Ely Roofers carry out chimney take-downs in Mildenhall and the surrounding area, and part of our job is helping you understand what materials and methods are involved so you can make an informed decision.
A chimney take-down means removing the section of a chimney stack that sits above the roofline, making good the hole left in the roof covering, and capping the flue so it is sealed but still able to ventilate. The result is a weathertight roof with no exposed stack to maintain. It is the right move when the chimney has not been in use for years and the brickwork is deteriorating faster than it is worth repairing.
The work involves at least two distinct trades: the dismantling of the stack itself, and the roofing work to close and weatherproof the opening below. Both need to be done properly. A chimney taken down without careful attention to the roof covering underneath will let water in just as effectively as the failing stack it replaced.
Once the stack is down, the opening in the roof needs to be filled in with tiles or slates that match the existing covering as closely as possible. The options depend on what is already on your roof.
Concrete interlocking tiles are the most common covering on post-war housing. They are widely available, straightforward to match for colour and profile, and relatively inexpensive. If your roof has standard interlocking tiles in a common colour, finding a good match is usually not a problem.
Clay plain tiles are used on older properties and on houses where a traditional appearance matters. They are smaller than interlocking tiles and laid in a double-lap pattern. New clay tiles are available, but if you want a genuine match in colour and weathering on an older roof, reclaimed tiles from a salvage yard are often the better choice. They cost more in sourcing time but the end result looks right.
Natural slate is the most demanding material to match well. Welsh blue-grey slate, Spanish slate, and reclaimed local slates all look noticeably different from one another up close. A roofer who cares about the finish will try to source slates that match in size, thickness, and colour. On a prominent roof this is worth spending the extra time on.
Artificial slate is made from fibre cement or similar composites. It is cheaper than natural slate and more consistent in colour and size, but it does not weather in the same way. On a rear or less visible roof it is a practical option. On a front elevation facing the road it can look out of place against aged natural slates.
The flue that ran up through the now-removed stack does not disappear. It continues down through the chimney breast inside the house. That opening needs to be dealt with correctly, and there are a couple of approaches.
Ventilated capping. A proprietary cap or airbrick is fitted at the top of the remaining flue inside the house. This allows a small amount of air movement through the flue, which prevents condensation building up in the chimney breast. A completely sealed flue with no airflow traps moisture inside the brickwork, which can eventually cause staining or dampness on the chimney breast wall. A ventilated cap is the standard approach for most redundant flues.
Full removal of the chimney breast. Some homeowners take the opportunity to remove the chimney breast inside the house at the same time as taking down the external stack. This frees up floor space and eliminates the breast from rooms below. It is a bigger job that involves a structural element of the building and will require building regulations approval. It is worth considering if the breast takes up significant space in a room you want to reconfigure, but it is not part of a standard chimney take-down and should be costed separately.
When a chimney is taken down, the lead flashing at the base of the stack is removed along with it. That lead - typically the step flashing running up the sides and the back gutter at the top - is often recyclable and has a scrap value. A roofer should not be charging you for lead removal and then also keeping the lead to sell. If there is a significant quantity, it is reasonable to ask how it is being accounted for.
No new lead flashing is required after a take-down, because there is no remaining stack for water to run off. The tiles or slates fill the opening flush with the roof plane, and correctly bedded and pointed new roof coverings do not need a separate flashing detail.
Chimney take-downs cannot be done safely from a ladder. The work is above the roofline and involves handling heavy brickwork. A scaffold tower or erected scaffolding is necessary. The cost of this access is part of the job and should be included in any quote you receive. Be wary of any price that seems very low because it may not include proper access equipment.
The scaffold or tower also allows the roofer to lower brickwork by hand rather than dropping it, which protects your roof covering and anything below. Dropping or toppling a stack rather than dismantling it course by course is poor practice that can cause significant damage to the tiles, gutters, or anything on the ground.
A straightforward single-flue stack on a semi-detached house, with scaffold access and standard tile making-good, will sit toward the lower end. A larger or taller double stack, one that needs reclaimed or natural slate matched carefully, or one where the roof timbers around the base need repair, will cost more. Get two or three written prices and make sure each one specifies what is included: access equipment, making-good materials, flue capping, and waste removal.
Ely Roofers are based in Ely and work across Mildenhall and the surrounding area. If you have a redundant chimney stack that needs taking down, call us and we will come out, look at the stack, and give you a straight assessment of the work involved and what it will cost.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
