Chimney Breast Removal and Ceiling Joists

[nas301630]

Hi All
Sorry if this topic has already been covered but I couldn't find the answer I was looking for on the other topics. I need to take my chimney out at ground floor level. The chimney upstairs has already been taken all the way up there is no stack so this is not an issue.

Above the ground floor is a bedroom and I think some of the joists sit on the chimney work that I am going to remove. I am concerned about how to resolve this? The length of the short joists is circa 10 foot and they need to be about 12 foot

So my questions are:

-- Can I extend the existing joists by circa 24 inches and if so how?
-- Can I build a frame around the "short" joists to transfer the weight across to the "longer" joists?
-- Or do I need to take out the "short" joists and replace completely? ( I really don't want to have to do this!!)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks for your help with this

 

[tony1851]

You don't replace the 'short' joists.
The usual way is to put a 'trimmer' joist in spanning between the two full-length joists. This trimmer supports the ends of the short joists. You are then left with the rectangular hole which you just infill with short lengths of timber.

 

[nas301630]

Thanks so much for your prompt reply - this makes good sense. Can I just ask a couple more questions?

-- How do I attach the trimmer joist to the existing longer joists and the end of the short joists? Can I use joist hangers or does the trimmer joist need to be nailed / screwed somehow?

-- The short lengths of timer to infill the gap - I assume that this will attach to the trimmer joist (how?) and can these be attached to the wall using joist hangers again or some other way?

Thanks!

 

[tony1851]

If your joist-layout is something like this, you just put joist-hangers at the connections marked X.
Obviously it's a fiddley job getting the positions right, but it's better than trying to nail them together.
Just infill the gap with simiar-size joists (shown dotted) off hangers.

Untitled

• tony1851
• 28 Dec 2013
• 1

 

[nas301630]

Fantastic - many thanks for your help and the diagram is really useful. Now the theory is done, I just need to get going!!

 

[maltaron]

You may well find that the trimmer already exists, there was likely an upstairs fireplace and the joists would have been trimmed round the hearth.

 

[nas301630]

You may well find that the trimmer already exists, there was likely an upstairs fireplace and the joists would have been trimmed round the hearth.

Quick update - I saw this and never said thank you for your post. I took your advice and before hiring props and buying up all the stuff I would need, I thought I would break into the ceiling by the chimney and take a quick peek.

Lucky I did because when I had a proper look, it turns out I was talking complete drivel in my original post and the joists actually run completely the other way and are not resting on the chimney breast at all

So I am just going to sledge hammer it out tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's advice and sorry for wasting your time...

 

[Static]

Remember to get building regs sorted too..