Building reg's approval is needed for that kind of work - does the local inspector have a view?
I’ve just had the chimney removed from the living room and a small portion from one of the bedrooms- Only part left is in the loft, builder couldn’t use Gallows brackets as stack was in the centre of the loft. I was away for a few days whilst the work was carried out and came back to this-
[IMG] [/IMG]
I’ve googled it but nothing definitive, any experienced builders shed any light whether this is correct? My my untrained eye it looks like a complete bodge, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by Rob153; 12th January 2020 at 13:36.
Building reg's approval is needed for that kind of work - does the local inspector have a view?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Sorry to sound dim but is that 6x2 meant to be holding up the existing stack?
No expert but shouldn’t chimneys be removed from the top down ?
looks like a lot of weight above your head not adequately supported.
A five second google search throws up this link;
https://resi.co.uk/advice/building-r...himney-removal
Your photographs aren’t clear enough to see much beyond some 4x2 framing around the chimney breast. Please tell me that your builder hasn’t removed the brickwork below and has supported the remainder on the timber framing?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Had this work done a few Months ago- hadn’t had to go into the loft until now, naively I didn’t go straight away to check his work, put trust in a mate etc...
OMG what a mess you have as i see it two main problems
1 get the work done properly
2 sort out the regs as if nothing else if you ever decide to sell without them you will have a major headache
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
When the chimney on my house was removed it came down from the top to bottom,the pictures seems to show the structure is being supported by a 4x2 frame.If it is ,keep well away.
It looks like the weight of the chimney is being supported by the screws which go through the wooden beams into the actual chimney??? Recipe for disaster if that's the case. As said, remove chimney from top down and patch the roof, or adequately support the chimney from underneath if it has to be left in place. A ton or so of chimney on a few screws and friction???
Points all taken, thanks- I pride myself on being pretty savvy, trust has been my problem this time.
Anyone know how it should of been done? Can’t use Gallow brackets etc... as the stack is in the centre of the loft.
How is that even supported? Unless there’s something behind the frame going into the stack that we can’t see?
Again thanks for the replies- I’ll def get Building Control involves and see what they have to say.
I'd think you'd be looking at a steel beam, no? I think that is often what is required if gallows brackets cannot be used. Perhaps I'm being dramatic, but I'm not sure I'd even want to be in the house until that work had been assessed by building regs.
O dear, for the removal of chimney stack means must be demonstrated on how to support any remaining structure and calculated to the satisfaction of the local authority Building control and submitted for there approval and inspection will be carried out to ensure that the works are of the correct execution and to the proposed specification.
This is to protect customers from unscrupulous contractors or unqualified part timers earning a few quid cash on the side.
He is either
Unqualified
A thickoid
Or not your mate
Last edited by MCFastybloke; 12th January 2020 at 18:04.
Don't forget unless you're in a detached house you will probably need (have needed) a party wall agreement.
Shame that it seems like you've been done over but better to find out on a chimney breast than a double height rear extension etc. At least you know now and it's only this although not ideal.
Thing is I have seen first hand, new builds, big extensions that he’s carried out and all been first rate builds. I’m know thinking has he just subbed out the job and got someone else in to do it. As he was a friend he had the keys and got the job done, I was always at work etc... so didn’t even get to see the builders.
He’s coming over next week to go through it so we’ll see.
I have had chimneys removed in past where the stack says on the roof outside and part of the stack in the loft. But it does need a solid support which yours perhaps doesn't have.
Having said that there must be some support or it would have fell on your head by now!
Building control the way to go. You can get the approval retrospectively and I believe it is called a regularisation certificate. May cost about £300.
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
That’s a cowboy job and a half!! I’d be getting your ‘mate’ back ASAP to get that all taken down!
He may think it’s fine, but imagine you have a small fire in your house, that chimney is coming crashing down on top of the firefighters heads! Such a lazy ass job!!!
Again thanks for all the comments- I guessed half as much when I looked at it, more annoying/upsetting it’s a mate that supposedly done the work for me, we live and learn.......
That is a total bodge.
As has already been said, the cheapest solution is likely to be to take the remainder of the chimney down and make good the roof, assuming that the part above roof level is not required to be retained (for planning/conservation area purposes).
Otherwise you are likely to need steel beams to support the weight of the retained brickwork, so you are likely to also need a structural engineer to provide the calculations to obtain Building Control Approval.
There's a good deal of information over on PH:
https://www.pistonheads.com/search?S...e&OrderBy=desc
Scoll down this page to "Finally you should not consider any of these..."
https://www.labc.co.uk/news/how-to-g...ay?language=cy
The chimney stack seems to continue down below the new wooden supports by at least a couple of feet, what is holding this up or is there some part of the Chimney still left in the rooms below? It looks like the new supports are designed to stabilise the chimney to stop it from toppling over, rather that to carry the full weight.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
If the chimney masonry is unsupported, then you have an issue which needs to be sorted.
If the timber frame is not required for the structural support of the vertical load from the chimney, then it may not be as bad as those photos initially imply.
I was under the impression from the photos that everything below the loft level had been removed, so the timber was supporting the remainder of the chimney masonry, so my apologies if I have misunderstood.
To be fair to your mate, it sounds like he’s been f@*ed over as much as you have. He had a guy he clearly trust so the job and it doesn’t look like a good one (caveat - I work with software so I’m no expert).
That said, I had the chimney removed from my first house before I bought it and had a similar result - the chimney had to remain where it was but it was causing the wall to bow, hence 90% of it went and the top bit was supported on joists. The surveyor was happy with it and l, being young, naive and a bit thick, I accepted that all was well.
When I sold the house a number of years later, no mention was made of the chimney at all.
The good news is that your mate is coming around to have a look and I would hope that he’ll put right anything which isn’t right. As I said above, it sounds like the problem occurred outside of his control.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sorry to read about your issues.
It's hard to be sure from the photo how much remains below the stack. If it's all been removed then to be fair that doesn't look great. Unfortunately stuff like this is not that uncommon :(
How about an approx 6m steel resting on a small timber plate on top of a UPVC window! (No lintel above) Joists hung between this and another steel to support a loft floor plus a dormer cheek/roof load etc above. Much sucking of teeth was performed on that day!
We can't see how much stack is above the roof. There seems to be a fair bit of masonry extending below the new 'supporting' timbers though (can't tell how far down it extends) and all just seemingly spiked through with a few screws. If there are no other supports at a lower level then all that's holding the masonry below the timber together is the mortar and render!?
I would echo much of what's already been said.
If gallows type support is not an option I would suggest the upper section of the stack need to sit on steel beams to properly support it (with the masonry below the beams obviously removed)
If steel is needed then it's not a straightforward or cheap solution as depending on bearings etc the beams may need to have a fair span and may even need to be cranked to clear existing rafters if not in line with them) .
Unless you have access for a crane to slide (1 piece) beams in via a small access hole in the roof then you would probably need spliced beams so more cost again. Even if spliced, each beam section is a significant weight and not easy to manoeuvre into place etc especially by hand in a cramped loft space.
You would need a structural engineer to provide the calcs for both the beam sizes/loading and any splice details. There may be other options which a site inspection may reveal too.
Unless there's a very good reason, the easier and cheaper option (still won't be cheap though if done properly) is to remove the rest of the stack and make good the roof.
Just had a conversation with him and he reckons that only part of the chimney has been removed below loft level but won't commit to anything else- Questioned him about the frame around the breast, one minute its supporting the whole lot then changed his tune to its only helping stabilize it. He's now coming round tomorrow or Wednesday to go through it all. Got a funny feeling i'm getting buls';tted to...