aAsk a Tradesman

I wanted to remove the chimney breast from the cellar in my terraced property.
I dont want to remove the chimney all the way just in one room. Can anyone advise me how I should go about it. Do I need to apply for planning.
The chimney is not shared with next door.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to install a log burner I purchased and I wondered if anyone could offer some advice?

I live in a Victorian terrace with an old class 1 chimney and I would like to install a Valor Ridlington 8Kw multi-fuel burner. My questions are:

1. Can I install this myself and pay the local council to send someone round from building control to ensure that this complies with building regulations or do I need to have someone with certain qualifications to install the stove? If so, what qualifications should I be looking out for?
2. If I have the chimney swept, can I just install a debris plate and 1m flue pipe coming from the stove or will this cause problems? If the problems that may be caused are not a health risk, is it an option install the burner and if I find it doesn't work, add a liner at a later date?
3. What are the true requirements of the hearth? The sizes I hear from installers, different websites and the installation manual of my burner, but which is the best to follow? The most sensible sizes I've seen are 150 around the back and sides and 300 at the front, but the installation guide says 600mm!!
4. If I need a liner, would you recommend the 316/316, 904/316, or 904/904? I'm only planning on being in the house for the next 5-10 years max so is it worth spending the extra on a good quality liner? Whatever liner I purchase, can I simply find he cheapest say 904/316 liner or are there good and bad brands of liner to purchase irrespective of the grade of steel?
5. Do I need an air brick, or is this again something that I can install at a later date if I find the drag isn't good enough?
6. If I am to sell the house with the log burner in, what should I officially hand over to the new purchaser to demonstrate that it has been installed correctly?

The installation of a multi-fuel stove seems to be a bit of a minefield - different installers give different information and there doesn't seem to be a website that will give definitive installation advice. What I'm not prepared to do is to spend £1000's installing the burner to try to comply with regulations, only to find I've missed something out as the information on how to correctly install one isn't clear! Therefore, ANY advice would be really appreciated, links to products, websites with information, etc.!

Thanks in advance,

Elliot

I would like to know if it can influence the overall design of the chimney.

Thanks, BJD, that actually is what I meant, I should have been more specific, sorry for that.

Anyway, thank you very much for your answer, I just never used to build a chimney before.

Father Christmas has been down your chimney?

Merry Christmas

Hi,
i have recently taken out our old 80's style gas fire (don't worry, i employed a gas sefe engineer to do it), however it has exposed the old hole in the chimey breast, where a fire used to be, but living in bristol we can't have an open fire so am going to have to board it up with some plaster board.
Do i need to put a vent in the plasterboard so that air can circulate inside the chimney breast?? I have been told this needs to be done, but thought i'd ask the experts first.

cheers.

Whats the best way to seal the exposed brick work on a chimney to reduce the dust. I also want a matt finish so that its not shiney which i have been advised PVa will leave it.

Thanks

I have purchased a house where the previous owners have taken out the chimney breasts in the lounge and dining room on the ground floor. The chimney breasts are still present in the upstairs rooms. From a purely cosmetic viewpoint I want to put the chimneys back in the ground floor rooms and have non working fireplaces. How much would his cost please for the building work and plastering. I have seen some reclaimed fireplaces I want to put on the chimney breasts and these are c£500 each.

There are 2 stacks that would need replacing both c125cm in width. Thanks

Im looking to have the plaster removed from around my chimney breast. I live in a victorian terrace house in Hackney with reasonably high ceiling guessing about 8/ 9 ft. i would like to expose the brick work so there might be some need to repointing. the chimney currently has a firebox inside but the gas unit has been removed and the gas has been capped. In the future im thinking of having a log burner fitted but due to costs i need to take one step at a time.

Please could you advise how much this would cost and how long it would take. Also which profession this would be best suited too, bricklayer / plasterer?

Many thanks for your interest.

We are in the process of buying an average sized 1930's 3 bed semi. We wish to remove a chimney which is causing damp problems & is in the way of our renevation plans. It is not a shared chimney. We are now worried that the costs are going to be excessive. I am quite happy to leave the bedroom as it is, so can it be removed above the roof & just downstairs with the addition of the steels. Im told, chimney removal can get very complex & expensive! Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks