Listed Building Query

[ladyalex]

Hi

We live in a listed building in Scotland. it is in the lowest category of listing. That used to be 'Grade C' but the names of the categories may have changed. In any case, it remains in the lowest category of listing.
It was not listed when we bought it, but the council in their wisdom decided to list it a few years later. With no consultation with us and without even telling us they had listed it, but that's another story.
We had a small leak in our roof. We called in a roofer who said that the source of the leak was around an old blocked-off chimney. (This chimney has not been in use for at least 27 years, all the time we have lived here.)
When he and his men started to strip off the lead to mend the leak, it became apparent that the sandstone of the chimney underneath the lead had deteriorated and was crumbling away.
The roofer's advice was that the chimney should come down as a matter of urgency as it was dangerous.
We contacted the Council to tell them this tale and they agreed, having seen the photos of the chimney that it should come down as a matter of urgency, but they also said that it should then be rebuilt to look as it did before.
The estimate from the roofer to take the chimney down is £2000 (scaffolding required etc etc) and the estimate from the stonemason to rebuild this chimney is in the region of £4000.
To say that we are in a state of shock is an understatement.
We are very keen to have the chimney demolished as it is clearly dangerous but having to cough up another £4000 to have a blocked off chimney rebuilt just because someone in the council thinks our house would look better with it ???
Does anyone know what might happen if we just didn't have it rebuilt ?
I haven't yet contacted our insurance company, but having read through their policy, I doubt that they are going to pay us anything at all.
Any help out there? Please ....

[heathfield]

If you don't see to it, the council will carry out the work, and this could end up costing you several times what your builder is quoting. My mum had a listed flat in Haymarket, and the neighbours couldn't agree on the cost-sharing for mandatory roof repairs, so the council stepped in. Final cost was 2 1/2 times the average private roofers quotes. (If it's a stone chimney, check with the council if a brick, or block, replacement, suitably cement rendered, would be acceptable. That would reduce your costs.)

[ladyalex]

Hello Heathfield
Thank you for your answer.
The Conservation Officer said that it must be rebuilt in stone as near to a match to the original stone as possible.
Looks like we are stuck with the enormous bill. :-(

[The Builder]

Just a thought Lady A........ I know it's stone, but that seems a lot of money for a chimney stack. Is it really a job for a "monumental mason?" That "may" be the reason for the high quote.

Any idea of the type of stone? Is the stack particularly high? I'd love to see a pic.

[ladyalex]

Hi Builder. Thanks for your answer.
The stone is ashlar (f I have got it right).
The chimney has to be built up to a height of approximately a metre then capped and the original chimney pot re-installed.
I will try and get a photo on...but I'm just about the worst techie ever, so don't hold your breath.

[DJHawkes]

what about a bit of research on here:
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/grants

[ladyalex]

Thank you DJ Hawkes. I'll look into that.

[ladyalex]

http://i40.tinypic.com/im1fn5.jpg


Hope this works.
There is another photo, but I'm having trouble with uploading it.

[ladyalex]

http://i44.tinypic.com/zjxhz6.jpg

This is a shot of the full chimney. It has all to come down, then be rebuilt up to where the 'modern' breeze-block lookalikes are. Then be capped and have the original pot replaced.
Sigh....

[The Builder]

Yes, I see now. So, although the whole stack looks about 2.5 metres high, they only want it rebuilt to 1 metre?

[ladyalex]

Yes. Only to the level of the original sandstone.
At least that's what the Conservation Officer (or whatever his title is) said when he saw the photos. He hasn't made a site visit .

[ladyalex]

Sorry, perhaps not as clear as I might be.
It has to be rebuilt to the level that the original sandstone was...which is about a metre above the slates.

[The Builder]

I guess the £4000 was to rebuild up to the original height. If that's not needed Lady A, then after removal, a decent brick/block layer could rebuild that stack very easily.

Ashlar blocks are available commercially all over the UK. There's nothing special about laying them except that the joints are very thin ...... approx 3mm.

I could point you to this page for info on indent repairs to ashlar. Indent only means cutting out the damaged ones and inserting new.......

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/informguide-ashlar.pdf

For only a metre high, I don't think I'd even consider indenting. A re-build is so simple given a good access scaffold.

The leadwork has been bodged terribly as well. That would all be renewed at the same time.

I honestly think you should pull back and start again. Even from here, I hesitate to say it, but I do think both the £2000 and certainly the £4000 are greatly exaggerated.

It's a very simple, and not at all lengthy job. Perhaps you could look for a decent alternative builder.

[The Builder]

I'm going to have to go now Lady A. I'll look in later, or tomorrow morning :o)

[ladyalex]

Thanks very much, Builder.
We have actually had the roofer back today and he has removed the chimney completely. There is a lot...and I mean a lot of scaffolding up as the roof on our house is very complicated and very steeply pitched. He has made the space watertight and we are expecting a visit from the stonemason tomorrow to get a revised estimate from him.
I was happy to have the chimney down as, as you can see from the pictures, it was dangerous and the thought of it collapsing and doing untold damage to people and property was really playing on my mind.
We'll see what transpires tomorrow.