That old chimney in Savannah gave me second thoughts

I was down in Savannah last month checking out some historic homes and noticed this one brick chimney that was leaning pretty bad. Like visibly tilting maybe 3 or 4 degrees off plumb. The homeowner said it's been like that for years and they just sweep it and move on. Has anyone else run into a situation where a chimney is structurally questionable but still in use? I had to tell them it's probably not safe but I'm curious what you all would do if the owner doesn't want to pay for a rebuild.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_karen1d ago

What about the fire risk from hidden cracks inside the mortar?

avery_walker302d ago

Oh come on, is it really that big of a deal? Old houses settle all the time, a little lean just gives it character if you ask me. I've seen chimneys that look like they're about to tip over last another 20 years no problem. Unless it's actively dropping bricks or pulling away from the house, I'd probably just monitor it and not lose sleep over it. Seems like a lot of fuss over something that's been standing for decades.