Owning your own home

Has anyone ever had a wall with a chimney in it removed? I am very interested in learning how much it cost.

The wall in question is not load bearing either side of the chimney stack, but the chimney stack is right in the middle of it.

I do not need the space from the chimney back upstairs, so am happy to keep that in place, but do understand that the weight of this would mean i will need a steel I beam in to support it.

Any relevant experience welcome!

Just had a structural engineer in ours to look at the same thing and the answer was "yes you need a steel". Not yet found out from the builder how much that will cost....

I've looked into it but not got round to it. There seemed to be quite a few hoops to jump through with party wall agreements and consideration about what had been done to next door's chimney (assuming it is on a party wall).

I'll dig out how much it cost to take out ground floor chimney, without ceiling repair. Should have the price for fitting a beam by the end of the week too.

Our collection contractors slap it all in 1 lorry anyway. Kent really fucked up their past waste collection contract.

Not fitted by us - but it’s engineered oak I believe. The stain has faded by the windows to a piney shade I really like. In the less well lit areas of the house it’s kinda that dreaded orange shade.

it’s kinda that dreaded orange shade

Yeah that's why I asked - I've only ever seen engineered oak come out orange and the pics you posted didn't look orange...

I've also got that bin. Don't remember paying £250 for it, but perhaps it was a less lean time.

I'm not a structural engineer but wouldn't the cost/simplicity of removing the chimney breast above the relevant room be similar or less (in cost, more simplicity...) than getting a steel in below to support it? Seeing as there's zero point in having a dud chimney breast taking up space. I know you said you don't need the space back upstairs, but then it's just done anyway.

I mean it would be fantastic if it was a similar price. The problem is that the chimney is literally right in the middle of the house. It would mean making good 4 rooms upstairs if it was removed, whereas downstairs it would just be the floor and the ceiling. Unfortunately there is a limit to what I will be able to afford, and I feel the more comprehensive job will not be available within my price range.

It would mean making good 4 rooms upstairs if it was removed

Ah...as you were then!

Might be one lorry, but with two compartments(?). They do that here for food waste, back of the lorry is split length ways, food waste in one side, general in the other. Side on it looks like it's all being fucked in together, which causes outrage on the local FB groups, OUTRAGE!

Although, Veolia are gettting shit canned soon by all accounts.

SO the rate we tried to apply for on monday has gone up from 5.11 to 5.17 AND they've removed included legal fees, so we have no nominate a solicitor before we can proceed.

This whole thing is fucked.

We have a little van for the foodwaste. Everything else is the one truck. Widely acknowledged that they fucked up royally.

Yeah, Veolia have been utter dog shit here (barring the clever split lorry). Won't be sad to see the back of them.

#binchat

Did you have the cancellation of garden waste for 9 months as they had bid too low to have enough drivers?

#highertaxesforservicesandstatesupport

No, luckily. Just sporadic misses. Which have been fewer and further between since we found and returned the phone of the councillor who dealt with my original complaint of a missed collection.

A Travis Perkins delivery driver did tell me he used to do the bin rounds on my street and said that they would regular just sack off whole roads if they couldn't be arsed as they knew they would never get in trouble personally. One of the reasons Veolia is so shit is that they are self policed on their contract.

Had to have one of our trees taken down, as a big limb had already fallen off it and exposed a big section of rotten/fungus ridden trunk....

Not cheap, but should keep us in firewood for a few years.... More importantly it now won't fall on the house....

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Your dog has a small head.

Hah!

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We have a 1930's 3 bed house, the 3rd bedroom is a box. 2 of us living here, me working from home although willing to sit in the cold. Anyone with a similar situation care to share how much they spend on gas/electric these days?

Detached, semi, terraced?

Semi

Similar, although big Edwardian house cut up into 3 flats. 2 adults, one 12 yo in our flat. We're a 3 bed all on one floor and my home office is the box room.

However, it's usually the warmest room as I have a bunch of IT equipment (laptop, desktop, NAS, printer) in here on 24/7.

Annual electricity consumption for our flat is about 4300kWh. Gas central heating, meter readings all over the place so no idea.

3-bed semi here, WFH and home schooled kids so a fair bit of electricity usage. Prior to 1st Oct, our IHD measured approx £2.50 per day.

Haven't turned the gas CH on yet.

Electricity - 3,500kWh annual
Gas - 9,400kWh annual