Portishead · Somerset
Chimney stack repairs in Portishead
On older houses around Portishead, many stacks lean slightly away from the prevailing weather. That is usually sulphate attack in the mortar, and the repair depends on how far the stack has moved and how sound the brickwork still is.
Guide price from£515per stack inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BS20
- Population
- about 26,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
Is Somerset prone to ground movement?
Portishead (BS20) has around 26,000 residents and sits in Somerset. We also take enquiries from nearby Nailsea (3 miles), Clevedon (5 miles) and Kingswood (11 miles).
Parts of Somerset have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
What to look for before calling about chimney stack repairs
- A stack visibly leaning when you look along the roof ridge
- Cracked or missing flaunching around the top of the stack
- Bits of brick, mortar or render landing in the garden or gutter
Chimney stack repairs prices in Portishead
Prices in Portishead are worked out on South West rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Repointing, flaunching and minor brick repairs | £515 – £2,050 | per stack |
| Partial or full stack rebuild | £3,100 – £10,300 | per stack |
| Stack restraint or strappingest. | £410 – £1,250 | per stack |
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
Flaunching and pot resetting
Old cracked flaunching is broken out, pots are lifted and reset or replaced, and new flaunching is formed to a fall so water runs off. Unused flues can be capped with ventilated caps, which keeps rain out while letting the flue breathe.
Best for: Loose pots and cracked mortar at the top of the stack
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.
Scaffold to the stack
Safe access is set up with a working platform around the stack. On terraces we may need to agree access over a neighbour’s roof, and a council licence is arranged where the scaffold stands on the pavement.
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.
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 Portishead
What is the price of chimney stack repairs in Portishead?
Guide prices for chimney stack repairs in Portishead start from about £515 per stack, including VAT, on South West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out chimney stack repairs in Portishead?
Yes, Portishead is covered, along with postcode districts BS20. We also cover nearby Nailsea and Clevedon.
Does the ground around Portishead cause cracking?
Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. 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.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning chimney can become dangerous, because stacks are heavy and stand high above the roof. A slight, long-standing lean may be stable for now, but a lean that is worsening, or loose bricks and pots, should be looked at quickly. Keep people away from below if anything looks loose.
More repairs we carry out in Portishead
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Retaining wall repairs
- Underpinning
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
Chimney stack repairs near Portishead
Send zoomed photos of the chimney stack at your Portishead home, from the street and the garden, for a free initial assessment.