Another urgent second opinion - chimney breast removal

Photo's would help.

 

How has the chimney been supported in the loft?
I am just DIY but I would be putting some more bricks in. Can't you do it yourself?
It is not difficult.

 

Sorry stack removed. Better wait for a professional opinion. Please ignore previous post.
I think your problem is a structural one and not a DIY proposition.

 

I'm only DIY but a remaining single skin of brick seems insufficient - the original fireplace and stack got strength from being effectively a tall brick 'box' construction. Removing effectively three sides will weaken it significantly so more brick work seems needed. Also the lower courses of brick appear to have been eroded by the corrosive effect of the fire fumes (sulphuric acid isn't it?) - a common sight on old stone houses with the tell tale black streak up the external wall. A structural engineer/pro builder will tell you what's needed. As PB says, its only bricks! - and will be plastered over.

 

Ideally the wall needs completely rebuilding, as it's an extieor wall,structural integrity is paramount,how much depends on structural engineer advice, he might even want new foundations poured first,but it won't be cheap doing it & using studwork part way up ain't acceptable.

 

Brian is correct. The wall should have been the original 1 brick thick (what you call 2 layer). Where the chimney breast was, the 'box' construction of half-brick thick wall (what you call 1 layer) added rigidity to the building.

The correct remedial for this is to use screw-in wall ties (with wall plugs) over the chimney breast area, and brick it up, toothing in the bricks either side. This will make the wall 1 brick thick uniform over the whole wall area.

Ensure the joints are fully pointed on the outside to ensure that driving rain does not penetrate the wall through open joints.

Screw in ties:


Tooth in brick work (an alternative would be to use wall starts either side, but toothing in the brick work is more ideal):

 

As the works are structural I assume you have involved Building Control at your local council....AS THEM!!! or a Structural engineer.
The wall needs to be bricked/blocked in and tied to the outer bricks.....just look at the teeth in your trouser zip and the chances of them becoming un-ziped....if this happens in you house wall say bye bye to your life!

 

Yes, a surveyor's report followed by a retrospective building notice and a remedy along the lines suggested by SJS.
It can happen that only the external render coat - if you have one - is holding the wall up. Don't remove the render!

 

tell your builder where to go for a start..... that needs a fair bit of work... think of long high single skin garden walls )not many if im honest) but they all had pillars every so many eet right? thats what gave it the strentgh... you just removed the pillar in your wall......