relevant photos are in my album:


What I was asking for is something like the fourth photo but from further back so we can see more of the wall.

What may be just out of shot could be relevant.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Center guide hole for 152mm core

• BigBoi86
• 13 Aug 2010
• 1

Is there a large enough gap between the window and the flue?

Plaster removed 2

• BigBoi86
• 13 Aug 2010
• 1

What electrical accessory have you got in line with that conduit to make it safe for it to be there?

 

[BigBoi86]

Center guide hole for 152mm core

• BigBoi86
• 13 Aug 2010
• 1

Is there a large enough gap between the window and the flue?

Plaster removed 2

• BigBoi86
• 13 Aug 2010
• 1

What electrical accessory have you got in line with that conduit to make it safe for it to be there?

Hi ban-all-sheds,
the gap between the boiler flue and the window wall is 30cm and the gap between the centre hole of the 152mm vent hole, from the wall is 45cm.

The conduit you can see is the power supply to the boiler. it terminates at a 3amp fused switch. I did not install that power supply, it was the council, long time ago.

 

[loosenup]

Hi
Have you checked with your gasman whether it is ok to put a vent that close to a boiler flue?
and whether there is need for a non return flap if it for a cooker hood?

You may have to have the fan recirculatory and install a wall fan for extraction.. which could then be lower than the lintel avoiding and big holes, or even in the window glass itself.. not the prettiest of items but effective
Phill

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The conduit you can see is the power supply to the boiler. it terminates at a 3amp fused switch. I did not install that power supply, it was the council, long time ago.

I guessed it might be for the boiler - couldn't see if there was a switch vertically in line with it.