chimney roughcast falling off

[juallas]

Hi folks
help needed.
question 1. is this something I should be repairing as soon as possible.

question 2. I have had 4 different people to quote me a price for repair ( without success)and nobody is willing or wanting to do the job. why Not?

question 3. any idea how much this would cost to repair or remove chimney all together.

I would like this to be resolved before the winter months approach.

 

[Burnerman]

I'd say your chimney stack does need attention, before the cold weather sets in.....at the same time I'd want to see if the lead flashing is in good condition, as is the flaunching on the top.
A scaffold would be needed to do this work, which is maybe why quotes are hard to come by.
Keep asking around.
John

 

[Doggit]

It'll partially depend on why the render was put up there in the first place, but as cement render doesn't flex, yet chimneys built with mortar do, it'll nearly allways crack at some stage, so taking it off and repointing the chimney may be a better option. The problem there, is that the scaffolding would need to go front to back, a colar put round the chimney. This often means putting scaffolding boards on the roof tiles, and any that crack, then need repairing s the scaffolding comes down; otherwise they have to go over the roof off of ladders, and I suspect that that's why no one wants the job.

As Burnernam suggest, it may have been a flashing issue letting in rain, and they just rendered it instead. Is the chimney is use, or could it be removed, because if they've got to put up scaffolding to repair the cracked render, then removing it would save this job being done again.

 

[^woody^]

Repairs to chimneys should be rectified sooner, not later, as the increase in damage is always faster and more extensive than would be in less exposed parts of a building.

Render keeps water out, but once broken keeps water in, increasing damage from frezing and allowing damp to move down the wall.

Chimney work is bad enough, and render can hide other problems with the the wall, so is often not a simple job to put right. Added to those tiles and scaffolding, and it will be a right pain of a job - that is why no-one wants to do it ... they have easier work or are not good enough to tackle it.

 

[juallas]

Thanks for all the advice and information. yes I would be interested to know the price difference for repair or remove. I will know more this Thursday. Another new roofer to investigate the job.
I am now using mybuilder.com. Anybody else used the site? will update on Thursday.
Thanks again guys

 

[Doggit]

Avoid it like the plauge, and talk to the neighbours for a recomendation. Even have the courage to knock on a few doors, or keep an eye out for any roofing work being done. Most people will be happy to discuss what they've had done if you ask with a polite smile, but most of the sites like mybuilder.com need to get paid by the tradesmen they advetise, who may not be as staighforward as they first appear.

 

[juallas]

OMG. Thanks for the heads up. will be extra careful when making a final decision. Why is this so difficult to find a good tradesman who will do a good job for a fair price? bloody minefield

 

[datarebal]

Only tricky thing is scaffold, Sure there will be a few broken tiles when the scaffold is dropped. But get who ever to allow for this as the scaffold comes down.
The hips are unlikely to get damaged
Tiles are relativity easy to replace.
The scaffold will cost more than the job.

 

[Doggit]

Sometimes, you need to work off the scaffolding at gutter level to repair the tiles the scaffoldings broken, but a lot of tilers won't want to hang around whilst the scaffolding comes down to replace to that level.

 

[juallas]

job compleatled to a satisfactory conclusion, cost £850 and without any scaffolding

 

[datarebal]

photoshop?