Opening up chimney breast for cooker

[spannerzone]

Hi, I'm looking at opening up an old chimney breast in the kitchen, it previously housed an oil fired boiler with metal liner. The liner is still there but new boiler now outside. I'm guessing that to open up another 1m means installing a lintel or similar? I'm wanting to increase the height by about 1m (it's currently 1m high and 80cm wide)

The chimney runs up through the middle of my house and is not on a party wall.

Is the best bet for me to chip away plaster above opening to see what's there and then post another picture? or is it a given what's required?

Any comments on having a cooker inside this fireplace gratefully received, comments on venting up the chimney? (I think it's a30foot liner so suspect extraction not possible)

House is a 1906 model.

Untitled

• spannerzone
• 17 Feb 2013
• 1

 

[dann09]

1. Your cooker will be approx. 900mm from the FFL, and the extractor/canopy must be min. of 760mm above the hob.
Insert a conc. lintel at the appropriate ht. after allowing for canopy dimensions.

2. Measure your req'd dims ht and width, and strike lines, undercut into the plaster with a utility knife and the remove the plaster with a chisel. The undercut will give you a clean cutting line. Stay away from the outside corners of the c/breast.

3. slowly remove bricks from the centre up to the lintel. Use a brick chisel to strike any toothed-out bricks, and then a sharp knock and they will snap .

4. Make up a drawing/sketch of what you propose with dimensions of cooker and canopy, show elec and gas supply and isolators. And how you will finish the floor, the face of the c/breast and the recess. Dont work blind.

5. Talk to fan/ext mfrs ref the in-place flue liner and how to duct out. Using a min. 125mm ext and liner with possibly a booster fan.
Noise and light issues ref the canopy and fan. Cook in silence with a strong light(s).

6. Recirculation ext's are not worth installing.

7. If you line or use the chimney flue consider having it smoke tested and swept, and the stack/terminal inspected.

8. Have everything worked out, and all appliances and devices on site before starting. No surprises.

 

[spannerzone]

Thanks for your detailed help, it's much appreciated.

Am I right in thinking that this needs calcs done by structural engineer if I'm raising the height of the opening and need to get BC advised and signed off?

 

[dann09]

No, there's no need for calcs. Simply, carefully remove the bricks ( one at a time ) up to the pre-inserted lintel.

But first, sort out the other details ref the cooker and it's installation.