Not sure this is the right place to put this thread but here goes...
The gaff I bought in 2009 (built in 1966) originally had a chimney breast running through the centre of the house (from the kitchen up) through a bedroom on the first floor, then through and out the loft.
Apparently the old boy next door told me that originally the base of it was in the kitchen for some kind of a heater, it started about 3' off the floor (as some kind of escape for a boiler or something) and the stack was tied into two walls on a 90 degree angle.
This was it originally:
the section in the kitchen with the white line where the stack originally was. The green is the nearest joist.
The surveyor when I bought the house said that the kitchen (base) section of the stack had been removed and without disturbing the 1st floor floor (which I did after) or the kitchen ceiling below was impossible to see how it was supported.
He said the stack above roof level needed repointing and the rest of the internal stack looked in good condition with no signs of stress and had been like that since at least 2003 when the previous owner lived there (who didn't carry out the renovations)
There were no building regs applied for or noted.
So, rather than repoint it I got my own surveyor in to have a butchers, I took up a few floorboards and there was no obvious signs of support. The surveyor said maybe some steel across the 90 degree walls. Or the joist may be helping support it.
Anyway, cut a long story short he said get it down above roof level to about 600mm in rood level.
Which I did, then the removal (hammer and chisel) started to cause a bit of stress on the bedroom ceiling so they stopped at 800mm.
The reason I post this is even after 6 years since this was done (and no signs of stress/cracks etc I'm still uneasy about the section in the loft above my daughters bedroom)
A few very experienced builders, architect have looked at it and said there would be cracks/signs long before anything came down and 13 years later there is no signs of problems but peace of mind is making me want to do one of two things:
1) use an angle grinder to remove stack in loft (so doesn't cause further cracks/stress on ceiling/timbers and doesn't cause a shed load of mess/redecoration in the bedroom
or 2) take the whole thing out.
I'm thinking If i go top downwards I wont need building regs but will obviously need to make good the plasterboard ceiling and floor in bedroom and relocated the light switch
HOW IT IS CURRENTLY
When i ran a pipe/wire detector over the green area (to test for a steel of some sort) it picked up metal in some places but I couldnt find a consistent length. It is rock hard to tap.
BEDROOM:
LOOKING DOWN FROM LOFT
remaining stack in loft:
remaining stack in loft
So, for peace of mind so should I get rid of it or leave it be? that is what I am asking myself
Any opinions welcome
Cheers
The gaff I bought in 2009 (built in 1966) originally had a chimney breast running through the centre of the house (from the kitchen up) through a bedroom on the first floor, then through and out the loft.
Apparently the old boy next door told me that originally the base of it was in the kitchen for some kind of a heater, it started about 3' off the floor (as some kind of escape for a boiler or something) and the stack was tied into two walls on a 90 degree angle.
This was it originally:
the section in the kitchen with the white line where the stack originally was. The green is the nearest joist.
The surveyor when I bought the house said that the kitchen (base) section of the stack had been removed and without disturbing the 1st floor floor (which I did after) or the kitchen ceiling below was impossible to see how it was supported.
He said the stack above roof level needed repointing and the rest of the internal stack looked in good condition with no signs of stress and had been like that since at least 2003 when the previous owner lived there (who didn't carry out the renovations)
There were no building regs applied for or noted.
So, rather than repoint it I got my own surveyor in to have a butchers, I took up a few floorboards and there was no obvious signs of support. The surveyor said maybe some steel across the 90 degree walls. Or the joist may be helping support it.
Anyway, cut a long story short he said get it down above roof level to about 600mm in rood level.
Which I did, then the removal (hammer and chisel) started to cause a bit of stress on the bedroom ceiling so they stopped at 800mm.
The reason I post this is even after 6 years since this was done (and no signs of stress/cracks etc I'm still uneasy about the section in the loft above my daughters bedroom)
A few very experienced builders, architect have looked at it and said there would be cracks/signs long before anything came down and 13 years later there is no signs of problems but peace of mind is making me want to do one of two things:
1) use an angle grinder to remove stack in loft (so doesn't cause further cracks/stress on ceiling/timbers and doesn't cause a shed load of mess/redecoration in the bedroom
or 2) take the whole thing out.
I'm thinking If i go top downwards I wont need building regs but will obviously need to make good the plasterboard ceiling and floor in bedroom and relocated the light switch
HOW IT IS CURRENTLY
When i ran a pipe/wire detector over the green area (to test for a steel of some sort) it picked up metal in some places but I couldnt find a consistent length. It is rock hard to tap.
BEDROOM:
LOOKING DOWN FROM LOFT
remaining stack in loft:
remaining stack in loft
So, for peace of mind so should I get rid of it or leave it be? that is what I am asking myself
Any opinions welcome
Cheers
