Hello,
I have a chimney and fireplace in the middle of the house. I want to make a hole in the back of the chimney breast. The hole will be about 600 mm wide and about 450 mm wide.
I need to do this because I am installing an inset wood burning stove (Stovax Riva 55). I need to get access to the top of the stove after it has been inserted so I can get to the convector vents in the top of the stove body. I also need to install an access point for the chimney sweep.
The rear wall of the chimney breast is double skin LBC commons, and is bonded (alternating one row length ways and one end on). It is a two store house and the chimney is directly, or almost directly, above the chimney breast.
There is no lintel on the back wall of the chimney breast, so I suppose I will need to install a lintel above the proposed opening.
Will it be OK to use an acroprop with a strongboy to support the wall while I remove a course to make space for a lintel? Should the lintel be 900 mm long (600 + 150 + 150), or should it be longer because of the weight of the chimney above?
The house was built in 1959, and the mortar is very, very hard!
Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I have a chimney and fireplace in the middle of the house. I want to make a hole in the back of the chimney breast. The hole will be about 600 mm wide and about 450 mm wide.
I need to do this because I am installing an inset wood burning stove (Stovax Riva 55). I need to get access to the top of the stove after it has been inserted so I can get to the convector vents in the top of the stove body. I also need to install an access point for the chimney sweep.
The rear wall of the chimney breast is double skin LBC commons, and is bonded (alternating one row length ways and one end on). It is a two store house and the chimney is directly, or almost directly, above the chimney breast.
There is no lintel on the back wall of the chimney breast, so I suppose I will need to install a lintel above the proposed opening.
Will it be OK to use an acroprop with a strongboy to support the wall while I remove a course to make space for a lintel? Should the lintel be 900 mm long (600 + 150 + 150), or should it be longer because of the weight of the chimney above?
The house was built in 1959, and the mortar is very, very hard!
Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
