Widening chimney breast

[stuart45]

Technically it's wrong, so luckily you aren't going through Building Control as it's an electric fire. The minimum width for a jamb is 200mm, so you will be down to less than that as it doesn't include the plaster.
In reality, when you think that some people knock out a lower chimney breast and leave the rest suspended what you are doing is quite minor.
If a customer asked me to do this, I'd probably turn it down, but the chances are you can do this without any issues.
I wouldn't do it as a job, because if a customer noticed any cracks in the chimney later on and called a surveyor in, they might try and blame me for doing something that was technically incorrect.

 

[Heppy2002]

Ok thanks I am looking at a narrower fire so I won't need to cut into the jambs as much if at all and just raise the height, just convincing my wife a narrower fire will still look ok, that's the new challenge

 

[Heppy2002]

I have taken some of the plaster off I think the concrete above is the outside of the throat, it slopes backwards inside. Could I cut off the bottom of this and insert a lintel or could this be a lintel sitting underneath the throat

 

[stuart45]

It's probably a concrete throat lintel.

 

[Heppy2002]

This is from the inside the bottom of it is not as deep as the bricks below would I need a lintel below this or move the steel lintel up

 

[stuart45]

Have you picked a new fire and got the dimensions? You can move the steel up if you need to.

 

[Heppy2002]

With brick removed

 

[Heppy2002]

Not decided on fire but we are staying within the 600 mm opening she has a shortlist all of which fit in the 600 mm ideally i just open up to bottom of the throat lintel it full thickness at the sides and extends a good bit up

 

[stuart45]

You don't normally have any brickwork under the throat lintel. The idea is that it guides any smoke up the flue. Bricks tend to let some escape. You don't need the brickwork below the lintel.

 

[Heppy2002]

Ok thanks much appreciated