Many homes in Huyton, L36, are semis with a chimney stack shared between the two houses, and a lot of those flues have not been used for years. Our work here is a mix of repairs, such as lead flashing, flaunching and repointing, and helping owners decide whether to keep or remove a stack. We inspect, explain the options with photos and quote in writing.
Keep it or take it down?
It is a question we hear often in Huyton. Central heating has replaced most open fires, and a chimney that serves nothing still needs maintaining. There is no single right answer, so here is how the two choices compare.
| Keep and repair | Remove below the roofline |
|---|---|
| Keeps the option of a fire or stove later | No stack left to maintain in future |
| Usually the simpler choice on a shared stack | Needs neighbour agreement if shared |
| Disused flues need a vented cap and room vent | Breast below still needs ventilating if kept |
| Ongoing checks on lead and pointing | Roof is made good over the opening |
If removal is on your mind, read our chimney stack removal page. If you want to keep the stack, the repairs below are the usual ones.
Repairs we often carry out on Huyton stacks
- Lead flashingLifted, split or patched lead replaced with new, properly fixed flashing.
- FlaunchingThe mortar slope on top renewed so pots are secure and water runs off.
- Caps and cowlsVented caps fitted to unused flues; see chimney caps and cowls.
- PointingWorn joints raked out and refilled, with damaged bricks replaced.
Thinking about a shared stack
With semis, the stack usually straddles the party wall. If you want to remove it, your neighbour’s flue and agreement matter, and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is likely to apply. Building control may also need to be involved where structure is affected. Taking only one half down is sometimes possible but needs careful design so the remaining half stays stable and weathertight.
If you are keeping the stack, it still helps to talk to your neighbour. Many repairs, especially to flaunching and the top of the stack, are best done across the whole thing at once.
Never remove a chimney breast inside the house without proper structural support for the masonry above. Our chimney breast removal page explains why.
How it works
Call or send your details, and we will ring back to ask about the house, whether any flue is in use and whether the stack is shared. We then inspect and send a written quote with photos, explaining the cause and the options. Once you are happy, safe access is arranged, the work is done and you receive photos of the result.
A note on stoves
Some Huyton owners keep a stack because they plan to fit a wood-burner one day. If that is you, it is worth repairing the stack properly now rather than removing it, since rebuilding a chimney later is a much bigger job. A new stove usually needs a suitable liner and installation by a qualified installer, and the flue should be swept by a chimney sweep once it is in use. We look after the brickwork, lead and pots on top so the stack is ready when you are.
Elsewhere in Knowsley and nearby
We cover Prescot and West Derby as well. To find out more about us, see our Merseyside chimney repair homepage and our full list of chimney repair and removal services.
Chimney questions in Huyton?
Phone 07777 659786 and tell us whether you want to keep or remove your stack. We will call back to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my neighbour’s permission to remove our half of a shared stack?
If the stack is shared, removing your half will affect the structure and possibly your neighbour’s flue, so their agreement is needed and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is likely to apply. Building control may also need to be involved. We explain the process before you commit.
Will removing the stack stop damp on my bedroom wall?
If the damp is caused by rain getting into the stack, removing it below the roofline and re-roofing will usually stop that source. If the cause is salts in the breast or condensation in a sealed flue below, other steps may also be needed. We identify the cause first.
Can you remove the chimney breast inside as well?
Yes, but that is structural work. It needs building control approval, proper support for anything left above, usually steelwork designed by a structural engineer, and party wall procedures where shared. Our chimney breast removal page explains it in full.
What happens to the roof after a stack is taken down?
The opening is closed off and the roof is made good with matching tiles or slates where possible, so it is weathertight. We show you photos of the finished roof.