Retrofitting RSJ to support chimney breast

LB0406

Hello,

I feel like I've read so many threads on chimney breasts but am yet to find the answer I'm looking for so am hoping for some guidance.

I'm in the process of purchasing a Victorian terraced house in London, there are three chimney breasts on the 1st floor and none on the ground floor. The estate agent has already mentioned that the sellers do not have a completion certificate/any documentation regarding the downstairs chimney breast removals as it was done decades ago. It's unlikely we'll be able to confirm how the first floor chimney breasts are supported before we complete as I doubt the vendor will allow us to pull up floor boards etc. Although this isn't a dealbreaker on the house (yet), I'm trying to gauge costs on retrofitting RSJs and understand how much work this will be. 

The downstairs reception room is 7.62m long and has two breasts removed, the kitchen is only 2.8m long (where the third breast removed). I know that I'd need an SE it would just be really helpful to get a rough idea on how this would potentially be fixed and ballpark costs.

Thanks!

Albermarle

Have you not thought about just removing the chimney breasts on the first floor ( and the chimney stack above of course ) ?

Section62

LB0406 said:

I'm in the process of purchasing a Victorian terraced house in London, there are three chimney breasts on the 1st floor and none on the ground floor. The estate agent has already mentioned that the sellers do not have a completion certificate/any documentation regarding the downstairs chimney breast removals as it was done decades ago. It's unlikely we'll be able to confirm how the first floor chimney breasts are supported before we complete as I doubt the vendor will allow us to pull up floor boards etc. Although this isn't a dealbreaker on the house (yet), I'm trying to gauge costs on retrofitting RSJs and understand how much work this will be. 

The downstairs reception room is 7.62m long and has two breasts removed, the kitchen is only 2.8m long (where the third breast removed). I know that I'd need an SE it would just be really helpful to get a rough idea on how this would potentially be fixed and ballpark costs.

Why "retrofitting RSJs"?

You really need to start with a SE to work out what the options are, and whether you need to do anything at all.  There are situations where chimneys were designed and built to start above ground floor and aren't a problem of any kind.

Equally, it is possible that adding a steel beam isn't appropriate in your circumstances, you may need to have the bottom section of the chimney rebuilt.

So many options.

If fitting a steel beam is necessary and possible then it is both highly disruptive and usually not cheap.  In London you should budget for a figure somewhere in the 5-digit range, by the time everything is made good and redecorated.

Doozergirl

Just because it doesn't have a completion certificate, it doesn't mean that the work done isn't adequate.  All we know is that the presence of a certificate would definitely mean it was.  

You really do need a structural engineer here to assess.  

LB0406

Thanks. 

I've looked into removing the chimney breasts but the quotes were around £7K so wanted to a rough idea of other solutions.

There were definitely chimney breasts on the ground floor, I've seen floor plans of properties either side. Obviously the hope is that nothing needs done to the but I'm trying to be prepared and looking at potential hidden costs that could occur. 

Green_hopeful

No way of knowing but you could have a look to see what is holding up the chimneys by making a small hole in the ceiling or lifting a floorboard upstairs. We have recently climbed into the loft to check whether there were appropriate supports for a chimney removed to the loft level. You may well have some sort of gallows bracket between the ceiling and floor. 

Albermarle

I've looked into removing the chimney breasts but the quotes were around £7K so wanted to a rough idea of other solutions.

However you will also have more space on the first floor, so that mitigates the cost to some extent.