We've decided to get a wood burning stove installed, but to do this we need to widen the fireplace. I've removed the nasty tiled fire place surround and taken out the fireback, but I'm now slightly confused.
It looks as if the fireplace has been narrowed at some point with a row of bricks on either side. I'm assuming they aren't part of the original fireplace because the bricks are slightly different and they aren't tied into the surrounding bricks.
I'd like to take them out, but I'm concerned that they might in someway be supporting the brick arch above the fireplace, which I'm assuming is the lintel. The house was built around 1904.
I've attached a few pictures to highlight the problem. Just want to know if you think I'd be safe to remove the bricks that have been added to the narrow the fireplace, or if I need to put a new lintel in before I do this? I'm worried about the fact that there are some large bricks which look like they are supporting the arch sat on top of the ones that have been added to narrow the fireplace - I've tried to show this in the second picture.
Many thanks.
It looks as if the fireplace has been narrowed at some point with a row of bricks on either side. I'm assuming they aren't part of the original fireplace because the bricks are slightly different and they aren't tied into the surrounding bricks.
I'd like to take them out, but I'm concerned that they might in someway be supporting the brick arch above the fireplace, which I'm assuming is the lintel. The house was built around 1904.
I've attached a few pictures to highlight the problem. Just want to know if you think I'd be safe to remove the bricks that have been added to the narrow the fireplace, or if I need to put a new lintel in before I do this? I'm worried about the fact that there are some large bricks which look like they are supporting the arch sat on top of the ones that have been added to narrow the fireplace - I've tried to show this in the second picture.
Many thanks.