Most old houses are designed and built with fireplaces and chimneys to provide heat. However, these days, central heating has replaced the need for fireplaces, which are now considered to be wasted floor space in the room. Many people now believe that the elimination of chimney breasts is an opportunity to improve and expand living space. Especially in cities where accommodation may be small and require extra space, removing the chimney may be a means or an additional necessary living space.
While in many people's eyes, fireplaces can have good cosmetic appeal and can provide focus in the room, removing the fireplace and chimney breasts can greatly increase the size of the room and many of the rooms in the house.
However, removing chimney breasts and fireplaces can be a considerable undertaking and should only be undertaken by personnel with experience and correct knowledge. The upper floors, walls and sometimes the roof of the house are partially supported by the inner wall of the bottom layer, so removing these walls usually requires the installation of beams to support the structure.
If not handled properly, removing these walls may result in structural damage or damage or even collapse of the building.
The following factors should be considered before attempting to remove the chimney.
- If the underlying chimney breast is removed and no suitable beams are provided to carry the weight of the chimney on the first floor, the resulting load may eventually pull the wall over.
- The chimney is part of the structure of the house and careful consideration should be given to removing the chimney before any demolition work is carried out.
- Work must comply with building codes and must be submitted.
- If the chimney is part of a party wall between two real estates, then the owner of the party wall imposes a legal burden on those who intend to work.
Chimney Breast Removal and Building Code
Several aspects of the chimney removal breast building regulations must be followed. these are:
- Structural strength
- Fire Safety
- Sound insulation
- Maintain the neighbor's chimney
- Moisture proof, and
- Ventilation to the room
- Structural strength
Most single or double-storey houses have a façade or wall thickness of one layer, and the front and rear walls should be less than 9 meters apart. In this case, the wall should be structural enough to remove the chimney breast without affecting the strength of the wall.
However, for larger buildings, it is recommended that the structural engineer check the strength of the wall and determine if a support wall or pier is required.
There are many ways to support partially demolished chimneys that meet building codes:
- Inserting structural steel beams usually requires structural engineers to submit structural calculations to demonstrate the proposed beam size.
- The insertion of the steel beam and the column of the central wall are not brickwork.
- A gimbal bracket is used in which the chest of the chimney does not protrude from the wall by more than one third of the thickness of the wall, and in some cases the brickwork may be machined or mounted with a gimbal bracket.
Fire Safety
Typically, at least one hour of fire resistance is required between adjacent houses.
Maintain the neighbor's chimney
If the separation between the flue is compromised, a neighbor's fire may result in carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide poisoning.
Moisture proof
To ensure the loss of rain and condensate, the flue is dried by natural convection, sometimes with a venting cap on top of the chimney and low level air bricks.
Ventilation to the room
Part F2 of the Building Code recommends a minimum of 8,000 square millimeters of room ventilation. The chimney can provide this.
Planning permission
Listed buildings and some protected areas may require an application.
Therefore, in summary, chimney breast removal is a professional trade and can only be carried out by personnel with appropriate knowledge, skills and expertise.
Orignal From: Chimney milk removal
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