Increasing chimney opening size?

Question

I want to increase the height of my fireplace opening so i can place a cooker in there. The problem is that the chimney reduces in width when it goes up to first floor and then joins another chimney from the living room when it goes into the attic

the problem is that where i want to raise the lintel to there are stepped bricks behind creating the narrowing of the chimney and i guess providing most of the structural support for the chimney.

anyone tackled this before?

Answer 1

Simple lower the floor, then you do not need to move the lintel

Answer 2

You probably ought to consult an engineer, chimneys are very heavy and best on the roof not you bed. However, You would need to get some props and support the weight first then put in your new lintel before enlarging the opening below.

Answer 3

first things first .are you going to use the flue to remove the cooker smells ..if so if you open up the chimney there will be a lot of the heat going up the flue and the kitchen will be colder ..its quite simple to open up the flue ..the side cheeks are normally 225mm wide you will need to fit a lintel over the front of breast but first you need to open up the breast and support brickwork with a short acrow ...then chop hole in back wall to take a lintel ..this will sit on top of lint and sit on back wall to create a 90 degree return ...then brick up on lintels to support brickwork .leaving hole in middle for vent

Answer 4

Hi Sneaky

You should not have much prob putting short re-inforced concrete lintols in, to support the weight before rebuilding the flue/s as necessary to where it meets the existing corbelled brickwork of the chimney above, but as always if you not sure about it then get somebody that knows what they are doing ( in other words not eastern european jack of all trades)