Chimney - keep or remove?

3/21/2019 at 1:59:36 PM

Having a chimney doesn't hurt. Depends on how much you have to spend to fix or remove it, but I would fix it and keep it just in case down the road if you sell and someone perfers wood fire place over gas

Always keep the options open

3/21/2019 at 3:57:43 PM

Brick chimneys can add a lot to the look of the house. I guess without seeing it I would say if it is a chimney that goes from ground level to above the roof I would think about keeping it; But if it just pokes up through the roof I would think it's not worth it. It totally depends on how the chimney looks though. In terms of keeping it just in case somebody wants to put a wood fireplace back in down the road, I don't know if that should be in consideration as a lot of old chimneys do not meet fire code now a days.

Hope this helps!

3/21/2019 at 4:40:42 PM

First and foremost you need to check that nothing is connected to the chimney including hot water tank venting or furnace venting. If your chimney looks good I would recommend keeping it and have it repointed. If your chimney goes all the way to the basement it would be quite an expense to remove it all and repair your roof. Without seeing it it's really hard to answer your question. Hope this helps Jeff

3/21/2019 at 7:49:37 PM

If the chimney is in fairly good condition then you could just cap it off and let it stand.

Tuck-pointing and capping off is a reasonable upkeep to ensure chimney stability.

If the chimney is not going to serve a purpose anymore and it is not an integral architectural part of the home, then it can be taken down to just below roof level and then sealed off and have the roof re-sheathed and shingled.

3/26/2019 at 5:37:18 AM

It basically boils down to 3 things assuming it is serving no other purpose:

-personal preference

-costs of all related wall, floor & roof repairs. I've installed an oversized roof vent in the past as opposed to sheathing / shingles.

-current condition. If there are mortar gaps & crumbling, and loose bricks etc, removal is likely appropriate.

Best of luck...