Opening out fireplace

[aab203]

Hello,

I have a few queries around opening up our fireplace that I was hoping to get some feedback on. We live in a Victorian/Edwardian terraced house and I want to open up the fireplaces on the first floor to create some shelving/storage space in the kids rooms. Currently the openings seem quite small so I was hoping we'd we able to widen the opening.

I have had a few people around to quote for this work but I am getting mixed feedback on the scale of the job. One person doesn't want to touch it for fear of the chimney collapsing, one person things the existing lintel should be long enough that I can get a wider opening without needing to touch the lintel. The final person doesn't seem fussed and said they would install a new lintel if required in order to get a wider opening.

I've posted a few pics of the fireplace that is currently the most exposed, as well as a pic of its state when the bedroom was being renovated. Currently there is a v-shaped lintel with a solder course above it. I cannot see how far in the lintel goes on each side as this isn't visible. The opening as it stands is around 420mm. I was hoping to go for an opening of around 700-800mm.

I've read conflicting information that openings of under a metre don't strictly need lintels against seeing information that if you are not careful the whole chimney breast could collapse.

I'd like to get your thoughts on whether this is indeed an involved job or whether it should be straight forward to make the opening wider.

Happy to supply any further info.
Thanks in advance!

 

[bobasd]

its easy straightforward work.
come back after doing the stuff below for how to finish.

chimney breast dont usuly collapse but a few bricks can an soot can blow out.
do you have any workin/active fires of any kind in the property?
ground floor flues have to be taken into acount when opening up first floor chimney breasts.
upper floor c/breasts sometimes have 2 or 3 flues in them.
each flue serves only one fire place . flues dont join other flues.

all your flues from ground floor up should be swept before any work starts.
how many c/breasts do you want to work on?
after fixin the shelves you need ventilation from each sealed off fireplace . through ventilation to stack terminals.
what condition are the stacks in?

decide how high you want to go with the shelvin an insert a concrete lintel at that height.
open up after insertin lintel - leave at min 9" supportin brick legs on each side.

 

[aab203]

Thanks for the reply. To answer some of your questions:
- Only one of the fireplaces on the ground floor is a working one (gas). The flue for that chimney runs side by side (to the left) of the flue for the equivalent first floor fireplace
- We had all the chimneys swept a couple of days ago in preparation
- We’ll put a vent in the ceiling part of the shelving area. The chimney sweepers said we only need a pinhole really.. but I think to be safe I’ll go for something a bit bigger
- The stack terminals should be in decent condition - I had the top of the chimney stack re-pointed and re-bedded at the top

What’s the best way to support the metal arch lintel and remove the soldier course for a concrete lintel? Would any concrete lintel do or would I need to find out how much load it needs to take first?

Thanks again

 

[bobasd]

dont mess with the first floor c/breast above the gas fire.leave it alone even if the g/f gas fire has a SS liner inits flue.

dont vent the soffit above the shelvin. insert vents high on the c/breast face above the lintel or high on a c/brest cheek.

first decide on how high you want the shelving opening to be - say 6ft.
then open up at 6ft just enough to slip in a conc lintel.
tell them at the builders supplies what your doin an they will give you the correct lintel.
the lintel should have 4" bearing at either side.
only then remove anything below the 6ft height.