# Chimney Breast Removal



## Sean104 (3 Jan 2009)

Hi folks, 

Just wondering if anyone has removed the chimney breasts from inside their house.  

We're looking at doing some renovations between the living room and the front room.  

In the corner of each room there are two fireplaces that feed up through the one chimney.  

We want to break through the two walls and make one big room.

My question is has anyone ever attepted this, what cost was involved and can anyone recommend a person / contractors to do it.

Thanks
Sean


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## minion (3 Jan 2009)

Looking for someone to do the same for me too.

So far i have no quotes but various people i have asked about it say that the whole wall all the way up to the chimney has to go or be supported in some way.


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## johnjoda (3 Jan 2009)

minion said:


> Looking for someone to do the same for me too.
> 
> So far i have no quotes but various people i have asked about it say that the whole wall all the way up to the chimney has to go or be supported in some way.


 
Hi, it is a reasonably straightforward job to do, the chimney breast removed right up to attic space and the remaining breast supported with gallows brackets, (within attic space)  this enables the roof to remain untouched, should cost no more than 3k for 2 storey house


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## BillK (3 Jan 2009)

No idea of costs over there, but would suggest that the proper job is to remove the lot and therefore be confident that there is nothing going to fall on you or anyone else.

As you will appreciate, wind pressure on the chimney stack above roof level can be considerable and the removal of the bulk of the anchor could result in catastrophic failure.


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## Sean104 (3 Jan 2009)

Thanks for the replys.  Hopefully someone out there has done this before around the Dublin area and can recommend a builder.


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## Chocks away (5 Jan 2009)

Had two loadbearing walls removed by these chaps. Brendan 0872640066
 Very satisfactory.


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## minion (6 Jan 2009)

Chocks away said:


> Had two loadbearing walls removed by these chaps. Brendan 0872640066
> Very satisfactory.




Do you mind me asking how much they charged, ow big the walls were and how long it took them.

Thanks.


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## Chocks away (6 Jan 2009)

Don't know how long they took as we were on holidays. Cost was 2800 euros. One wall is 11' and the other is 9'6". They took photos of the steel girders in place as they were progressing. We bought the girders. They supplied everything else.


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## minion (7 Jan 2009)

Chocks away said:


> Don't know how long they took as we were on holidays. Cost was 2800 euros. One wall is 11' and the other is 9'6". They took photos of the steel girders in place as they were progressing. We bought the girders. They supplied everything else.




Thanks for the help.

Might give them a call.


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## Mahons (19 Sep 2009)

We're looking at removing a chimney breast from an upstairs back bedroom. Did you ever find someone to complete this job for you and how much did it roughly cost? 

I asked a builder friend of mine and he suggested that I could do it myself and not worry about supporting the upper stack but I'm a very wary of doing this. Even if I was to diy it - I think I'd still have to place gallow brackets or rsj in the attic space for support.


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## onq (19 Sep 2009)

The kind of building described by the OP is usuallty part of a terrace.
Its common for all four chimney breasts/flues to meet and self-buttresse at the junction of the party wall and the cross walls between the front and rear rooms.
Removing the structure and then ccentrically loading the remaining party wall element to support the chimney above may not be the wisest thing to do.
If the works reduce the fire separation between the buildings this should be brought back into compliance.

Removing the entire chimney may cause a planning issue if it means the stack is lessened externally.
The works to remove the OP's chimney may cause problems for the adjoining house structure.
If the house is listed then its likely that none of this can be done without permission.

A layperson removing a main supporting structure - by themselves or with a builder - without obtaining the advice of a competent structural engineer is unwise.
Whatever the OP does and who ever he uses, he'd better consider the health and safety implications of all of this before he starts.
It would be hugely in the OP's insterest to have the structure of both existing houses surveyed prior to commencement.
It would be useful to have performed a work method statement and have drawings to show your neighbour.
A photographic record of the interior surfaces could be very useful in case cracks occur later.
If that happens you'd better have made sure that there is adequate insurance in place.

Go off half-cocked, fail to photographically record the existing state of both buildings, then damage someone elses house structure or chimney liner, or cause cracking there there was none before and you're heading for a whole world of trouble.
Add to that using an uninsured cowboy builder or attempt yourself a task that is clearly not for laypersons and it could be a very expensive "refurbishment" indeed.

FWIW

ONQ.


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## Mahons (19 Sep 2009)

can anyone recommend a good structural engineer and any idea how much it should cost. I had one out to the house (recommended by builder at the time) in 2005 in relation to an extension we were construting and he wanted €250 for 3 minutes work.


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## Peter C (19 Sep 2009)

€250.00 for a professional consultation was not overcharging in 2005, today you have the benefit of a slow down in construction so you may get a similar or better rate but not by much because a Structural Engineer carries heavy insurance costs. I agree with onq its not a DIY job in fact I would say you need a builder with experience of such works, many of the chimneys described were poured mass concrete and not easy to remove without potential consequences.


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## Mahons (20 Sep 2009)

I'm sorry but €250 for max 1 hours (including travelling) work is overcharging in my eyes no matter what profession your in. 

The chimney in the bedroom is not mass concrete as I've already spoke with neighbours who have already completed the job in their house.

To be honest I'm not about to go up and start knocking it out without fully understanding all the consequences.


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## Peter C (21 Sep 2009)

Mahons said:


> I'm sorry but €250 for max 1 hours (including travelling) work is overcharging in my eyes no matter what profession your in.
> 
> The chimney in the bedroom is not mass concrete as I've already spoke with neighbours who have already completed the job in their house.
> 
> To be honest I'm not about to go up and start knocking it out without fully understanding all the consequences.



Sorry I did not mean to cause offence, I agree with getting value for money.


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## Mahons (21 Sep 2009)

I'm a little more thick skinned then that ;-) , no offence taken at all Peter.


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## onq (22 Sep 2009)

Mahons said:


> can anyone recommend a good structural engineer and any idea how much it should cost. I had one out to the house (recommended by builder at the time) in 2005 in relation to an extension we were construting and he wanted €250 for 3 minutes work.



Professionals bring years of experience to the table and with Engineers, good advice always pays dividends.
They may take three minutes to observe the works or site, but the expertise they bring to the table cannot be measured by that.
Designing structures brings responsibility, designing additions to structures attracts even more responsibility, especially when its a house.
I don't know what you mean by having and engineer "out" - you either retained him to advise and produce structural drawings and a specification or you didn't.
If he gave you that level of service then €250 was grossly underpaying him and if he only gave you verbal advice I'm not sure I see your point.
Plumbers will charge you 80 Euro to just to arrive at your door. 

ONQ.


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## Mahons (22 Sep 2009)

Funny that, I had a plumber out last night who agreed to move my immersion tank from upstairs to down stairs to free up space in our bathroom for €200 euro, the job is going to take him the guts of a full day. Now that's value for money ;-)

In relation to the €250 euro charge from the structural engineer, he didn't produce structural drawings - it was a simple nixer for him- he was simply solving an argument between my architect and builder in relation to a design change in our extensions roof. The architect and builder just wouldn't agree on something hence the requirement for a structural engineer. (The architect won btw ;-)

I'm a professional running my own software company and I can assure you I would never charge someone €250 for one hours work as I'd never get repeat business.

Mahons


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## mrsk (12 Sep 2010)

We have a house similar to the house descriped above - two rooms with corner chimneys. We knocked down chimney breast downstairs and wall between two rooms and placed an rsj to support upstairs. Is this enough to support chimney breast upstairs? Old Corporation Style House. 
I now want a chimney breast downstairs and new fireplace does anybody know a person who can rebuilt chimney breast and install new fireplace and what the costs may be?


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