Cutting out fireplace

johneym

hi Folks,

I have a big stove and am setting this back into the fireplace. So, I will cut the blocks either side and go up about 5 feet to make a nice big cut out square where my stove will sit back on. I will have to put in a lintel of course.I will not be doing this myself as the chimney is a complicated part of the house an the last thin I want is to have it falling down!! But its good to know whats involved. Is this a difficult job and how long might it take?
Iv already taked out the fireplace and hearth.
And any ideas on the finish? Should I then tile this area behind and to the side?

Thabks a lot,

John

De.Lite.Touch

johneym wrote: »

hi Folks,

I have a big stove and am setting this back into the fireplace. So, I will cut the blocks either side and go up about 5 feet to make a nice big cut out square where my stove will sit back on. I will have to put in a lintel of course.I will not be doing this myself as the chimney is a complicated part of the house an the last thin I want is to have it falling down!! But its good to know whats involved. Is this a difficult job and how long might it take?
Iv already taked out the fireplace and hearth.
And any ideas on the finish? Should I then tile this area behind and to the side?

Thabks a lot,

John

You need to talk to a structural engineer. A chimney breast braces a wall. You're taking out the bottom of a breast. You might not have enough "meat" left.
By going up five feet you're also taking out the smoke shelf - this is the flat space you can feel up behind the fireback. The chimney might not work right after that.
You probably need a good technician archtitect to detail this for you. And he'd have to call out. Sounds like its a paying job.

De.Lite.Touch.

Poor Uncle Tom

johneym wrote: »

I have a big stove and am setting this back into the fireplace. So, I will cut the blocks either side and go up about 5 feet to make a nice big cut out square where my stove will sit back on.

By going up 5' you will probably be removing the precast 'throat piece' which holds in place the flue liners and the surrounding lean mix/sands. Don't go at this without structural advice, you could end up costing yourself thousands of euros.

johneym wrote: »

I will have to put in a lintel of course.

This isn't how it works, unless it is an old unlined chimney. The flue liners will have to rest on whatever you put in, and what you put in will have to keep the packing in place.

johneym wrote: »

I will not be doing this myself as the chimney is a complicated part of the house an the last thin I want is to have it falling down!! But its good to know whats involved. Is this a difficult job and how long might it take?

It is a difficult job and the length of it will depend on the present make up of your chimney. I got one done in 2 days plus replastering and re-finishing.

johneym wrote: »

Iv already taked out the fireplace and hearth.

You probably mean the fire front and hearth as the fireplace describes the whole area including the fire back, sides(if seperate), fire front and hearth.

johneym wrote: »

And any ideas on the finish? Should I then tile this area behind and to the side?

Get on-site professional advice, after this if you go ahead the choice of finishes is yours...:)

johneym

thanks for the replies folks,

all thats left are concrete blocks poor uncle tom. Everthing else is gone. There was a front of bricks from the last owner. When I removed these everything was already gone. I took away more plasterwork in a straight line up outside to well above the mantel and have been looking for the lintel. I cannot find one. It appears that the blocks are resting on nothing! There was a cut wire about the height of the top of the fireback. This was a thick steel wire about 10-15 mm thick. Could this have been a form of lintel?
The house is 30 years and flue llined. Or could the lintel be this throat inside the chimney?
The last owner was messing with it any maybe had plans for something else.

Thanks