Poor brickwork behind chimney breasts after removal

[samm1978]

Hi

I just had my 1st floor chimney breasts removed from my house. What surprised me was that the wall behind the chimney breast in the front room was nice and even with no loose brickwork, almost as if the chimney breast was completely seperate from in, whereas in the back room the wall where the chimney breast was is in a state - broken bricks, and some loose with gaps of almost half a brick. I don't know whether it was originally like this or whether the chimney in the backroom was built into the wall and removing it meant having to remove/break some bricks too. It is a party wall and it was almost as if I could see my neighbours bricks.

Either way I'm wondering what should be done to this wall to make sure it is safe and loadbearing and nicely insulated from the neighbours? Is it just a case of slapping a nice amount of render onto it or should the missing brickwork be replaced and the bricks repointed before rendering?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Much obliged

Sam

 

[noseall]

are there any sooted bricks exposed?

 

[bernardgreen]

I hope you had proffessional advice about removing the chimney BEFORE you started the work and that the chimney above the first floor has been removed or stabilised.

 

[samm1978]

are there any sooted bricks exposed?

Yes I think. A thin line - it looks something like this

Where the lines on the outside is the explosed brick work and the line in the middle is a line of soot.

 

[noseall]

unless you treat the sooted bricks, there is a chance brown staining will bleed through. either replace them completely or wire brush them and apply an sbr/cement slurry.

in fact, i would be inclined to sbr and cement render the entire area as there may be hygroscopic salts within the surrounding masonry too.

 

[samm1978]

unless you treat the sooted bricks, there is a chance brown staining will bleed through. either replace them completely or wire brush them and apply an sbr/cement slurry.

in fact, i would be inclined to sbr and cement render the entire area as there may be hygroscopic salts within the surrounding masonry too.

Thanks Noseall - I'll get me a tub of SBR. So from your answer I take it a good deep render will stabilise the loose bricks in the wall and be ok to fill the big gaps (half a brick or so) as well?

 

[noseall]

Thanks Noseall - I'll get me a tub of SBR. So from your answer I take it a good deep render will stabilise the loose bricks in the wall and be ok to fill the big gaps (half a brick or so) as well?

definitely, spot on.

 

[ModernMaterials]

Either way I'm wondering what should be done to this wall to make sure it is safe and loadbearing

Why did you ask about safety and loadbearing?

...

 

[samm1978]

Either way I'm wondering what should be done to this wall to make sure it is safe and loadbearing

Why did you ask about safety and loadbearing?

...

Because when I see loose bricks/pointing in a wall i worry about whether its safe and can bear its load. I'm a worrier