Hello all
Im in a bit of a spot. Im trying to reinstate a victorian fire place... in a victorian flat. Ive read up on what to do and how to do it, but Im very much stumped.
In the 60s the fireplace was removed and a gas fire put in leaving a 3 brick hole to vent it(at this point the house was split in to flats).
Ive removed the plaster from the wall to find there isn't an arch...there are a few gently curved bricks creating a 3 inch high arch constructed of 4 bricks laid lenghtways. Great I think, time to fit a lintle, but then I find that there are no sides to the fireplace, so rather than the fire place hole just being bricked up - leaving a clear side/edge, the bricks continue over lapping right to the edge of the chimney breast.
Now I don't mind if the fire place is just ornamental but it has to be safe. How would I install a lintel and then knock out the bricks below to provide a good safe finish for fitting the fire place?
Thanks
Jonnym2009
Im in a bit of a spot. Im trying to reinstate a victorian fire place... in a victorian flat. Ive read up on what to do and how to do it, but Im very much stumped.
In the 60s the fireplace was removed and a gas fire put in leaving a 3 brick hole to vent it(at this point the house was split in to flats).
Ive removed the plaster from the wall to find there isn't an arch...there are a few gently curved bricks creating a 3 inch high arch constructed of 4 bricks laid lenghtways. Great I think, time to fit a lintle, but then I find that there are no sides to the fireplace, so rather than the fire place hole just being bricked up - leaving a clear side/edge, the bricks continue over lapping right to the edge of the chimney breast.
Now I don't mind if the fire place is just ornamental but it has to be safe. How would I install a lintel and then knock out the bricks below to provide a good safe finish for fitting the fire place?
Thanks
Jonnym2009
