Widening fireplace

Hi

We're trying to widen our fireplace by a couple of inches either side. I've hired a Bosch GSH 5 CE concrete breaker which seems to be working its way through. The lintel is 34" across and there was about 8" either side supported. Does anyone know how much I need to leave either side? I'm down to about 6" now.

Also how accurate do I need to get the inside for plastering? I'm just chiseling away by eye. But it's certainly not flat! Also there are a few holes where some pipes used to run. Would these just be filled in by a plasterer?

I'm fairly new to this destruction DIY so forgive me if these are silly questions.

Many thanks,

Gidon

Depends on how thick you want the plaster to be. Un-flatness of 1/2" to 1" should not be too much of a problem.

You *could* fill the holes with plaster - but it's probably better to fill them with mortar before plastering.

Roger

Thanks Roger - very reassuring! I'm still vibrating from using the concrete breaker all day!

Cheers

Gidon

What type of fireplace ? If it's an old range fireplace, then the lintel and its supports are structural and need to be of certain dimensions to hold the rest of the house up. So be very careful what you're doing as it might just not be covered by your insurance.

The plaster will cover almost any mess you make of the brick. However I would examine what this little lot is holding up.

Rick