Hi, I'd like to remove a chimney from kitchen and above bathroom (ie whole height). The stack has been removed by a previous owner, nothing is above the roof line or in the loft, and the roof joists are all supported on external walls. First floor joists have a typical box arrangement around the hearth and we have a solid ground floor. Can I therefore assume that if I start at the top I can simply remove all the brick work and not need to install any structural support? In addition how should you finish off the bricks that are 'keyed' into the external walls (cold chisel or grinder?) and how do you stop residual soot coming through the new plaster (plastic sheeting?) Am I also right in thinking that as the stack has been removed we would not need to notify building control (not in a conservation area or listed building) Advice would be much appreciated.... Ta, Paul
Anything left unsupported wiill fall eventually. Make very sure that it is clear.
Just make a frame to fit in this space when you knock through. Nail through to the trimmers (the double set of joist you mention.) You could manage with just a couple of noggings if you can fix them easily enough.
Yes. You should be OK. Of course that is not an expert opinion but I have not seen the job -to make up for it.
Boulster and hammer. The keyed bricks might easily fall apart once you remove the rest of the course. Go down 1 course at a time. Getting someone to remove the bricks as you take them off will be a problem. You can look forward to having a substantial number to remove.
It really is a simple job so if someone suggests getting an SDS to do it tell them to pay for it. If it turns out to be difficult by all meas get one then. They are quite cheap these days. Just make sure you get one with a "hammer only" choice.
You might want to have a think about how you are going to carry them out before you start. It might be worth hiring a sack truck or something. I'd get a shopping trolley if there aren't too many stairs.
The soot will be on the sides of the flue liner -a pottery tube built in sections and tongued and grooved to stop leaks. As you work down the breastwork just take each one off and put it in a plastic bag and take it out.
Tell me you have not ripped the bottom of the chimney open. If you have, then seal it with hardboard and mastic to catch the small rubble and dust as you work down. There shouldnt be that much dust if you take your time.
Push all the fragments down the hole and you can shovel them all up in one go later.
Wet the work as you go with a garden mister or a squeesy/pop bottle of water. Punch a small hole in the top of a lemonade bottle to make a water pistol. Careful applications, little and often will really cut down the cleaning up.
not sure about that bit. probably. call you local BCO and ask them but don't give your name and address, just in case. officials should be treated like vampires, once you invite them in you're bu&&er'd !
An assumption that the other side of the room that is of the same construction (Double brick solid) and has not got a chimney breast has not fallen down! However this is an equally uninformed assumption so if it is not true please shout!
Believe nobody but a qualified engineer. The couple of hundred pounds it will cost is money well spent as insurance if it falls down. In addition when you come to sell you may well be asked to certify that the work has been done with appropriate professional guidance.
The only gottcha I can see is if this is on a party wall and backs onto a neighbours chimney that has also been partly removed, especially if they have removed a lower bit but not the top bit. Then they might be relying on your bit being there to support the wall.
Assuming that is not the case then like the others said, start at the top and work down.
With one property the struc people's advice was that the space hogging chimney breast could not be removed as it was an essential part of the stability of the building. IIUC that means it wasnt holding anything up, but was needed to stop the wall falling over.
As ever, doing it without advice will usually work, but not always.
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