Opening up a fireplace

[andyearnshaw]

Hi

I’ve started renovations of the living room, and want to open up the fireplace to renovate and add in a bioethanol burner. I’ve started the work and it is a small fireplace and no obvious lintel (though I’ve heard they can be quite high up.

Key question - can I remove the blocks used to brick up the fireplace?

 

[jacko555]

I think you've just uncovered the soldier course in your first pic (the red bricks standing on end), which is acting as a lintel.

Like so

When we opened 2 fireplaces in my 1920s house, the opening had a soldier course no lintels.

How old is your house? It looks like the original opening has been reduced with breeze blocks. The clay fireback looks the right size for the reduced size.

Then closed up with bricks.

I had similar, a massive fireplace in the front room had been reduced in size, once.

In terms of removing the infill. Probably safe. It looks like it was there before it was filled. However, I am only a diy'er and it's tricky to judge from 2 picss

 

[andyearnshaw]

Thanks for the info, the house was built around 1950.

 

[andyearnshaw]

Any further views would be very welcome. Thanks

 

[cdbe]

Pull out those blocks, nothing will fall down. See if there's anything holding up the soldier course, probably a bit of angle iron at the back.