regulation height of chimneys in relation to roof ridge

[Gareth]

Our neighbour in a terrace of houses has put in a log burning stove at the back of their house and reinstated an old chimney that runs up the back wall. The top of the chimney is well below the height of the ridge and when the prevailing wind blows it comes over the ridge and forces the smoke down into our garden and through our windows and into our loft space. Surely, building regulations would now allow for such a situation to arise as it would seem sensible for any chimney to be above the ridge height in order to take the smoke upwards. Can anyone help by explaining what the regulations are with regard to chimney height in relation to ridge height. Thanks Gareth

[Space_Cowby]

From memory it has to be above the ridge but how much i dont know. I can check on Monday when i get back to work.

[BigWallop]

Has there been any alteration to the original chimneys? Is the top pot still on the stack?

Some property renovations used to remove some of the original stack, to stop them straining the whole wall and things, when the old chimney systems were thought aren't being used again in the future. So make sure the original chimneys are still at their full design height for these properties.

If everything is original, then the symptoms you have show why coal and other solid fuels died out many years ago. I still remember the smell of all the old coal fires in Edinburgh (Auld Reeky).

[Yekal]