Fire place, What next?

[dobbslc]

I need some help from fellow wood burning friends here!
I'm installing a new wood burner and need to enlarge the fire place, it needs to be half a brick wider each side and the lintel needs raising about 6".
How do I go about this without dropping the whole chimney on my head?


I don't know how the brickwork is constructed on the sides, can I just knock them out and relay them wider? Is it hollow behind a single skin of bricks?

 

[Barking Mat]

I did similar this summer, had to take it out up to the ceiling, where it went into the wall. I'm not a builder mind you.

Take off render, temporary supporting beams on accros, support jacks.? Going through existent chimney?

Supported inside and out.

Is existent lintel long enough?

 

[Seadog]

If you go at it gently then it shouldn't be a problem. Only strip the plaster up to a little way beyond where you want to put the lintel, it'll help keep everything together. Fit the new lintel and then you can set about widening the opening.

 

[julianf]

I know ive posted the photo below here before, but its relevant -

In this case, the wall above was supported with acros and strongboys before the rotten lintle was removed.

(the strong boys allow the offset, and allow you to support the wall before you remove the stone)

This is bigger than you are talking about but the same idea.

However...

The load is not straight down. Its angled. So you could remove a lot of the stone before you run into trouble.

Im not so sure about the widening though.

 

[brightspark]

its only being raised 6inch. u will only loose a pyramid of bricks on top if u remove the lintel .there all keyed in on top of each other from the sides . holding a dozen bricks at the most. knock the internal side wall bricks out there generally 3 bricks wide pillars .9 inch on the outside then a gap and the row on the inside I had to do mine its not a problem your not going to drop the stack by doing it