Kettering · Northamptonshire
Chimney stack repairs in Kettering
Before repairing a stack at a Kettering property, we ask what lies beneath it. If a chimney breast has been removed inside, the support for the stack above needs checking by an engineer before any work on the roof.
Guide price from£490per stack inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NN15, NN16
- Population
- about 57,000
- Area
- Northamptonshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Is Northamptonshire prone to ground movement?
Postcode districts NN15, NN16 cover Kettering, a Northamptonshire town of about 57,000 people. Nearby places we cover include Wellingborough (7 miles), Corby (7 miles) and Rushden (9 miles).
Much of Northamptonshire sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Historic ironstone working has left disturbed ground in places. Housing stock in Northamptonshire: Ironstone and limestone cottages, Victorian terraces in Northampton and Kettering, and new-town estates in Corby.
How we usually approach chimney stack repairs
Stack restraint or strapping
A stack that has leaned slightly but is otherwise sound can be restrained with stainless straps or ties fixed back to the roof structure or the gable. This stops further movement without taking the stack down, and is often combined with repointing.
Best for: Slightly leaning stacks with sound brickwork
Repointing and brick repairs
Eroded joints are raked out and repointed in a mortar suited to the brick, often a lime-based mix on older stacks. Spalled or cracked bricks are cut out and replaced with matched reclaimed or new bricks. On many stacks this, with new flaunching, is all that is needed.
Best for: Upright stacks with weathered joints and some damaged bricks
What happens during chimney stack repairs, step by step?
Check what is below
We ask whether any chimney breasts have been removed, and check the loft and rooms below for cracking. If a breast has gone without proper support, we recommend an independent chartered structural engineer before any stack work.
Repair, restrain or rebuild
The agreed work is carried out: repointing, new flaunching and pots, restraint, or taking the stack down and rebuilding it. Lead flashings where the stack meets the roof are checked and renewed if needed.
Weatherproof and clear
Caps or cowls are fitted where agreed, the roof around the stack is checked for slipped tiles, and debris is cleared from gutters. You receive photos of the finished stack taken from the scaffold, since it is hard to see from the ground.
What to look for before calling about chimney stack repairs
- Bits of brick, mortar or render landing in the garden or gutter
- Mortar washed out of joints, leaving bricks standing proud
- Cracked or missing flaunching around the top of the stack
Chimney stack repairs prices in Kettering
For Kettering we use East Midlands rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Repointing, flaunching and minor brick repairs | £490 – £1,950 | per stack |
| Partial or full stack rebuild | £2,950 – £9,800 | per stack |
| Stack restraint or strappingest. | £390 – £1,200 | per stack |
Rules for chimney stack repairs in England
In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Questions about chimney stack repairs in Kettering
How much should I budget for chimney stack repairs in Kettering?
Guide prices for chimney stack repairs in Kettering start from about £490 per stack, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Kettering?
Yes, Kettering is covered, along with postcode districts NN15, NN16. We also cover nearby Wellingborough and Corby.
Why do houses in Northamptonshire crack?
Northamptonshire sits largely on Lias clay and Jurassic ironstones and limestones, with historic ironstone quarrying around Corby and Kettering. The clay vales are prone to shrinkage near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
What if a chimney breast below has been removed?
Where the breast has gone but the stack is still on the roof, how that stack is now held up is a structural question. Cracking in nearby ceilings or a dropped stack are warning signs. An independent chartered structural engineer should assess it before any repair, and we can arrange one.
Do I need scaffolding for chimney repairs?
In almost all cases, yes. Safe work on a stack needs a stable platform at stack height, which usually means scaffold. Ladders and roof ladders do not give a safe place to repoint, lift pots or rebuild brickwork.
Related work in Kettering
- Crack stitching
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
Chimney stack repairs near Kettering
Sharing a stack with next door in Kettering? We can quote for the whole stack so you and your neighbour can see the full picture.