removing a chimney

There is a non-functioning chimney in my building which is not very attractive either.  I am considering just removing the entire thing.  Anyone have an idea of how much it would cost?  This is four floors here. Would it be possible to remove part of the chimney (like the fireplace on one of the floors) without removing all of them at once?  Any thoughts / suggestions are welcome.  Thanks

nintzk

in Chimney and Fireplace 13 years and 4 months ago

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6 replies

johnmckenzie | 13 years and 2 months ago

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Yes it is possible. You can remove an old chimney, with the help of local movers. And the basic price of new chimney is above 400$ according to brand name the cost may varies…..

brucef | 13 years and 3 months ago

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Company Shmompany. We are doing this ourselves. 22’x40′ 4 story 1846 brownstone. We took down the attic and top floor today, and got rid of the rubble. Now we have to put some steel and build a new block wall up the whole way to th enew parapet. Not for the faint of heart. Good to know we saved $4500 today.

brucef | 13 years and 4 months ago

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We are doing this right now (tomorrow) First surprise is back of flues  -party wall is one brick thick. Rest of party wall is two bricks thick, but both flues appear to be single wall. Hooray for 1840’s engineering. This tends to explain the big bulges where water damaged the masonry. Depending on what we find, we will put a steel member and build 2nd thickness with cement block.

deancollins | 13 years and 4 months ago

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let me know what you end up paying for this as i’ve often thought about it as well. it seems crazy to have these non functioning drafty antiques in our houses these days if they arent being used.

callalily | 13 years and 4 months ago

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You should consult with a chimney expert and/or structural engineer. If you remove the chimney only in one place, it could collapse and kill someone.

greenmountain | 13 years and 4 months ago

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As my father would point out, this is like elephant hunting with tweezers and binoculars.  Simply look at the house through the binoculars backwards.  The house will become tiny. Pick up the chimney with the tweezers and discard it.  He doesn’t trot out that story for people older than 8.  Oh yea, I remember there was a box, like a cigar box.  You drop the elephants in the box, so they don’t run away. I wouldn’t want to remove bricks under a stack of them weighing several thousand pounds.  It might not cause injury or structural damage, maybe not right away, but I would rather take it down from the top.