Chimney breast previously removed

Did you instruct a structural survey, or a valuation? Or something in between?

Surveyors have lots of get-out clauses in lots of inspections, so you would need to be very sure they were negligent before trying to claim.
 
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Did you instruct a structural survey, or a valuation? Or something in between?

Surveyors have lots of get-out clauses in lots of inspections, so you would need to be very sure they were negligent before trying to claim.

No it was a full structural survey by a structural engineer. I thought I’d best have it done being such an old house knowing it had had a lot of previous alterations. I was pregnant at the time and also completely missed the fact it wasn’t reported on in the report. And I don’t really recall my solicitor pointing it out to me either. But eh you live and learn.
Yeah I imagine it’ll go on forever and be stressful and it won’t be a walk over cause insurance company will be thorough I’m sure. I’m just gunna try pay to have it sorted.
If I’m gunna have builders sort it is there anything I should look out for or be wary of when they start work? Will they prop it all up from the below bedroom? Are there any checks they need to do first? Do builders use their own structural engineers or am I better sourcing one myself and giving them the calculations?
I’m pretty scared that when they start disturbing it it could bring the house down. Judging by todays events, sometimes houses do fall down
 
Talking about chimney breasts, one of my neighbours is having all theirs removed. They have started by removing the downstairs breasts first? Is that normal / safe? I would have thought that the upstairs breasts would be demolished first?

Cracks have appeared in the house next door apparently..directly behind where they have been demolishing one of the downstairs breasts.
 
Talking about chimney breasts, one of my neighbours is having all theirs removed. They have started by removing the downstairs breasts first? Is that normal / safe? I would have thought that the upstairs breasts would be demolished first?

Cracks have appeared in the house next door apparently..directly behind where they have been demolishing one of the downstairs breasts.
Oh really thats interesting. I wouldn't really know as don't have experience of it, but yeah in my head I would agree, it makes more sense that you would remove from the top first surely? Ah come to think of it, I know someone whos having theirs taken down, ill ask them what happens with theirs.

I feel like everyones having alterations to remove chimneys and knock walls down to make rooms bigger and then Im over here like trying to reverse all the ones that have been done in mine. :LOL:If it didn't cost the earth id probably have the whole chimney breasts put back in with fireplaces in both rooms again. I want my big living room put back into two again aswell. It being all open is a bit overrated. Its not as cosy!
 
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You will need a structural engineer to size the steel and padstones. You will need building regs approval (which you are responsible for, but can be arranged with your builder) and potentially a party wall agreement - though personally I would say you're not actually working on the party wall..... The breast will need temporary support - probably two acrows/strongboys through the bedroom ceiling - your builders might suggest they can skip this, but literally on your head be it if something goes wrong!

As important as the work, is the certification, but I presume you know this with your other beam - it's fairly pointless getting this stuff done without it as you will be asked to provide it when you come to sell.
 
Talking about chimney breasts, one of my neighbours is having all theirs removed. They have started by removing the downstairs breasts first? Is that normal / safe? I would have thought that the upstairs breasts would be demolished first?

Cracks have appeared in the house next door apparently..directly behind where they have been demolishing one of the downstairs breasts.


I think you've answered your own question, although it could be a half brick wall and they've been a bit overzealous snapping bricks off.
 
You will need a structural engineer to size the steel and padstones. You will need building regs approval (which you are responsible for, but can be arranged with your builder) and potentially a party wall agreement - though personally I would say you're not actually working on the party wall..... The breast will need temporary support - probably two acrows/strongboys through the bedroom ceiling - your builders might suggest they can skip this, but literally on your head be it if something goes wrong!

As important as the work, is the certification, but I presume you know this with your other beam - it's fairly pointless getting this stuff done without it as you will be asked to provide it when you come to sell.
Okay thanks so much for the pointers. I’ll check whether I need party wall agreement. I’ve got a builder coming to have a look tonight so I’ll see what they say. Good to know if they say they’ll skip that bit I’ll avoid them probably
Yeh I just want it all safe really. With regards to the faulty beam in the living room, with both that and chimney being structural should they both be sorted at the same time.
 
Shesh,
Chimney breasts are traditional features - they give a sense of a home not an hotel room.
As for knocking thro to form one big, expensive to heat, large room - whats the point?
You might be able to see the living room lintel bearings from the bedrooms? A steel lintel is usually req'd.
Chimney stacks also give a sense of tradition and continuity.

There's a short board under the timber lintel - is there a wall under the short board?
Do you have the latest SE's suggestion in hard copy writing or in an email?
The party wall in the loft has fire /smoke spreading gaps - they must be made good.

Its hard to see, could be the pic detail on my screen but the c/b in the pic doesn't appear to go up to a stack - it seems to end inside the loft?
Does your neighbour have their entire c/b intact -ground floor to stack?

Have to go for now - dinner times up on this job.
 
Shesh,
Chimney breasts are traditional features - they give a sense of a home not an hotel room.
As for knocking thro to form one big, expensive to heat, large room - whats the point?
You might be able to see the living room lintel bearings from the bedrooms? A steel lintel is usually req'd.
Chimney stacks also give a sense of tradition and continuity.

There's a short board under the timber lintel - is there a wall under the short board?
Do you have the latest SE's suggestion in hard copy writing or in an email?
The party wall in the loft has fire /smoke spreading gaps - they must be made good.

Its hard to see, could be the pic detail on my screen but the c/b in the pic doesn't appear to go up to a stack - it seems to end inside the loft?
Does your neighbour have their entire c/b intact -ground floor to stack?

Have to go for now - dinner times up on this job.
Yeh I agree. someone’s done it all in the past but I wanna reverse it and put the room back into two. with the beam being wrong may aswell have it done then.
There’s definitely a stack on the outside still but yeh it does look like it just stops in the roof from the picture. I’m hoping this builder will have a good look at it all.
The short wooden bit under the timber? Under the purlin end ? Or on the right of the chimney? There isn’t a wall where that piece of wood is on the right. The wall in the bedroom below would be a bit further to the right.
 
The board on the right of the chimney breast - what is it doing? I was looking for a point which could take a bit of weight such as a wall below.
The board below the purlin - before you told me, I thought it was a wall plate but if its an off cut then its probably a dodgy packing for the purlin?
How did any of this get by a Structural Survey?
(whats wrong with the lintel above the living room?)

A pic of the chimney stack might help?
If it is a shared stack then you should be able to see the neighbour's chimney breast through what looks like an opening in your party wall.
 
The board on the right of the chimney breast - what is it doing? I was looking for a point which could take a bit of weight such as a wall below.
The board below the purlin - before you told me, I thought it was a wall plate but if its an off cut then its probably a dodgy packing for the purlin?
How did any of this get by a Structural Survey?
(whats wrong with the lintel above the living room?)

A pic of the chimney stack might help?
If it is a shared stack then you should be able to see the neighbour's chimney breast through what looks like an opening in your party wall.
Yeh I’m not sure what it’s doing either. Oh I don’t think there is wood below the purlin now sorry I was getting confused.

We had builders in to do some work in our hallway and when they removed the plaster they could see the end of the beam (that’s in the living room)sat on the wall in the hallway. They took one look said it’s the wrong way around and not big enough. Said they’d never seen anything like it. It’s holding up the brick wall between the two bedrooms upstairs. I suppose the original surveyor would just say they couldn’t see any issue with it. It confidently states in my report that there are two steels in and nothing to suggest any problems with it. The plasters loose upstairs on the wall tho. So there probably were signs
It was covid times so they probably rushed it. Maybe I should go back to them. With the chimney it’s not like he didn’t go in the loft. There’s a picture he took inside the attic of both the chimneys but at such an angle so that you can’t see the bottom of them, conveniently. So no mention of it.
Yeh I’ll try and have a look into their side.
 
A pic of the shared chimney stack above the roof is what I'd like to see?
Do you have more than the one chimney breast being supported?

Does the "two steels" refer to the living room lintel?

At present do you have any gaps under bedroom skirting or first floor doors stiff to open?
 
BCD20170-48BC-4373-A6AC-BEBBD8A3968F.jpeg
BCD20170-48BC-4373-A6AC-BEBBD8A3968F.jpeg

This was taken a while ago I can take another one tomorrow if needs be.
The only remaining brickwork is what’s in the loft and the stack above the roof. The chimney breasts in the bedroom below and the room below that were removed.
I’ve read it again and it’s deffo two steels for the span as far as i can tell. Yeh they do stick a little and the floors both sag a bit in the middle but it said it was within normal.
 
Thanks for the stack pic. So it looks like its your eyes on site to determine how much support from below is supporting your side of the stack? There surely is some support.
 

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