lintel? All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[george-doors]

i've just femoved an old gas fire and 70s concrete surround and exposed an old back boiler which i want to remove so i can brick up the inside creating an alcove. but i,ve noticed there is no lintel above fire place and the two centre bricks have fallen out when i removed fire place.

i basicly want to know if this is normal or there should be somthing in there holding up bricks above?

[acsimpson]

What was the concrete surround you removed? Could it have been performing the job of a lintel?

[george-doors]

i don't think so it was surface mounted fixed by two small L brackets. i would have thought there would have been some sort of lintel before the concrete surround was put in?

[acsimpson]

It certainly doesn't sound like a lintel. I'm afraid I don't know enough to advise you on wether you need to install a lintel. It may be that your best bet is to get a structural engineer to take a look at it.

Better safe than sorry.

[george-doors]

i've installed a concrete lintel as i'm the wall is only taking its own weight its probably much more than is nececary but better safe than sorry