How much chimney lean is acceptable?

Jimmy Garlic

I was up in the attic of my aunts house today (i am going about getting a stove installed for her) and I noticed that there is a slight lean in the chimney. The house is a bungalow built in the 1970s.

The lean isn't extreme, maybe a five degrees, but it is noticeable by eye and on a plumb line. There are also a few minor cracks near the top of the chimney inside the attic, hairline cracks more than anything else, none more than 1mm. I can't make up my mind if it moved out of square or if it was built out of square.

Do I have something to worry about here or am I just nitpicking?

Gumbo

Safe thing to do would be to get it checked. Wouldn't cost too much time. An engineer for an hour or two should be reasonable. That should allow for travel to site, spend some time viewing issue and then think it over and decide if it's an issue or not.

BryanF

Get a structural engineer. Best to do this before the stove is lit. We can't offer structural advice her. Best of luck

Victor

It may be nothing, but it may be concealing a more serious issue. It might be useful to have the chimney flue looked at also.

Calahonda52

I would get the chimney surveyed by a stove guy as most engineers wont have the kit to take a video of inside.
They can also do a smoke test.
The quys now come with a cherry picker so its easy to get up close and comfortable:)

They will tell you if there is a bigger issue that needs looking at