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Original poster

Unsupported chimney on a terrace house we want to buy

27 replies

EmFelis · 01/10/2022 09:47

We have found a massive terrace house which has loads of attic space which I am hoping to use as an artist's studio. The problem is that there is a chimney stack that is shared with the terraced house next door but that appears to be unsupported. Part of the stack appears to rest on our roof, but the main part of the chimney is attached to the neighbours house. The problem is that there is no trace of the chimney breast on the inside of the house in the attic, first floor or ground floor. It's such an old house this alteration is likely to have been done maybe 50 plus years ago. I know that people say if it hasn't collapsed, its probably OK but there are cracks in the wall of the downstairs WC. Should I just pass on this one? The vendor is not interested in dropping the price btw.

Unsupported chimney on a terrace house we want to buy
OP posts:
Hempy · 01/10/2022 09:54

What did the surveyor say?

Original poster
EmFelis · 01/10/2022 09:57

We haven't got as far as a survey yet. We paid for a survey on another house and he didn't tell us anything we hadn't already spotted. So we were trying to work out if was worth going any further. I suspect he'd say get a structural engineer to look at it.

OP posts:
Emsypops · 01/10/2022 10:01

Really depends on how much it worries you. A normal survey probably wouldn't tell you much. You would need a structural engineer.

Original poster
EmFelis · 01/10/2022 10:06

Well, it might worry me if a) the chimney fell down or b) no one would buy the house when I came to sell it. I am not sure that it's easily fixed. I have seen people refer to steel lintels or gallow brackets.

OP posts:
Hempy · 01/10/2022 10:07

Fair enough. I think a structural engineer might be worth talking too. I do hope it all works out for you - best to be sure though and not wind up with a problem down the line.

Hempy · 01/10/2022 10:08

Talking to, I meant.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 01/10/2022 10:11

Is the inside face of the wall in 'your' attic the external face of the wall seen above? Or is there a wall of 'yours' up against the neighbours wall? I'm wondering if the rather thin looking section of chimney visible on 'your' side is incorporated within the wall below roof level?

Will try to draw a pic from above...

Blue is neighbours walls, green is your roof, red is possible wall of yours which would make it seem there is no chimney?

Unsupported chimney on a terrace house we want to buy
NellyBarney · 01/10/2022 11:01

You could get a HETAS fireplace installer (posh chimney sweep) in to have a look? Cheaper and sometimes better than a structural engineer, at least our chimney guy was amazing (we bought an end of terrace house with 2 halfway collapsed massive chimneys, each chimney having 6 fireplaces on it, 1 of them being on a party wall and criss-crosses around the house, parts of it being hidden behind walls and staircase, but our chimney guy sorted it all and made it all stable and usable).

sevenbyseven · 01/10/2022 11:23

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 01/10/2022 10:11

Is the inside face of the wall in 'your' attic the external face of the wall seen above? Or is there a wall of 'yours' up against the neighbours wall? I'm wondering if the rather thin looking section of chimney visible on 'your' side is incorporated within the wall below roof level?

Will try to draw a pic from above...

Blue is neighbours walls, green is your roof, red is possible wall of yours which would make it seem there is no chimney?

This is what I wondered too - it may well be supported but you can't see. Is it worth asking the next door neighbour if they have any more info?

rwalker · 01/10/2022 11:28

The chimney breast is s external you should have a flat wall inside

sevenbyseven · 01/10/2022 11:30

rwalker · 01/10/2022 11:28

The chimney breast is s external you should have a flat wall inside

The OP is looking at the other house I believe - the one with the lower roof.

Ifailed · 01/10/2022 11:33

I found out I had an unsupported chimney, in a 2 up 2 down the rear fireplaces and chimney breast had been removed yet my 'surveyor' was very obtuse about this and I assumed all was OK.
I only found out that it was all resting on a plank in my attic when next door wanted to do the same, luckily their builder spotted this. I contacted building control and a structural surveyor and ended up paying £7k for a RSJ to be put in place, all signed off by building control.
Apparently it had been like this for nearly 30 years!

In the end I now have a safer house and one that I can sell on with the correct works in place.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 01/10/2022 11:35

I think @GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut drawing makes a lot of sense. Your roof tiles have to be sitting on something at the end. I'd want it double checked though.

SallyLockheart · 01/10/2022 12:03

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 01/10/2022 10:11

Is the inside face of the wall in 'your' attic the external face of the wall seen above? Or is there a wall of 'yours' up against the neighbours wall? I'm wondering if the rather thin looking section of chimney visible on 'your' side is incorporated within the wall below roof level?

Will try to draw a pic from above...

Blue is neighbours walls, green is your roof, red is possible wall of yours which would make it seem there is no chimney?

useful diagram, that.

it looks as though the neighbours are the primary "owners" of the chimney. If the chimney breasts in their house are intact, then that will significantly reduce the impact of your chimney breasts being removed, if that is what has happened.

cooolio · 01/10/2022 12:22

"You could get a HETAS fireplace installer (posh chimney sweep) in to have a look?"

Wtf, a posh chimney sweep? You know they are qualified professionals who have to keep their registration with regular assessment?

MrsSkylerWhite · 01/10/2022 12:24

You need a professional opinion. A SE will tell you what’s what very quickly.

Diyextension · 01/10/2022 19:31

cooolio · 01/10/2022 12:22

"You could get a HETAS fireplace installer (posh chimney sweep) in to have a look?"

Wtf, a posh chimney sweep? You know they are qualified professionals who have to keep their registration with regular assessment?

All you have to do to become HETAS qualified is pay to go on the course. It’s all classroom based and at the end of it your qualified. Even if you don’t know how to use a hammer, your still qualified to fit someone’s stove. 🤨

Cherms · 01/10/2022 19:57

We supported our chimney breast from the inside after getting everything lower down removed. Mid terraced house.

Was an easy job done by a competent builder. Having done this myself it personally wouldn't put me off buying

Original poster
EmFelis · 02/10/2022 06:56

Thank you for the comments. We will be visiting the property again tomorrow and investigating walls/chimney breasts etc. The attic room doesn't have a window and the electricity wasn't working so we couldn't assess the situation properly (it was dark). I will knock along the wall to see if its part wall/plasterboard. The previous owners put lintels in some places downstairs when they added stairs to the attic so this may well have enough support up here too. I really hope so.

OP posts:
Original poster
EmFelis · 02/10/2022 06:57

The house next door is unoccupied at the moment so we can't ask!

OP posts:
passport123 · 02/10/2022 06:57

You need a proper structural survey

sjxoxo · 02/10/2022 06:59

I would ask to go back with a decent builder or a structural engineer if you know one. I wouldn’t be put off by a chimney if the rest of the house is lovely x

lannistunut · 02/10/2022 07:00

Get a structural engineer. You can't tell anything by tapping on walls.

Original poster
EmFelis · 02/10/2022 07:00

This is a great diagram. Thank you. This may well be the case. I will need to check on the floor below too. On the ground floor is an "entry" which goes under the house, from the fron to the back door. This seems to line up with the external wall of the neighbour house (in otherwords not the chimney breast), which is another thing that concerns me.

OP posts:
RoachTheHorse · 02/10/2022 07:05

We had an engineer in to check a similar chimney. Then, like a PP, got a builder on who supported the chimney internally on our side. It was a pain but was doable and not that bad a job really.