Is my chimney unsupported in the loft?

[Dan01]

We had a survey done on our house and it says: ‘It appears the rear chimney has been partially removed with internal breasts removed. It appears this remaining stack is not fully supported’.

The chimney breasts are still in place on the ground floor and first floor, so I don't understand why/how the chimney stack in the loft is not fully supported.

I wasn't around when the survey was done, and the surveyor only stuck his head through the loft hatch - he didn't inspect the chimney closely.

We have lived in the house for over 30 years and it has always been the same.

See pictures below.

You may be wondering why I don't get someone out to look at it. Well, I have tried but the company who were supposed to come last Saturday didn't show up, and a different company failed to show up today!

I would like to hear your advice if you have any experience of this.

Thanks
Dan

 

[^woody^]

It's hard to make out if there is anything sticking out of the wall

If there are no breasts in the rooms below, but there is something sticking out from the wall in the loft, then you need to mooch about in the loft just above ceiling level and see if there are any steel beams or brackets holding it up

Then all will become clear

 

[tony1851]

He said the chimney breasts were still in place on the first floor.

Agree it's hard to see what is going on.

 

[bernardgreen]

To me it looks like the stack in the loft has been modified to be flush to the wall at the floor of the loft and full depth from the wall at the top.

In theory if it was constructed that way in the first place with each course of bricks laid further out as they got high then it would be a safe support.

But if the chimney stack in the loft was modified to its present shape by cutting the bricks then it could be much weaker than it looks to the in-experienced person.