Removing fireplace and chimney for a window wall
I just bought a house in Southern California that I think would be a perfect candidate for a wall of windows so we can enjoy the view. The wall in question has a fireplace with a connected chimney that travels up the side of the house and through the roof line.
I am interested in removing the fireplace, fixing the damaged stucco, and reparing the roof line. I believe that the chimney is not part of the structural integrity of the house, but cannot confirm that. I don't get the keys for another few weeks, at which time I will have someone take a closer look.
Any ideas on how much work and cost is involved in removing the fireplace? I have an idea of cost for the glass wall, but have no idea how much it will cost for demo and repair.
Also, would there be a way to remove the portion of the fireplace and chimney and support it about 12' up with some sort of footer tied into the structure of the house. I envision tieing that into some type of patio cover that would extend out onto the patio. Is the weight of the upper 2/3 of the chimney too heavy for something like this?
Any insight, ideas, and help is greatly appreciated!
Dave
(It's the chinmey in the middle of the hosue, not the one on the side)
Comments (6)
PRO9 years agoHi, Laura (and Dave). As a design firm we are often asked to consider removing these architectural elements--particularly in our Miami Office. There are a couple of things we look for to determine feasibility. 1) Age of home. This information provides some insight into how the fireplace may have been constructed. 2) Are there any existing drawings filed at the local building department? This is helpful for obvious reasons. 3) the exterior may be stucco finish but what type of construction is the exterior wall? Is it concrete masonry unit (CMU, aka "cinder blocks") or is it wood frame construction?
The above are the drivers of cost/feasibility. Fireplaces that are masonry framed (not just brick veneer lined interior) are supported with a footing at the base, below grade. This makes it very difficult to simply chop out the bottom 1/3 and run a beam across to carry the load (weight) of the upper 2/3s. Feasible, but impractical--especially if windows are spanning below.
So depending on how the fireplace was built (CMU vs Wood) you will likely have to remove all of the masonry from the top of the flue down to the floor level so you don't see the bulge of the old fireplace below the window sill. This is a costly undertaking that affects the roof and the exterior wall. I would say more than 8k of work--not including an architect and his/her structural engineer.
JT, Registered Architect
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Comments (3)Thanks---the sticky part is that this actually isn't a brick chimney, as far as we know. I've found a bunch of great references for removing those, but we've seen no evidence of bricks, and I imagine there would likely be some at the base or some at the top if there were bricks in the middle? Our fireplace chimney is brick, but there the bricks are very clearly visible in both the basement and above the roof line. In contrast, the kitchen chimney has a large metal belly in the basement and then a small metal cap where it comes out the roof. Any thoughts on what might be in between the two? (I know, the answer is probably to give the plaster a whack or two---we're just hoping to figure out as much as possible before we take that plunge, since then we pretty much have to keep going!)...See MoreHelp with Chimney Removal???
Comments (11)"So...ya'll have done this before?" Many many times. Some times to remove them, sometimes to rebuild them. No wood should touch the chimney. If you see wood going into a pocket (shallow depression) in the brick it may be built as a load carrying chimney. It was stopped a long time ago as a fire hazard, but in hung around into the 1950s in a few places. A rotary hammer is big, heavy, and complete overkill for dismantling a brick chimney. It is more suitable for concrete work then a small demo job in an attic. I would not think twice about spreading a tarp and tossing the bricks down from the roof to the yard if enough room is available. If the ground is hard spread som e sand to stop them from bouncing and when you are done just spread the sand out further to get rid of it....See MoreRemove chimney? Pros and cons
Comments (11)Firstly, get an engineer in to confirm that it is not load bearing. I can't imagine that it is. Secondly, get a quote on removing it. I think first prize would be to remove it -- less for the look of it than for the crumbling interior brick.. If you can't, get the brick sorted out to the point where it's no hazard to either people or the house, and relax. It's not an ugly chimney, and symmetry isn't everything. Once you have the bottom windows sorted out you should find out that the large one to the right balances the chimney out visually. Right now the window has been disappeared with that white boarding....See MoreBallpark cost to remove a fireplace and chimney
Comments (5)You need to determine if its just a framed chase with a metal chimney inside (which is how many newer fireplaces are made), or a traditional masonry fireplace that goes all the way to the roof. Demolishing a framed chase and metal chiminey is relatively straightforward demo work, except that you need a crew that is willing to work at 2nd story and roof level. Then you need an equivalent reno crew that can fill in the framing and close up the roof, walls and floor. Demolishing a two story brick chimney and fireplace is a lot more labor and transporting the materials will cost a lot more. It would not be unusual to have 6 tons of brick to get rid of. Brick chimneys on exterior walls are also entertwined with the house framing, so that can also get complicated. Bruce...See MoreRelated Professionals
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8 years ago
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago- 3 years ago
- 6 days ago
Laura Jacobsen