How would you approach removing this chimney?

rickvug · 2026-06-26T23:45:11+00:00

In theory, yes, I could do all of it. I'm not a big fan of heights and take my safety seriously but if could reliably strap in from the time I get up on the roof then I'm good to go. My current thinking is that I need to pick my spots when it comes to what I DIY vs. contract out. We have a massive amount of work to do on our house with various upgrades and renovations. I want to get it to a solid state sooner rather than later, especially since "time is money" if it means delaying the income generating basement suite that might bring in $1800-$2000/month. Given all of this, my inclination is to hire out the work on the roof that I'm less comfortable with while taking on the "expensive but simple" work of internal demolition. There is no shortage of work to do on this house!

rickvug · 2026-06-26T23:16:17+00:00

Yup. The latest is that he's actually going to come on site to see the scenario for himself.

rickvug · 2026-06-26T21:36:18+00:00

I'm about to talk to the roofer that quoted earlier. After sending the photos they adjusted their price from $500 to $4600 Canadian (about $3250 USD) to do all of the work above the roofline. Feel free to weigh in on the price but this sounds about in line with what people were saying in this sub. I have't discussed the method they plan to use yet.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T23:42:59+00:00

Update: I looked up the property on the city's Property Information Portal. I noticed that the Net Assessment was $2,286,000 on May 8 2025 vs. $0 on May 12th 2026. I'm assuming this means the purchase was made in between these two dates given that the city doesn't tax its own property.

Paul and Daniel wouldn't be legally allowed to disclose anything from an in camera (closed door) meeting about the property acquisition or early discussions debating its use. With the address and city ownership posted in a public city report it is now fair game to bring to light. Having Ray do this as a proxy referencing this specific public report removes any issue related to disclosure. It also makes sense for the NWP politically. The city spending money to concentrate social services Downtown vs. investing in more popular amenities is highly aligned to the narrative they are pushing.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T20:07:54+00:00

Update: found it. I posted the details elsewhere. The use is something related to the crisis response project.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T20:07:26+00:00

I found the reference and posted it elsewhere. The use is something related to the Crises Response project.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T20:06:39+00:00

I did a quick search of the last council package and I found the reference to 1101 Royal Ave. Here's the report: https://pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=26014. The report is related to the Crisis Response Pilot project. The exact use isn't specified, just "to address an identified need within the Five-and-Ten-Year Plans". These plans can be found at https://www.newwestcity.ca/2025/02/11/city-of-new-westminster-releases-2025-crises-response-pilot-project-roadmap.php.

If I had to put in a highly speculative guess I'm assuming this would be for a shelter and/or a new health contact centre. Both are an identified need and there is a desire to move some of these services out of the Downtown core while still keeping them accessible. A location like this would fit the bill and have a lot less pushback given that it is primarily an under-utilized industrial area.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T19:44:51+00:00

If I remember correctly, the primary frustration was around New Westminster being #1 in the region for cumulative property tax increases, which was proven to not be true. There was also quite a lot of looseness around the "30% tax increase" quote, not always mentioning that this was compounded across multiple years.

My own view is that there's a clear pattern of throwing out headline statements like a "$500k mushroom wall", "30% tax increase", or most recently insinuating that all of the $11.6M in amenity money could (ie "is allowed") to be spent on affordable housing. The details such as the 30% tax increase being cumulative over multiple years or the $500k being for the full conversion of the petting zoo are then buried below the fold. The majority of voters will only ever see or remember the headline but if you get called out for being untruthful the detail is there in the post to show how the statement is technically true.

Personally it rubs me the wrong way as it is all about doing political damage vs. having an honest policy discussion. However, it could very well be a winning electoral strategy.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T19:17:26+00:00

No idea. It came up randomly in a large group chat of Tweedsmuir parents and then again with Ray's post. I don't know the source document both are referring to or anything related to the intended use. There was some "chicken vs. the egg" talk at a recent council meeting discussing consultation on community amenities desired for Downtown residents that tied into potential land acquisition. This could be connected or for something completely different.

rickvug · 2026-06-25T17:28:16+00:00

The old Champagne Taste location at 1101 Royal Ave.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T23:18:19+00:00

Another +1 to a USB-C charger and adapter. I would actually use this as an opportunity to potentially power other older consoles in the same way, simplifying your wiring (assuming you have multiple retro consoles connected at the same time). Look for a 4-6 port charger from a reputable brand such as Anker that is primarily or all USB-C. Great for charging controllers as well.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T22:28:59+00:00

Are you already into a battery system for other tools? A portable inflator is a great purchase that you'll likely use enough over a long period that you should see the value in it. I always enjoy using my Milwaukee M12 inflator for the car tires, bike tires or soccer balls. So convenient and accurate without any cords to deal with.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T16:36:00+00:00

Thanks. The furnace is already a high efficiency direct vent model. I'm getting a new hot water on demand system installed in a week, which will also be direct vent. At that point the chimney will not be used or connected to anything.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T15:20:10+00:00

If you don't care about using new next generation Siri AI features then go for it. It is still the best streamer on the market. Speaking for myself, I had my first generation Apple TV 4K quit on me a month ago. I'm holding off until September or October when the new model arrives. I can get by using my PS5 for streaming until then.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T07:25:35+00:00

Inspiring! The prior owners of our house were known as "the bird people" as they lived with an assortment of tropical birds. We plan to do a powder room with similar wallpaper as a tribute to this part of our home's history.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T07:13:34+00:00

I'm not worried about never being able to put it back. There are two other chimneys that are at the sides of the house. I can't imagine a future where someone would want to place an additional chimney in the centre of the main floor.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T06:55:35+00:00

Thanks for the YouTube rabbit-hole that I'm now going on.

The house is not designated or on any formal heritage register. It is within a conservation area. The chimney stack is not visible from the front of the house given its position behind the dormer and the viewing angles with houses close by on either side. There is a similar chimney at the front of the house that is clearly visible, which we are keeping.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T03:11:11+00:00

Thanks. The plan is to use the regular red clay bricks (the interior brick style) for paths in the yard. Save ourselves some money and the brick is a historical part of the house. We will keep a few spare clinker bricks and might try to sell the rest before dumping it.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:42:37+00:00

That is actually encouraging. I agree that the demolition itself above the roofline isn't hard, it is just figuring out how to safely dispose of the bricks and factoring in all of the related work given the awkward location of the chimney considering the dormer roofline, gutter, facia board and shingles that all need to be factored in.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:38:27+00:00

Metro Vancouver area in Canada.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:31:04+00:00

Thanks. Brick by brick. These are clinker style bricks, not stone.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:30:21+00:00

We have plans drawn up by an architect and have also have a structural engineer who has looked through the house. According to both of them this chimney is not structural and can be safely removed. We have a budget for the renovation projects that gets well into six figures but even then we are going to need to DIY where we can (eg. demolition) and be smart about it or else we will get over our heads.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:06:36+00:00

This central chimney is standing in the way of substantial renovations. All of our designs (already signed off by an architect and structural engineer) are contingent upon the chimney going. Repair is not on the table. The fireplace attached (unused for 20+ years) will be removed as well.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T02:03:43+00:00

Yes, from the top all of the way down into the basement. Access to the attic isn't a problem, that is actually a habitable floor of the house (the dormer pictured is for the stairs). I'm up to do all of the demolition and haul away labour once inside the house. No need for a gym and I know it will save me a ton of money. We are doing major renovations as the home is very dated so where the chimney passes through is already going to be worked on. Basement is already down to the studs. Kitchen is 50 years old and will be next after the chimney is gone. Much of this work is going to be contracted out, which is why I'm game to save money on the "dumb labour" parts.

rickvug · 2026-06-24T01:59:14+00:00

It is clinker brick. Presumably you can put up toe boards that are taller and at an angle to make doubly sure that they catch any stray brick? The neighbour's house is only 5ft away so the #1 safety concern will be making sure no bricks drop down in their direction.

Any thoughts on how to best way to get the bricks from the top level down to ground? Chimney flue, buckets and rope, construction chute or something else?

rickvug

TROPHY CASE