Hi, I have a chimney that runs through the middle of my house. It's part of a block wall on the ground floor then forms it's own brick square section chimney up through the 1st floor and through the loft. Two sides of the chimney are incorporated into stud walls on the 1st floor. It's about 18" square.
Does anyone know if it's easier just to remove the whole thing or to leave the stack in the loft? If I remove the whole thing clearly I'll need to get to the top of it - can this be done from within the loft - i.e. make a hole in the roof, take the chimney top down then make good the roof mostly from inside? (or put a skylight in)
The other option is to remove only two sides of the chimney on the 1st floor so that it still supports some of the weight of the complete chimney above and then have a beam in the loft to support the rest of it. Trouble is I'd have to get a long beam into the loft and I'm not sure that's possible. I guess I could remove the bricks in the loft and have the remaining stack on a platform?
On the ground floor the chimney breast section would be removed leaving the original wall in place.
Any other ideas? Just get someone in to do it?!
My downstairs block wall is made of high density blocks and I'm guessing that the 15" or so protusion of the chimney breast does form any sort of structural bracing.