Adapting an existing (old) fireplace

Hi all,

first post for an apprentice renovator: I'll try and make it sound like I know what I'm talking about.

My partner and I bought an old (circa 1900) rendered brick house. It has a central living and dining room, partitioned by a wall and a fireplace. It has an opening to each room, but is not open all the way through. The previous owners put a radiant wood heater in front of the fireplace in the living room, an old, ugly thing with no fan. Subsequently-> very cold house in winter if not in the living room.

We wanted to remove the bricks in the fireplace between the two rooms, insert a new lintel, and then install a double-faced wood heater which would heat the whole house.

I'm just after some suggestions as to how to get going. What kind of lintel should I get (concrete or steel?) If steel, would there be ongoing issues with the steel expanding and contracting due to the heat? What size lintel? How high up should I install the lintel? (and all those other questions I have forgotten to ask!)

I don't really want to get somebody else in to do the job, because it'll probably be quite expensive, and I kinda really like the warm feeling I get inside when I do a job around the house by myself. (Budding renovator... :D) Also, is this a case of getting council approval?

BTW, I have uploaded some photos of the fireplace. Img 19 is the fireplace from the living room, Img 21 is looking up the chimney from the living room side (the fireplace's back is on the right, the open flue is on the left), and Img 24 is looking from the dining room. The brick wall is two bricks thick.

Thanks so much! :2tsup:

Attached Thumbnails http://www.renovateforum.com/attachm...1&d=1231403252 http://www.renovateforum.com/attachm...1&d=1231403252 http://www.renovateforum.com/attachm...1&d=1231403252



Read the full thread at RenovateForum.com...