International wall and fireplace demolition and block in door

First of all, check if they have insurance. If anything goes wrong, you want to be covered. Second, check if they have experience. Ask about the process they will take, how will they secure the floor/ceiling, how will they patch up the ceilings and roof (if you are removing the chimney stack all the way). What size steal will they use and how are they going to calculate that (usually it's a structural engineer and not a rule of thumb). Is the removal of the rubble included in the price and what is the timescale. Those are the main points I believe

Hi Stuart, Generally taking away a chimney breast would involve removing the chimney stack from the roof, then taking each breast wall away from top to bottom. Once removed, it's likely that additional support needs to be in place - ie. structural steel before making good the area. Nearly all breast walls are load bearing, even if it is just the weight from the chimney itself. As another mentions, this isn't something that can be done by rule of thumb and structural engineer should always be consulted to calculate the steel size, along with building control where steels are concerned. When engaging builders, check for similar work, check for insurances and ask if they will be using their own structural engineer etc. Try and ensure that everyone is quoting on the same information, this way you're able to get a more accurate comparison between quotes Best of luck!

Hi My advice would be to get a structural engineer to carry out a site survey to check the wall is or is not load bearing. Also as for removing chimney breast you will need a party wall surveyor. Having done all this and notifying your house insurance. Then you can employe a builder who is registered and has liability insurance. Tim boyle

All works will be carried out to the engineers detail .all temporary proping remains in place until all steel works are drupacked and left 48 hours. Design method statements should be provided before any works take place