Fireplace and floor reinforcements!

After discovering the fireplace went further back than I first thought and subsequently pulling all of the stone out, we had another quandary. If we could get the cooker further back it would buy us more kitchen space, 5 inches all round, which when you consider how much will be in the kitchen plus the 3 inches we are losing all round to add stud walls, is quite a lot of space. The problem was, there was no lintel holding up the sides of the fireplace, and the end beam needed reinforcing. Risking at worst, a collapse at best the bathroom sagging. We could afford neither of these issues and the trusty acro prop couldn't be there forever.

The other reinforcement we needed was a lintel across the internal kitchen to room of doom door, the original beams only had about three millimeters to sit on, which, when you consider the weight of the bath upstairs was a bit of a worry!

Last Saturday Dean came over with three new lintels ready to start building these in. I was terrified it may all collapse, but with some gentle but brutal drilling out, chocking and logic, he got them all in without too much drama. Dave mixed concrete, Jenks placed bets, and I got on with lime mortaring the wall in the room of doom...keeping out of the way. All this to a backdrop of Motorhead and Zion Train, billions of cups of tea and pasties from the Crusty Loaf in town. We're a good team when we get going, and despite knowing each other for over 25 years we are all still very good mates. It also gives Clive a rest as he has grafted on the house for the last 18 months and has his own new exciting projects on. Although, it doesn't get him off the hook as this is a lifetime project!!

Ultimately we will reinstate the beautiful old lintel that was in the kitchen as a statement, but first we have to rebuild up the sides of the new (old) fireplace. Dean has reinforced the top of the fireplace. This part will be covered so we recycled the strongest bricks we had for this. Dave has prepped the space up, but is taking a well earned rest for a few days to let his back, arms, and hands recover from drilling out some of the remaining stones so the gas man could get in and re site the cookers gas pipe. I need to take a trip to Hales, the local builders merchants to get some sand and frame ties before the weekend. Never a dull moment!

Today is Shrove Tuesday, we don't have a cooker the cooker back in yet, so I've left pancake supplies at Mum and Dad's for tonight. They make much nicer pancakes than I do anyway according to the kids! xx

New lintel and reinforced wall above the fireplace.