Installing New Lintel in Fireplace - What is the Best Way to do This? All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[striker]

Hi there, Hopefully some can give me some advice. I am in the process of installing a wood burner in my property. Before I do this though I need to make the fireplace opening larger. I have hacked off the plaster to and will widen the opening by about 300mm. To give the wood burner enough space above I need to install a new lintel and make the opening higher.

My question is what is the easiest and safest way to do this. The picture below shows my fireplace and the box in red is the section where the new lintel needs to go. The Chimney brest is 1500mm wide so i have worked out that I will need 1200mm lintel to account for the overhang each side. What is the best way to install the lintel. The outer most bricks either side of the chimney brest (see green box) needs to be made smaller and halved in size for the lintel to fit. Do I need to use acrowprops and strong boys to do this?

the link is to a larger version of the photo:
https://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag ... bb34f9.jpg

[welsh brickie]

Its best to consult a local professional builder to inspect it first, but I would install a 1500mm lintol, the full width of the fireplace, you really need to have 200mm each side as a bearing on the fireplace, I would prop up the brickwork with acros and strong boys, before starting the job,and you will need a HETAS engineer to inspect the work and install your log burner.