We take down redundant or dangerous chimneys safely, leaving your roof weathertight and your property tidy. Whether the stack is crumbling, leaking or simply no longer needed, we handle every stage from demolition to re-roofing the gap.
Photo from one of our recent jobs
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
A chimney that is no longer connected to a working fireplace is a liability rather than an asset. Once the flue goes cold, the stack stops getting the warmth that helps keep it dry, and the brickwork, pointing and lead flashings begin to deteriorate faster than most homeowners expect. For many older properties, taking the chimney down to below the roofline is a practical solution that removes a source of leaks and cuts maintenance costs for decades.
The job begins with an assessment of the stack from both below and at roof level. We need to understand how the chimney was built, how many flues it contains, where the lead flashing is seated, and what condition the surrounding roof covering is in. Older brickwork is generally straightforward to work with, but lime mortar joints and frost-damaged bricks can make dismantling slower and messier than expected.
Demolition works down from the chimney pot to a point below the roof ridge, usually to just below the felt or sarking line inside the loft. The opening left in the roof is then made good. This typically means:
Matching the tiles is one of the trickier parts of the job. Roofs of different ages often have different coverings, and the tile profile, colour and texture can vary enormously from a 1930s concrete interlocking tile to a handmade clay plain tile on an older cottage. We source secondhand or compatible tiles wherever possible to achieve a reasonable match rather than leave an obvious patch.
Inside the property, the chimney breast can be left in place or removed by a builder at a later date. The roofing element and the internal work are separate trades, so we handle the external stack and the roof only.
A redundant chimney still needs maintenance every few years if it is to stay watertight. The lead flashings at the base of the stack are a common point of failure, particularly where they were originally bedded in mortar rather than properly dressed and soaked. Water that gets behind a flashing can sit in the roof space for months before it shows on a ceiling, by which point the timber and insulation below can be badly affected.
Pointing on an exposed chimney stack also degrades. Stacks sit above the ridgeline, which means they are exposed to more wind and frost than almost any other part of a pitched roof. In a typical winter, the brickwork can cycle through freeze and thaw many times, and the mortar joint failures that result allow water to penetrate the core of the stack. Capping and repointing buys time, but if the flue is sealed and the chimney serves no purpose, taking it down removes the problem entirely and releases the money that would otherwise go on repeat repairs.
Chimney take-downs are one of the more involved roofing jobs because they combine demolition, carpentry and roofing in one visit. Timescales depend on the size and complexity of the stack. A larger double stack or one with a more complex flashings arrangement may take longer. Scaffolding is usually required for safe access, and this is costed into the job rather than treated as a surprise addition.
Brick rubble from the demolished stack can be substantial. We arrange skip hire or rubble removal as part of the job so you are not left with a pile of bricks on your drive.
For a typical single-stack take-down on a semi-detached or terraced house in North Walsham, the total cost including scaffolding, demolition, roof repair and making good generally falls in the range of £1,200 to £2,500. Larger stacks, stacks with multiple flues, or roofs with more expensive tile types will sit toward or above the upper end of that range. These are honest typical UK figures - the exact price depends on the size and complexity of your particular stack.
A chimney take-down on a standard two-storey property in North Walsham typically costs £1,200 to £2,500 all-in, covering scaffolding, demolition to below the roofline, structural repairs to the roof timbers, and a weathertight tile finish.
Once the external stack is removed and the roof is closed over, the loft space where the chimney stack previously came through is freed up. For homeowners converting or insulating a loft, this can be a useful gain. We seal the opening at roof level thoroughly so the loft remains dry, but any remaining internal chimney breast work is for a builder or structural engineer to advise on separately.
Original clay chimney pots from older North Walsham properties are increasingly sought after by reclamation yards. If your pots are in reasonable condition, it is worth removing them carefully before demolition rather than letting them smash during the take-down. We can set them aside for you to sell, reuse or simply keep.
If you have a chimney that is leaking, visibly deteriorating, or simply sitting unused above your roof, call us to arrange a roof survey. We will assess the stack and the surrounding roof covering, explain what the work involves for your particular property, and give you a clear price before anything is agreed.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
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