Hi,
First post so go easy on me! I'm not a builder so my terminology might be a bit off so I apologise in advance for that.
I have a 2 bed 1930s house with open fire in the front room. We used the fire a few times after moving in about 2 years ago but have since stopped as we discovered smoke was leaking into the loft, and in turn seeping into the bedroom (not enough to set of the CO alarm).
In the loft, the Chimney breast splits off at an angle from the stack in an inverted V shape. The stairs go up the middle of the house and the chimney runs either side (rear chimney breast has been removed). This angled section is where the problem lies.
At first I thought the brickwork might just need repointing, but on closer inspection I found the mortar just crumbled away in many areas, and the bricks moved easily. I ended up removing all the loose bricks I could find on the front angled section (see photo). Everything else is sound so I'm hoping I just need to rebuild this section with a bit of repointing on some of the remaining brickwork.
Before I attempt this, I was wondering if there are any building regs I should be aware of relating to this type of repair? Also, i noticed that the inside of the chimney seems to have some kind of render on. I didn't notice any on the back of the bricks I removed and was hoping I wouldn't need to worry about this and just simply rebuild the section I removed then do a smoke test?
I will be installing a flue liner and stove at some point but I would like to get the chimney to a useable condition in the meantime.
Cheers
First post so go easy on me! I'm not a builder so my terminology might be a bit off so I apologise in advance for that.
I have a 2 bed 1930s house with open fire in the front room. We used the fire a few times after moving in about 2 years ago but have since stopped as we discovered smoke was leaking into the loft, and in turn seeping into the bedroom (not enough to set of the CO alarm).
In the loft, the Chimney breast splits off at an angle from the stack in an inverted V shape. The stairs go up the middle of the house and the chimney runs either side (rear chimney breast has been removed). This angled section is where the problem lies.
At first I thought the brickwork might just need repointing, but on closer inspection I found the mortar just crumbled away in many areas, and the bricks moved easily. I ended up removing all the loose bricks I could find on the front angled section (see photo). Everything else is sound so I'm hoping I just need to rebuild this section with a bit of repointing on some of the remaining brickwork.
Before I attempt this, I was wondering if there are any building regs I should be aware of relating to this type of repair? Also, i noticed that the inside of the chimney seems to have some kind of render on. I didn't notice any on the back of the bricks I removed and was hoping I wouldn't need to worry about this and just simply rebuild the section I removed then do a smoke test?
I will be installing a flue liner and stove at some point but I would like to get the chimney to a useable condition in the meantime.
Cheers
