knocking chimney breast down

[l33parkin]

hi i am thinking about knocking a chimney breast down from the loft to the second floor i am going to get a builder to take the chimney stack off, replace the roofing tiles and bring it about a foot inside the house.the chimney is not supporting anything will this be ok aslong as i knock it down brick by brick from the top?
thanks lee

 

[wavetrain]

It will be fine that way, but I would knock it down from the bottom up as it will make taking the bricks out (since they will fall out) and clearing the masonry easier. You could leave the ones in the wall until last and do them from top down.

If the wall behind the breast was poorly made, repair best you can filling all viods with bricks and morta. I had to rebuild part of a party wall (4m2) because of sound transference problems from next door.

 

[theoldun]

It will be fine that way, but I would knock it down from the bottom up as it will make taking the bricks out (since they will fall out) and clearing the masonry easier. You could leave the ones in the wall until last and do them from top down.

Evidently wavey has never seen two scab bricklayers running up a jack or flank and then dropping back to run the breast with a straight joint and no ties into supporting wall, or the outer skin and flue formed and then the void filled with rubbish.
If he had then he would never offer such advice.
Do your self a favour and do the job right, work from the top down. Cover your fire place opening to keep down the dust and drop bricks down the flue about 50 at a time then clean out
You know it makes sense.
oldun

 

[wavetrain]

It will be fine that way, but I would knock it down from the bottom up as it will make taking the bricks out (since they will fall out) and clearing the masonry easier. You could leave the ones in the wall until last and do them from top down.

Evidently wavey has never seen two scab bricklayers running up a jack or flank and then dropping back to run the breast with a straight joint and no ties into supporting wall, or the outer skin and flue formed and then the void filled with rubbish.
If he had then he would never offer such advice.
Do your self a favour and do the job right, work from the top down. Cover your fire place opening to keep down the dust and drop bricks down the flue about 50 at a time then clean out
You know it makes sense.
oldun

What are you on about?

 

[Static]

From top downwards.. less danger of masonry falling on you..