Very often chimney stacks appear to be safe and only come to notice when something falls off..

By the time a chimney stack gets into this condition it could be to late, often large pieces of stone fall and even the complete stack collapses causing considerable damage.

The best way to keep this problem in check is to carry out stack surveys every two years and keep the records of them up to date.

Stack surveys are notoriously difficult to carry out as most of the inspection is from the outside, it is most important to visually inspect the internal bridgework and stone condition.