Remove entire chimney on party wall

FreeBear

okhajut said: It would make more sense to demolish houses older than a certain era and rebuild new ones so atleast I can have a driveway. The back of my house has 25m of garden but no driveway and the bedrooms are not very large. What is the point of leaving 25m of garden space behind? I mean really? 25m of dirt? Why not make the house design larger? Who spends time in garden when it is mostly raining and very cold in the UK.

But here is another problem. The way houses are built now, they are not built to last long, the craftsman ship is just not there. It seems to be only about shortcuts to maximize profits.

There was a time when people would grow their own food, and a garden was deemed essential by the urban plannerssuch as Tudor - It was his report that specified 12 houses per acre in the suburbs noting that the space would be used for growing food and keeping small livestock (chickens in the main). As a result, much of the housing built between 1920 and 1960 had 25-30m long gardens. With the rise of supermarkets stocking fresh produce year round and increased disposable income, the need for large gardens to grow stuff dwindled. Coupled with a desire by greater profit by the developers, plot sizes dramatically reduced - Many new builds have gardens smaller than my front at 10mx5m

If you want to see short lived residential property, have a look at the USA - Much of their homes are built out of timber and have a design life of 50 years or less. And if you thought construction methods here are sloppy, some of the American practices would make you cringe. e.g. Nail OSB on the outside of a timber studwall, then slap a thin coat of render over the top. Doesn't take too long for cracks to appear in the render, allowing water to penetrate, which eventually causes the OSB to rot away.

macman

Most Victorian-era houses are still standing today, excepting those that have been cleared after WW2 bomb damage, or slum clearance. Most are now 120 to 170 years old, and will last a lot longer with reasonable maintenance. Granted, most non-cavity wall properties of this era have very poor insulative qualities, because they were designed to be heated purely by cheap coal, but they are otherwise structurally sound.
I very much doubt if most of the houses built after 1945 will still be standing in 2065 or later.

Jettkundal

Removing an entire chimney on a party wall involves several considerations, including structural integrity, permits, and legal regulations. Consult with a qualified contractor to assess the feasibility, potential impact on neighboring properties, and adherence to building codes before proceeding with the removal process.

pieroabcd

twopenny said:

Chimneys are a prime mover in selling a house in my area in that they are highly desired.
Indeed we had someone on the board rejecting a house because it didn't have a chimney so it isn't a one size fits all.

That's just because people don't know/imagine how many problems they create. Also, in many places you just can't burn anything at all, so why keeping them? I was even considering making an offer on my neighbour's house to get completely rid of the chimney stack, but then I saw the SDLT on second homes and changed my mind.