Opening A Fireplace - 1870s House

[Skiny]

I am looking to open up an old fireplace, as part of a refurbishment of my property. In the future I'd like to fit a woodburner, so want to make the space for it.

Am I correct to assume that everything below the original arch (aside from the edges), should be safe to remove?

The bottom piece of the central brick is loose, as it split in two and would be cemented back, first. The rest of the wall is made of stone, which I know is less stable than brick. Below that, as you can see in the photos, there are three courses of bricks and a small slate lintel.

The chimney breast directly upstairs is smaller and doesn't protrude out as far as this one.

 

[REEMS]

Looks like you still have the original opening you can see where it has been filled in will be fine to remove the added bricks,stone.

 

[REEMS]

I love the stone work in the alcoves are you leaving them exposed.

 

[Skiny]

Great, thanks!

How come so many fireplaces are filled in like this?

Yeah, I'm leaving the alcoves exposed, and in fact almost all of the other external walls of the house too, as its the same stone throughout. Chimney breasts I'll render though.

 

[sprite1275]

I'm no expert but personally I wouldn't like to rely on that lintel. Doesn't look the best.

 

[vinn]

Dont do anything - leave things as they are for the moment.

Do you intend to keep the remains of the brick arch, & turn it into a full span arch of the original opening?
Are you confident in your brickwork skills?

 

[Skiny]

Yea, the brick arch I have no intention to remove, just the space below it, as drawn in the first photo. Looks like there's a natural opening there. Of course I wouldn't undermine either side of the arch and would repair that split brick first.

Once the fireplace is opened up, I'd like to fit a stone hearth and render the whole chimney breast.


Also, looking at the chimney breast on the first floor, it narrows into a small chimney breast in what was the bedroom. As a result, that smaller upstairs chimney breast isn't directly over the stones/archway, it's set further back.

 

[Skiny]

Upstairs chimney breast, made mostly of brick:

 

[vinn]

Go ahead if you are confident. The brick arch looks to be just about wedged in?

Perhaps read the Similar Threads below and any other similar info on this forum. There are a number of other things to do for a stove install.

Upper c/breasts are typically smaller than the lower c/breasts.
Its dangerous to work below an opening such as you have. Maybe cover the hearth gap with a bit of ply.

 

[REEMS]

The arched bricks was a method used for hundreds of years its really strong if you want google fred dibnah he will show you and explain why its so strong they is the center brick and its based on physics downward and outward pressure, does look good though, we live in a 1905 terraced house in Burnley and when we took of the plaster on the chimney breast,s they were all done just like yours, it was a standard method of construction, great project.

 

[Skiny]

Yeah, the bottom piece of the central brick is loose. I'd cement it into place before doing anything. Also there are ply boards upstairs, I just pulled it back to show how the upstairs chimney is built into it.

My only concerns with the arch, are that it's a pretty shallow one, though saying that many photos I see, tend to show them as being fairly similar.

Maybe I could put a lintel just underneath.

Either way I think I'll attempt it. Let's hope this doesn't get moved to the disasters section!

 

[REEMS]

When the fireplace was built it took its own weight and was fine its only been bricked up to fill it in.

 

[vinn]

OP,
google the term: springing points - and see if your springing points are solid enough to support the arch bricks on the skewback of your segmental arch?

 

[Skiny]

Thanks for all the replies!

Sorted the fireplace today. Ended up getting a lintel put in, just to be on the safe side. The arch would probably have been alright, but who knows.