Chimney breast removal

[SALL2009]

I want to remove one of the Chimney breasts in my house as part of some other work that with be done. The main requirement is to remove it from the ground floor room and use gallows brackets to secure the remaining structure.

But as we will be in the process of removing the Chimney breast and building control will be signing off the work. I am thinking of removing it all the way to the bedroom ceiling and install the gallows brackets just bellow the bedroom ceiling.

I understand this will increase the remedial work to the bedroom walls and downstairs ceiling.

But my question is would the floor joists need any major structural support if the Chimney breast was removed all the way to the bedroom ceiling?

 

[xr4x4]

Floor joists are normally fitted around chimney breasts, not connected to.

Only way to tell is to lift the floor boards and check.

 

[Geps]

In my house the joists rested on the chimney breast in some places. I removed it downstairs and had to fix the new joists to the party wall with a wall plate.

 

[tim00]

I agree with the two answers above. For my two cents worth, go into the loft and fix gallows brackets, then work down. Besides other advantages you will reveal the joist construction(carcassing) as you work down. It's, typically, a simple matter to joist and board over.

Research on this forum,there is much material.

 

[Chit]

My advice would be to remove the chimney breast up above the bedroom ceiling - or you'll have a big set of gallows brackets on show in the bedroom. As long as there is more of the chimney stack below the roof height than above it, it's safe and secure using gallows brackets, a metal plate and and angled iron.

You will also need to apply sand and cement to the brick work before plastering so may be best to do this at this point.

your joists will need to be supported as well. you will need to get the same size joists as are under your floor boards at the moment, (try a proper builders merchants, wickes/b&q are useless for stuff like this and way more expensive too).

Construct a rectangular shape with the new joists which measure the same as the chimney did. Use a spirit level to make sure that they are straight and fix one end to the wall to which the chimney breast was stuck using roll bolts. (These much be long enough to hold up the wieght of the floor above them.

Use nuts and bolts to fix the other side of this rectangle to the existing joists.

Use jiffy brackets to join the other ends to these 2 joists.

Use more jiffy brackets to fix more joists within this rectangle if needed.

Cover this with 18mm plywood to create your new floor.

Cover the bottom part of this rectangle frame with plaster board and create your new ground floor ceiling.

 

[dhutch]

If you taking it out upto the attic, why not take the last 6ft out and do away with the roofing. Maybe not an option if its a dual/shared chimney in the middle of a semi detatached or the like, but thats what was done with the second chimney of my house (before i got it) main/shared chimney remains.

Daniel