If you live in an older home with a chimney that has been neglected, there is a good chance of a collapse. What do you do if your chimney collapses? You could hire a chimney sweep service to take your chimney down and rebuild it, but why not save some money taking it down yourself? Let’s take a look at disposing of a chimney yourself.
What Causes a Chimney to become Dilapidated?
A chimney can become dilapidated for many reasons, but the two most common reasons are water damage from years of exposure and shifting ground.
If your chimney has been neglected, it can develop leaks in the crown and the bricks themselves. Years of exposure to sunlight bakes the bricks and makes them more porous, much like a sponge; when bricks absorb water and go through freeze-thaw cycles, it causes the brick and mortar to expand and contract, leading to cracked or broken bricks and worn away mortar if you find that there are bricks that have fallen on the ground from your chimney, it’s inevitable that it will collapse.
Sometimes the ground will shift underneath a chimney for no apparent reason and cause the partial or complete collapse of a chimney. If your chimney is teetering, you must take it down before it falls on your roof and damages it or a child or pet. If the chimney shifts while you are using the fireplace, be sure that you extinguish the fire. Not only could a chimney fire happen, but it could also send carbon monoxide back into your home.
How to Take Your Damaged Chimney Down
The first step is to see if removing your chimney requires a permit in your area. Some municipalities in rural areas are less likely to require a permit; conversely, a permit is almost a certainty if you live in a dense urban area.
The second step is to ensure you have all the equipment you need, such as:
- Hammer
- Masonry Chisel
- Sledge Hammer
- Roll Off Dumpster
- Buckets
- Scaffolding
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Hard Hat
- Rope
Taking Down the Chimney
Be sure to follow these steps carefully, and if there is one you don’t understand or don’t feel you can complete, then it is best to hire a professional. Let’s move on to the first step if you have no issues.
Step One
Call us at Dumpstermaxx to deliver a roll-off dumpster to your home. We will place it right on the driveway, and when you have filled the dumpster, we will pick it up and take it to the closest landfill.
Step Two
Remove the exterior of the chimney, known as the chimney breast. The chimney breast is inside your home and is the part of the chimney that contains the fireplace. Be sure to put down drop cloths or plastic sheeting to catch all the dust or broken brick. You can choose to leave the chimney breast if it is integral to the aesthetics of your home and is the more popular choice among homeowners.
Step Three
Start removing bricks from the Chimney’s crown; you may have to remove a chimney cap to reach the bricks. A chimney cap is a solid piece of metal that covers the whole chimney, usually containing a mesh cage with a metal top. Once you have made sure the crown is clear, start removing bricks from the top down. Use a hammer and masonry chisel to chip away mortar and remove bricks. If the chimney isn’t about to fall, you can use a sledgehammer to speed the job up. Put any bricks or pieces in a five-gallon bucket and lower it to the ground with a rope that has been tightly secured to the bucket.
Step Four
Once the has been removed to just beneath the roof, you’ll notice open holes that require patching using either frames or eaves. The siding on the wall from where the chimney breast was removed will also require filling.
Step Five
Inspect where the chimney was for any structural damage; if any exists, that will have to be dealt with before your chimney is rebuilt.
The Best Time for a Chimney Rebuild
You may not be able to pick the time when you want to rebuild your chimney because a collapse can happen at any time, but summer is preferable. Why summer? Summer is the slow season for chimney sweeps and would mean that your chimney would be rebuilt faster and without a waiting period.
Dumpstermaxx Can Help You Dispose of a Chimney
Let us help you get rid of that old chimney. Call us today and speak with one of our dumpster experts or fill out our contact form. We will be happy to discuss what size dumpster would work best for your needs and schedule a time to deliver a dumpster to your location.