Opening up fireplace

[duncan54747]

Hello All,

I'm looking to put in a wood burning stove in the living room of my sandstone victorian flat. I've started excavating the filled in brickwork to get back to the original builders opening and have come across a load of metalwork. Part of it looks like a copper back-boiler and there is also a small steel lintel/beam which looks like it was added to support new brickwork when the fireplace was reduced in size at some point. The original steel lintel can be clearly seen above with a sandstone block on top of it.

Any thoughts on how to proceed? I guess I need to check if there is still water in the back boiler. Also the smaller second lintel feels like it will come out easily so only supporting 3/4 rows of bricks above, but thought I'd better double check before doing this.

Thanks for reading!

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• duncan54747
• 13 Jul 2014
• 1

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• duncan54747
• 13 Jul 2014
• 1

 

[ree]

If you step back and post a pic of the full width of the chimney breast, and a pic of the cleared hearth area and one from floor to ceiling of the c/breast it would help us in giving safe and sound advice.

 

[duncan54747]

Thanks for taking a look. Here are some more photos. The wooden section to the left is where the back boiler pipes go to a water tank in the attic.

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• duncan54747
• 18 Jul 2014
• 1

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• duncan54747
• 18 Jul 2014
• 1

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• duncan54747
• 18 Jul 2014
• 1

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• duncan54747
• 18 Jul 2014
• 1

Untitled

• duncan54747
• 18 Jul 2014
• 1

 

[ree]

Thanks for the pics:

For the moment ignore the fire opening and back boiler issues.Do you have the Stove Mfr's Inst's? You need the them to work to their recom. builders opening dimensions - only then can the lintel be set at its correct height and end bearings. All else will follow.

The gas restrictor elbow in the floor - is it live?

What are the cables/pipes in the fire opening: are they live?

The left hand skirting can be removed after isolating the outlet.

Remove and isolate the outlet the same way from the RH skirting.

The skirtings will have to be adjusted to the new opening width.

Modern outlets are set approx 460mm off the floor.

What is below the tiled front hearth - stone, concrete or wood?

There is a crack on the RH side running up to the ceiling - is this an outside wall?

There are water (?) stains at the ceiling?

The pipe board arrangement: leave alone until the new opening is established.