What is the difference between the chimney stack and breast?
Chimney stack is the part of a chimney that projects above a roof.
Chimney breast is the internal part of chimney within the building which projects forward from a wall to accommodate a fireplace. The masonry extends upwards, containing a flue which carries smoke out of the building through a chimney stack
How do I remove a chimney stack / breast from my home?
There are two main ways to remove a chimney.
1) An internal chimney breast can be removed internally within building without having to remove the external stack or chimney breast on upper floors if just removed on the lower floors.
Pros:
No roof works are needed, and external appearance and character of the building will be altered.
Cons:
Anything remaining above such as the external stack or upper floor stacks will need to be supporting. This will normally require steelwork.
2) Both the internal chimney breast and external stack is removed.
Pros:
No roof works are needed, and external appearance and character of the building will be altered.
Cons:
Roof will require repair work after the external stack is removed, this will also alter external appearance and character of the building.
Does Chimney Removal require party wall?
Chimney breast removal is the most common Party Wall work that falls within the remit of the Party Wall etc Act 1996.
In most cases yes, If your chimney is shared or connected to a party wall the work involved would affect the party wall and the building owner will have to serve a Party Wall Notice to the adjoining owners before works commence.
If your property is detached or your chimney breast is not on a party wall it does not involve the Party Wall etc Act 1996 and no notice needs to be served.
Do I require planning permission for removing a chimney?
in most cases you do not need planning permission to remove a chimney, If you are just removing the internal chimney breast then most properties do not require planning consent to do this, however if your building is listed or in a conservation area you may need consent so it is always best to check with your Local Planning Authority (LPA).
Do I require a structural engineer if I want to remove a chimney?
Removing a chimney has an impact on the structure of the building so in most cases you would require a structural engineer to design supporting structure, you can avoid this by removing the stack from the roof.