hat the unsupported chimney stack had partially collapsed on to it!
Another area of potential concern is where chimney breasts have been partially removed. For example, if the chimney breast has been removed on the ground floor, but is still in place on the first floor it may not be possible to see if the remaining chimney breast is adequately supported without opening up the floor or ceiling. A common feature that we also see is that the original chimney breast and fireplace is still in place on the ground floor, but the chimney breast has been removed on the floor above in order to install fitted wardrobes. This is fine in principle, just as long as you don’t light an open fire in the ground floor fireplace!
We think that really concludes our brief history of the fireplace and chimney, but we close by just summarising a few points that you need to bear in mind when looking at an older property.
– The number of chimney pots on the roof will give an indication of the number of open fireplaces that the house originally had.
– If the flues are redundant, have they been fitted with suitable terminals to prevent rainwater entering the flue and causing dampness inside the house?
– Have the fireplaces inside the house been removed and, if so, have the flues been ventilated to prevent damp and condensation occurring?
– Have any chimney breasts been removed and, if they have, are the remaining chimney breasts and stacks adequately supported? If chimney stacks have been removed, Building Regulation Approval would have been required and you should ask your solicitor or conveyance to check that all consents have been obtained if you are considering purchasing the property.
A Homebuyer Report or Building Survey will usually be able to highlight any serious issues, but obviously the surveyor cannot see the inside of the flues and it is not always possible to say whether or not flues are in working order.
Flues to open fireplaces should be swept at least once a year if they are in use and any gas appliances, such as fires and boilers, which are connected to traditional flues should be serviced at least once a year to make sure that they are safe and that the flues are working correctly.