The chimney stack or chimney pot is the part of the chimney you see on the roof of a house. The chimney breast is part running through the floors of the house and juts out of a wall for the fireplace. The chimney breast might be made of brick and will house a flue. When a fire would be lit inside the fireplace, the smoke would travel up the flue and out through the chimney stack.

Can I remove my chimney breast?

Yes, if you no longer have a working chimney breast and prefer to make space in the room, an internal chimney breast can be removed from the ground and first floor. The chimney breast removal can be done by leaving the chimney stack in position on the roof, to keep the outside appearance of the house.

When removing the chimney breast, a builder might need to add support beams to support the masonry above as the chimney breast does form part of the structure of the house. The only time a builder might be concerned about removing a chimney breast is for a property predating the 1800s.

If your chimney breast is part of a shared wall, also known as a party wall, because in you live in a semi-detached or terraced house, then you will need to obtain your neighbours permission under the Party Wall Act. This must be a formal agreement, signed by both parties.

What feature can my chimney breast be turned into?

The internet is full of clever ideas to convert your chimney breast into a feature to suit almost any room and make full use of the space of the chimney breast.

Some of HaMuch teams favourite ideas include;

 Chimney breast in the kitchen, open a section of the chimney breast to insert your cooker and hob into the space to make that the feature of the kitchen.

For a hallway chimney breast, paint the breast as a feature wall and hang photos, making a welcoming entrance.

A lounge chimney breast, cut into the fireplace to use it as the setting for a wood burning stove that will transform the room into a cosy space.

A chimney breast in the bedroom could be wallpapered or again painted as a feature wall, and then with the bed in front of it makes a dramatic headboard. 

A chimney breast passing through the bathroom can make for a dramatic countertop basin space.

How much will it cost to remove my chimney breast?

A large cost of removing a chimney breast is the builders labour, and another big factor in the overall cost  is removing the building rubble. This might involve the cost of skip hire. After the chimney breast has been removed, flooring will need to be laid where the breast has now opened for more floor space. Walls will need to be smoothed, plastered and painted.

If the house is over multiple floors, the chimney breast will be featured on the different levels. If the builder is removing more than one floor of chimney breast, in one project, this will be a lot more cost effective than getting the builder to do only sections at a time, coming back to remove more chimney breast under a different project.

Can my chimney breast and fireplace be fixed for a working chimney?

If your chimney breast has big cracks or the brickwork is crumbling, a builder can fix the chimney breast restoring it to a good working condition. This may involve removing bricks and repointing along the chimney breast matching the mortar.

Before lighting a fire in the fireplace, it is best to have a Chimney & Fireplace specialist inspect the flue, the cowls on the chimney stack and sweep the chimney to ensure all the workings of the chimney is safe to operate.

Will removing a chimney breast devalue my home?

Chimney breasts are character features of older homes, giving the house a UK traditional feel. When it comes to selling your home, buyers who are attracted to your home over a newbuild contemporary home will seek out your home for its offers like a chimney breast. The complete removal of the chimney breast may leave them buying elsewhere, however the conversion of a chimney breast, e.g.; for a space to house their log burner or cooker will still give the house the traditional feel they crave with a modern use for the chimney breast and perhaps add more value to the house than the complete removal.

Of course, like so much, this is purely based on personal opinions, because another buyer might appreciate the additional space that the removal of the chimney breast has added in a room such as a bedroom. Be sure to keep records of Party Wall Agreements and any structural improvements as new buyers will want to see this documentation. Like with any project, before going ahead, do your research and see what similar homes in your neighbourhood have sold for, with and without chimney breasts to help you come to the best decision. Also, if this is your forever home, then a devalue would not matter as much.