Enlarging kitchen chimney breast opening

Apr 14, 2007 1 Replies

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david.cawkwell 19 years ago

Hi Group,

I'm looking to replace our kitchen. Ouch! Anyway I'd like to replace the old rayburn in the current kitchen with a new range. At the moment it isn't really very easy to use. I'd like to make the chimney breast opening higher. Is it possible? I have posted a picture on the internet

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have knocked all the plaster off as it was blown. Is it possible to remove the front brick up to near the ceiling and add a new concrete lintel. I'm not planning to do this myself. Just asking if it is possible and how best it should be done. So I know what to expect when I talk to a builder.

Curiously the previous owner seems to have knocked a big hole in the front of the chimney breast and then rebricked. I assume this was when they fitted the rayburn. Anyone any idea why this was necessary? Seems a bit mad to me.

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Phil L 19 years ago

It's possible, but it may require steel gallows being made, and these will likely be visible in the kitchen...he may get away with a straigtforward steel girder, although this is up to the builder himself and what he feels comfortable with.

It's likely to have been either a smoker, where hams and fish would be placed to aquire a smoky taste (obviously oak or hickory chippings would be used, not coal!) , or a hot food store - a sort of smaller oven type of thing which kept cooked food hot while the rest of the meal was being prepared

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