bsrofmn
May 20, 2008, 09:50 AM
I have a chimney that goes from the ground level through the roof (overhang) on the FRONT of my house. My house is a rambler with a basement but the chimney does not go down into the basement and was built in early 70's.
I would like to remove the chimney and fireplace and replace it with a large window. It appears that the chimney comes out from the front of the house about 2 feet so I think it is totally external on the house (other than the actual fireplace inside. There is also a small gable on the roof behind the chimney to help water flow around it.
How complex is it to take out the external chimney and is it likely to be a structural part of the house? I am planning on reshingling the entire house so the roof shouldn't be an issue other than needing to patch that area. There would also not be any roof trusses going out where the chimney used to be so I'd have to figure out a way to provide support for that area on the roof. My other concern is what do I do at the base (underground). Is it usually built outside the main foundation of the house so all I need to do is go down below ground, slope the dirt away from the house and put my mulch covering over it?
Any thoughts would be appreciated...
I would like to remove the chimney and fireplace and replace it with a large window. It appears that the chimney comes out from the front of the house about 2 feet so I think it is totally external on the house (other than the actual fireplace inside. There is also a small gable on the roof behind the chimney to help water flow around it.
How complex is it to take out the external chimney and is it likely to be a structural part of the house? I am planning on reshingling the entire house so the roof shouldn't be an issue other than needing to patch that area. There would also not be any roof trusses going out where the chimney used to be so I'd have to figure out a way to provide support for that area on the roof. My other concern is what do I do at the base (underground). Is it usually built outside the main foundation of the house so all I need to do is go down below ground, slope the dirt away from the house and put my mulch covering over it?
Any thoughts would be appreciated...