Chimney breast removal - the proper way to do it?

[Silvabirch]

Hello, could any professional tradesman/builder let me know the proper way to remove an internal chimney breast in a room safely and with minimal disruption/impact to the property from start to finish?

The chimney breast is on a party wall, the neighbour has a working fireplace.

I'm not doing the work myself but I have builders in coming to do it. Should extra care be taken if it is a period property?

Someone I know, their neighbour removed a chimney breast and he said it made so much disruption, he felt the whole house shudder, he said they didn't use any angle grinders as he didn't hear any noise, he thinks they just used big 'hammers' and literally knocked it down like you would chop a tree down. He felt impact through to his house of the chimney breast being smashed through. I want to avoid this situation especially as the property is so old.

Thank you so much! Any advice/comments appreciated as it's coming out tomorrow!

 

[Footsoldier888]

The guys I saw used a hammer and chisel to loosen the bond and just pulled the bricks out. It wasn't noisy in itself but all the carting away and throwing into buckets or barrows does make a bit of noise. Might be best they go out that day!

It is very much in your interests to issue your neighbour with a Party Wall Act notice as removing a chimney breast does affect the structure of the building. It is also vital their smoke doesn't come through the wall after you have removed the breast.

There is a good guide to it here:

https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/sites...g/building control/Chimney removal PDF V2.pdf

 

[Nige F]

The chimney breast is on a party wall, the neighbour has a working fireplace.

I'm not doing the work myself but I have builders in coming to do it. Should extra care be taken if it is a period property?
........... I want to avoid this situation especially as the property is so old.

Thank you so much! Any advice/comments appreciated.

Extra care without a doubt - period property can have very unusual brickwork

 

[Silvabirch]

Hello, thank you for your reply, I already have a Party Wall agreement in place and an RSJ has already been inserted into the loft. We are removing the chimney breast from top down.

I was also wondering how the bricks are taken out where the chimney breast meets the wall..e.g. should the bricks cut with an angle grinder as I think there will the bricks are likely to be 'toothed' into the wall? I'm not sure how these are built. I just want to make sure the builders are doing things correctly.

Please keep your comments/advice coming!

 

[cdbe]

I've just done one of mine, generally most of it can be dismantled by hand without touching the party wall (I just use a masonry drill to clear the mortar out of the joints)- leaving the bricks that tie the breast to the party wall sticking out. In my case there was about 40 toothed in bricks (you can see them snapped off in the picture) - mine are rock hard Accrington's and I drilled 3 holes through the middle of each brick with the SDS then I gently chiseled them with the SDS and they snapped off. Any bits sticking out I remove with a diamond blade in the grinder.

Once it's out make sure it's cleaned up and sealed/rendered with SBR or something or the soot will come through forever, also make sure they maintain/reinstate whatever dpc is on the ground floor.

 

[Silvabirch]

Thanks you for the pics and details cdbe, sounds like you have taken a lot of care when removing it. What is SDS and SBR?
How will the soot come through? Sorry so many questions but I’d like to be prepared.

Did you use a waterproof liquid to mix with the water, sand and cement (1st coat?) Apparently when the brick dries in the wall it stops the moisture going into the surrounding plasterwork? Someone just told me, I have no idea.

 

[cdbe]

Hi, SDS is just a big hammer drill with a chiseling function. SBR is a tanking/water proofer - your builder should have his own preference but just make sure he uses something, I try and get a couple of coats of slurry on. Personally I don't like dry lining but a lot seem to prefer it these days - if your chosen builder wants to dry line it I believe it should be foil backed plasterboard screwed to battens fixed to the wall - if it's dabbed on the soot will come through. It will take someone cleverer than me to explain how the soot comes through!

If it's an older house you might want to check how thick the party wall is - a lot of the old terraces near me only have a half brick wall between them and the chimney breasts aren't back to back - I used to own one and when I pulled out a loose brick I could see the back of next doors plasterboard!

 

[Nige F]

If it's an older house you might want to check how thick the party wall is - a lot of the old terraces near me only have a half brick wall between them and the chimney breasts aren't back to back - I used to own one and when I pulled out a loose brick I could see the back of next doors plasterboard!

Indeed - I was thinking that when I said "unusual brickwork " I'm sure the builders will be fine