Unblovking Fireplaces

[elziko]

I have been knocking out a blocked up fireplace in a victorian property. I was planning to just knock out what had been bricked up - I've done that and have found that the orignal opening isn't central in the chimney breast. There is also an existing off-centre tiled hearth so I do think that was the original design - no idea why!

Should I knock out some (about a brick's width) of the orignal brickwork to centralise it (which I suppose could affect things structually) or just put the new fireplace in off-centre and accept it as a quirk in the original desgin?

Just wanted some opinions!

TIA

[Phil L]

If it's that important to you that the new fire is centralised, simply box in a bricks width on the short side, far simpler than risking opening it up, the arch (or lintel) may get disturbed, then you've got serious problems

[Paul]

in our house the upstairs fireplaces are off centre because of the chimney breast having two flues in it, one from the downstairs and the bedroom fire.

[Andrew Gabriel]

There's probably a flue going past on the thicker side.

Definately not, unless you like the idea of being buried under tonnes of collapsed chimney stack!

[Aidan Karley]

Paul and Andrew have got the explanation. I grew up in a 3-storey Victorian house with the same problem, doubled up. I hope that you've dropped the idea of bringing the chimney down around your ears.

[elziko]

Well I'm quite happy with an off-centre fireplace now I know theres a reason and you can rest assured that I'm not going to destroy it any further. Although a couple of the orginal bricks did get destroyed whilst removing the new ones used to block up the opening.

Thanks (to all) for your replies.