Removing a Fireplace

Belfastbelle

I want to free up space in my living room and wondered
- would it be silly to remove the chimney

KateLiana27

If it's a reasonably attractive fireplace, and isn't taking up a ridiculously large chunk of the room, it will be a feature that adds value for future buyers. I'd just leave it in place and close it off (get someone who knows what they're doing to avoid future damp problems - should have an air vent), unless you absolutely can't stand it.

David_Aldred

Hi,
Just a word of caution in that removing the lounge section of a chimney breast will require appropriate structural support for the rest of the chimney breast / stack that remains, it will likely come under the Local Authority Building Regulations / if on a party wall the Party Wall Act is likley to apply and ideally you should have all the work photographed with date stamped camera for future ref along with the Building Control Approval docs for if you ever sell the house. An open chimney hearth typically allows 2-5 air changes per hour and the loss of this ventilation should be taken into account with regard to ensuring adequate background ventilation is maintained by other means. Upon removal of the chimney breast the area of masonry exposed will often be contaminated with sulphates from soot within original flues and require appropriate specialist substrate preperation / re-plastering or dry lining of a type to cope with such contamination. The hearth will often lack a damp proof membrane beneath and may require removal and a new area of flooring laying that is protected from ground moisture. Not an exhaustive list but hope this is of some use. Kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

keystone

If you remove the lounge section you should take the whole thing out right up to the very top IMO.

Cheers

Belfastbelle

thank you very much for this input.