Chimney (Temp) Support / Removal

[padstar]

We had planned to get the roofer to knock the chimney below the roof line when they re-tiled the roof but due to the current situation we are reluctant to have people start work until its all over (for a number of reasons i don't wish to go in to).

The problem is the chimney stack runs through the middle of the house and will impact on the work i plan to do during the lock down. The chimney would appear to have served the original cooker for the house and is fairly small (500x500)

Is there any safe way of supporting within the loft and removing below or removing from in full from inside? The stack terminates 10 courses above the roof line.

 

[cdbe]

You might have a chance if the two walls either side of the bedroom are supporting walls. You'd need some steels or big timbers and an understanding of how to do it safely.

 

[bobasd]

Leave it alone - there is no way of supporting any lintelling.

 

[noseall]

Plus that chimney looks like it is lending midspan support to the roof purlins.

 

[tony1851]

If you attempt to support that as it is, you are asking for trouble - it's far too slender.
It might work if you could temprarily brace it back to the wall in some way with stout timbers, but you would have to feel confident in how you went about it.

 

[martin hill]

Wait. Don't bother as it just going to cause issues. Can understand you wanting to get on with jobs but i had my stack removed to under roof level then took rest out myself. Mine was in a terrace on a party wall only serving me so a simply task. But wow what a dirty messy job. You have a chimney that may also have supports for other things fixed to it. Chimney always best done from top to bottom.

https://www.labc.co.uk/news/how-to-get-it-right-removing-chimney-right-way-video-showing-wrong-way

 

[martin hill]

Padstar think of it this way. Average brick weight 2kg then your mortar and the pots. The roof structure not robust enough to hold the chimney just on top of the roof line. If you took out the chimney from the first floor and ground floor you'd have to have structural supports calculated to hold over 400 bricks,mortar, pots if single skin stack. This would probably imped on the work in the house. So your only real option at the minute is to get a roofer to drop stack below roof line and patch the hole. Then you take down the stack in the loft area only if you don't want anyone in the house.

 

[padstar]

Thanks guys will hold fire unti I can get the roofer in and some labour to drop it top down. I thought that would be the case.

Interesting to see if it gives any support to the roof or can just be removed.

Will park that bit of the house for now and crack on with the rest on the list

 

[tony1851]

It shouldn't give any support to the roof - you'll find the rafters are trimmed around it.

 

[noseall]

It shouldn't give any support to the roof - you'll find the rafters are trimmed around it.

Have you not noticed those props going up to the purlins Mr Magoo?

 

[padstar]

They do certainly seem to run from the roof down to the point where the chimney disappears through the floor. What is the long term solution for this as ultimately the chimney has to go? Further bracing between them at the base?

 

[Tigercubrider]

A roofer could work from outside using scaff and not need to enter the home.
So in theory, a family firm who live together could work together?

But probably more sense to wit til it's over and the weather improves to allow a reroof

 

[padstar]

Don't shoot me down for asking a stupid question BUT this kept me up most of last night trying to think how i can work round it. Most of the internal work which i want to do over the next month or so is tied into the central wall where the chimney runs meaning i will be able to start a load of work, trash the house and not finish much - not ideal.

Could an experienced roofer access the chimney via a roof ladder to drop the pot and the 10 courses below roof level and temporarily patch up? I can then drop the stack internally to the ground floor and get the entire roof done later in the year when i have completed the extension and things are more certain looking.

Is this viable or am i talking out my @RSE?

 

[martin hill]

Roofer probably won't touch the chimney stack for dropping unless on scaffold. A new roof won't involve anyone coming in the house. You may get a family run roofer like tiger says but may not get scaffold.

Again i know your itching to get going but best wait till Corona settled down a bit. You may start a job and find you can't get the things you need to finish it.

 

[IT Minion]

... for example what if the roofer falls I'll just after they make a ruddy great hole in your roof but before they can fix it up? Getting the materials, scaffolding and skip ordered up front would reduce the risks but it can't eliminate all the risk.

It's up to you, and the roofer assuming you can find one who's willing to work on non essential stuff (against guidelines), but there is additional risk due to Covid-19.