Raising a lintel in a chimney breast to accommodate a hob

[tomyoung]

I have no contacts within the building trade and no-one I know can recommend a good builder in the area, (Dartford Kent). As the following job, done wrong, may bring 3 stories of chimney into my kitchen, any useful bits of advice or contacts would be much appreciated.

Our kitchen once had an aga in the brick chimney breast. When this was ripped out, in 1996, the gap was raised to accommodate an extractor in the chimney and a gas hob was installed. The builder (a local handyman) put in a cross section spanning the gap between the brick sides at the new height.
Current regs dictate that, if another hob is ever installed here, I will need to go up by another 2 brick heights. As I would like to put in a range, I hope to do this in the next few months.
Further, I understand that, as it is against current regs, no-one would be prepared to replace the hob if it ever died, is this true?

Thanks for any help

 

[r896neo]

I'm not sure about the regs for your range but certainly raising the height of the lintel a bit is not a particularly big or dangerous job.

It's not something you should do without a bit of help and advice and basic expericence but it also is not major building work.

 

[Richard C]

What Regs. are you referring to; gas, the minimum height of a fixed extractor over a hob? You may well find registered trades (gas or electric) will not connect & commission a hob if the rest of the installation does not comply with current Building Regs. & you should get a certificate of compliance in either case. Replacing the chimney lintel isn't a major job but it has to be done correctly & is controlled building works. You will need a certificate of compliance for that also; presumably you don’t have one for the previous work? You may also find the Building Inspector will not accept venting an extractor hood into a disused chimney to satisfy ventillation requirements. I’ve heard of BI’s refusing to accept such installations as conventional extractor hob fans are not capable of venting such a large column of air & you may well need to install an extractor fan elsewhere in the kitchen to satisfy the BI.

Many builders are conscientious but you should not rely on it; some won’t have a clue about the Regs. & many won’t necessarily give a toss anyway. It’s important to remember that, ultimately, it’s your responsibility to comply with relevant Building Regulations, not your builder so it’s always best to make your own enquiries with your LABC as to what they will accept.

 

[tomyoung]

Thanks for the info Guys. There was definately no certificate in the past. The possibility that the chimney might not be usable is an unwelcome thought but I am pleased I now know to make sure before throwing money away.
Once again, very grateful for the excellent help from people on this site. Cheers

 

[dextrous]

LABC in manchester wanted structural calculations for opening up the chimney to a greater height.