I have a few apparently cast-iron chimneys bedded in concrete. They have no hats on them. I’m not sure how the fireplaces were blocked off but it feels solid, as if they bricked them shut and plastered over it.
Isn’t this a bad idea? They don’t seem to be filling up with rainwater yet it rains quite heavily. I assume the fireplaces have been blocked off for over a decade at least. There must be quite an ecosystem of creepy crawlies going on in there.
So what if I want to open the fireplace back up and install a boiler, sewer vent, wood stove, kitchen range hood, or ventilation system? Can they be restored or must they just be treated as wasted dead space?
Can’t say for others as I’m not a builder but when we bought a house that had an unused fireplace, the chimney was kind of just plugged at the top and the fireplace itself was decorated. We had to unplug it and get rid of all the ornamental stuff and it was good to go. Mind you, when the building inspection occurred pre purchase, the builder did check to make sure the structure of the chimney was good for use.