Brick arch with iron support - widening cupboard/doorway

[roboputt]

Hi,

We have an old victorian cottage (terraced) with a layout I have never been able to figure out. In any case, we have a pantry in the kitchen which was clearly and old doorway (mirrored on living room side) and in replacing kitchen we want to ideally widen the old doorway which is now the pantry door.

It is brick work, with another floor above of brickwork (and nothing above that as the chimney or other stuff there was removed - I know this from insulating the loft). But obviously it is still load bearing and the 1st floor joist run across and rest on this too.

The door is 190 tall, and above the frame is a small gap under a brick arch - some filled in, but mainly not. You can feel a significant metal band that runs under the arch. The soldier bricks rest on about a quarter of a normal brick initially, but the shoulders running to the floor are 150mm on one side to another wall, and then within. full wall the other side.

It doesn't feel like I can wider right under the arch as the main area it rests on would be weakened.

However, the doorway is 200cm tall, the arch about 5cm above that, and we are putting a cabinet which is only 180cm tall. Would it be possible to sacrifice height to widen it easily and cost effectively? It's not worth paying a load of money, but if I can rent acrows, support the course beneath the arch, widen and fit a lintel, is this a viable idea or ridiculous?

Plaster is all chipped away on the inside as I wanted to see what was going on...

R

 

[noseall]

Hi,

We have an old victorian cottage (terraced) with a layout I have never been able to figure out. In any case, we have a pantry in the kitchen which was clearly and old doorway (mirrored on living room side) and in replacing kitchen we want to ideally widen the old doorway which is now the pantry door.

It is brick work, with another floor above of brickwork (and nothing above that as the chimney or other stuff there was removed - I know this from insulating the loft). But obviously it is still load bearing and the 1st floor joist run across and rest on this too.

The door is 190 tall, and above the frame is a small gap under a brick arch - some filled in, but mainly not. You can feel a significant metal band that runs under the arch. The soldier bricks rest on about a quarter of a normal brick initially, but the shoulders running to the floor are 150mm on one side to another wall, and then within. full wall the other side.

It doesn't feel like I can wider right under the arch as the main area it rests on would be weakened.

However, the doorway is 200cm tall, the arch about 5cm above that, and we are putting a cabinet which is only 180cm tall. Would it be possible to sacrifice height to widen it easily and cost effectively? It's not worth paying a load of money, but if I can rent acrows, support the course beneath the arch, widen and fit a lintel, is this a viable idea or ridiculous?

Plaster is all chipped away on the inside as I wanted to see what was going on...

R

A cut down door will become the bane of your life. I'd bite the bullet and lose the arch, especially as you are having Acrows on site anyway.

 

[roboputt]

Here is a picture of the one arch end. I’m assuming I can’t just lose an inch off the bricks below right? That seems to be exactly where the arch goes to.

Do I need building regs or control - and is it something I can do myself anyway with a lintel or steel? Feels that with one floor of single brick above it, there isn’t the largest weight from above but conscious I don’t know what I’m talking about!

 

[roboputt]

Here is the other side, looks like it’s sitting on mortar anyway. Oh and the walls are two bricks wide!!!

 

[noseall]

Here is a picture of the one arch end. I’m assuming I can’t just lose an inch off the bricks below right? That seems to be exactly where the arch goes to.

Do I need building regs or control - and is it something I can do myself anyway with a lintel or steel? Feels that with one floor of single brick above it, there isn’t the largest weight from above but conscious I don’t know what I’m talking about!

Drill in an acrowed strongboy above the arch, thump out the arch, fit the lintel to the desired height, build back above/make good. If it's 225mm masonry, do the same to both leaves.

 

[roboputt]

Thanks Noseall - happy to look up how to do it online and would be confident - but does it need building regs? Feels like it is structural, so it does...?

And can I confirm, based on the pics, there isn't enough space to shave say 2cm of either side (which is annoyingly what I would need)...

 

[noseall]

Thanks Noseall - happy to look up how to do it online and would be confident - but does it need building regs? Feels like it is structural, so it does...?

Strictly speaking - yes. Would I bother in my own home for a doorway sized opening - probably not.

 

[roboputt]

Perfect! Thanks noseall!