How much do chimney repairs and rebuilds cost in Cornwall?
Damp appearing within a chimney breast is one of the most common forms of dampness that we survey in Cornwall and this is often because of two factors, and they are poor or improper maintenance coupled with our 60-80mph sideways rain!
The following information will help you along your way to a remedial solution that is cost effective, sympathetic to the heritage character of your home and can stand the test of time in its battle against the elements.
An article on dampness within chimneys
An article on hygroscopic salts
An article on flue liners & condensation issues
Vegetative growth within chimney masonry provides strong evidence of water ingress. Where possible aerials should be removed and the stack should be repointed with lime mortar.
Surveying a chimney
It is important to note that many tradespeople will quote for this project with only surveying the stack from the ground, this is extremely poor practice. Ideally the surveyor will put ladders up, either to the gutter for a visual inspection or roof ladders up to the ridge to physically inspect the chimney.
Drones are also a very good way of establishing the condition of a chimney and to provide a basic assessment of what remedial works, if any, may be required.
Chimney construction
Planning for chimney repairs or rebuilds
An ethical, conservation first approach would be for the contractor to provide you with a list of potential outcomes with approximate costings, with the understanding that until they can physically access the chimney and assess its condition in full, that you should always plan for a rebuild but aim to carry out as little work as possible.
It is also important to note that many Cornish chimney repair companies only use modern, cement bricks and cement mortar. This isn’t an issue if you wish to remove the heritage masonry and replace it with a completely new chimney made out of modern materials (which isn’t a service we offer), however, if you wish to carry out sympathetic repairs to your beautifully old chimney, or replace like for like with heritage appropriate materials, then the use of cement will cause increased levels of dampness and masonry damage.
Our preference is always to get scaffold access installed so that we can fully assess the chimney in order to carry out the least amount of work possible.
Chimney repair options
Please note: that chimneys vary in size enormously. Some are 1 pot, others are 4 to 6, some chimneys are 500mm high, others are 2000mm. The budgets suggested below are for your typical 2-3 bed Cornish cottage.
Lead flashing re-dress and seal. Due to thermal contraction and expansion, the lead flashing on your chimney can work its way loose. Sealing the flashing can be completed off of a ladder in most cases, however, redressing or replacement requires scaffold access. Budget for repairs £85-120 to seal, £350-650 for lead replacement.
Crown replacement: Removal of the existing crown and the rebuilding of a new NHL lime crown sat on a slate bed. Budget for repairs £350-650.
Chimney repoint. This will require the joints between the masonry ground out to a depth of 25mm, to then be refilled with an NHL lime mortar. Budget for repairs £350-900
Chimney render: The original render may require hacking off, to be replaced with an NHL lime render. Budget for repairs £650-1400
Chimney rebuild: Take down the existing chimney, rebuild with new clay bricks and NHL lime mortar, to include lead flashings. Budget for repairs £1850-2800.
Scaffold costs: A tower to the chimney will cost £700-1200.
Note 1: You should always request at least three quotes and it is more important to compare the processes and materials being used than the prices.
Note 2: It is extremely common for tradespeople to come in with a low price and then find additional work once the project has started. To avoid this, ask the contractor if, in their opinion, could there be any additional costs and what might they be able to do to limit your exposure to this additional spending?
The reason for note 2, is that it is important to identify if a contractor is coming in cheap to win the project, or taking a conservation first approach to limit the scope of the works.
The crown was missing from this chimney stack, causing severe internal dampness.
From the ground it is difficult to see chimney defects that are glaringly obvious when we are able to carry out a physical survey.
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