The chimney is an important part of many homes, offering a route of escape for byproducts from fireplaces or furnaces. Without them, these heating sources wouldn’t work. In some homes, however, those heating sources are being replaced anyway, leaving the chimney useless. The choice to remove it is not one that should be made lightly. Even if the chimney in a home is still an important part of the home heating process, the homeowners may be considering removing it if it is damaged. Again, this is a hard decision to make because chimney removal is not a simple task.
Ever wondered what goes into chimney removal? Here is an overview.
Parts of The Chimney
When people picture a chimney, the stack is usually what they picture: the part that extends out of the roof into the air and ends at the cap. This is by far the easiest part to remove, and if your reasoning is purely aesthetic, may be enough. This is also the most common part to be damaged by weather. Removing the stack and covering the resulting hole in the roof will rid you of the visual aspect of most chimneys that are central to the house. The other part of the chimney is called the breast. This is the brick wall encasing the functional parts of the chimney, such as the flue, and it provides structural support to both the chimney and the house. The breast is often a visible part of the chimney in any room it passes through, and occasionally up the entire exterior wall. It is much harder to remove the breast, and doing so requires structural modifications to the house.
Costs of Removal
There are two types of costs associated with chimney removal. The process is hard and time consuming, and it can be dangerous as well. Paying someone to do it well will not be cheap. Even if you decide to do it yourself, you will likely shell out a good amount for tools and materials and to dispose of the debris when you’re done. The second cost is in home value. If your home is older, removing a chimney that is an expected aesthetic component could cost you when you try to sell. This is especially true if most or all of the homes in the area have chimneys. Even if it is not useable, buyers will likely expect to see it.
Call the Experts at Champion Chimneys for Chimney Cap Installation Today!
Champion Chimneys, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured chimney service company that has been serving customers in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland since 2001. Our team is trained and certified by Certified Chimney Professionals, Inc. (CCP, Inc.). Courteous service is our trademark, and our crews arrive on time in uniform, driving fully equipped trucks. We specialize in all aspects of your chimney system. Whether you need chimney and flue cleaning service or a full chimney rebuild or inspection, contact us at 443-Chimney today and let us fix all your chimney problems. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.