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If possible, plan your flue location to fall between the building’s ceiling joists and the rafters. The 6-in-dia. Pipe requires a 121⁄4-in. Square frame to hold the chimney support bucket—the ceiling fixture that carries the inside end of the chimney.
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Installing a chimney cap can help to prevent mold, mildew and moisture from damaging your home, while the mesh cage reduces fire hazards and keeps birds, squirrels and other animals out of the chimney.
- Before you purchase a chimney cap, measure the top of the chimney, also called the “crown,” as well as the individual flue, or flues, that will need to be covered. We have two flues here and it was a tight fit finding a cap with a footprint that was larger than the two openings combined, but smaller than the crown.
- After dry fitting the cap, remove any flaking mortar or sealant from the crown of the chimney.
- This style of cap is a hinged cage with flanges all around the base. Use a drill with a masonry bit to drill pilot holes into the concrete crown at several points along each side of the cage. Then drive masonry screws through the flange, into these holes to secure the cage to the crown.
- Attach the “roof” of the cap to the cage. In this case, there are four screws that secure the top in place.
- If the crown is in poor condition, mix some mortar to fill in the cracks. Use a trowel to spread the mortar over the surface, including the flange of the chimney cap. Sculpt the mortar so that it slopes down from the center of the crown in all directions. This will encourage water to roll off of the crown rather than puddling.
Could it be that water is coming inside because we don’t not had chimney shield on it
Adding a heating appliance to your home can often cost more than the price of the appliance and its installation. Unless you’re talking about electrical- resistance baseboard units, your new heater will create warmth through combustion, and, in the process, waste gases that must be expelled from the living area. So, in addition to the fireplace, furnace or heater, you’ll need a chimney—and here’s where things can get difficult. Masonry chimneys are big undertakings.
Not only is the cost of materials—brick or block, mortar and liner—a consideration, but the labor involved in laying the chimney is more than what most homeowners have in mind for a weekend project. Masonry chimneys require a foundation and may involve significant alterations to the house—especially if the chimney is inside. Thankfully, there’s an alternative.
Specially designed metal chimneys are available to handle a wide range of heating appliances—from wood-burning stoves to conventional furnaces. Faced with the need for a chimney in a garage/workshop conversion, we opted for a Metalbestos insulated stainless steel chimney manufactured by Selkirk Inc., 14801 Quorum Dr., Dallas, TX 75240; www.selkirkusa.com. The Metalbestos system we used, the Model SSII Type HT, features double-wall, insulated stainless steel pipe that’s available with inside diameters of 6, 7 and 8 in. The lengths simply thread together for fast assembly.
In addition to the pipe, you’ll need various components to support and finish your chimney. These are available in kits tailored to the specific types of installation. We used a flat ceiling kit with which the chimney is supported on the ceiling joists. Other kits include a pitched ceiling kit that handles cathedral ceilings and a kit for running the chimney through an exterior wall and up the side of a structure.
The big advantage of a metal chimney is ease of installation with minimal site modification. However, this convenience carries a price. A 36-in. length of the 6-in. pipe we used retails for about $118—that’s a little over $3 per inch. And, there’s the cost of the roof and support accessories. Metalbestos SSII chimney systems carry a 10-year limited warranty.
This project was originally published in the December 2000 issue of Popular Mechanics. You can find more great projects at Popular Mechanics DIY Central.
Not only is the cost of materials—brick or block, mortar and liner—a consideration, but the labor involved in laying the chimney is more than what most homeowners have in mind for a weekend project. Masonry chimneys require a foundation and may involve significant alterations to the house—especially if the chimney is inside. Thankfully, there’s an alternative.
Specially designed metal chimneys are available to handle a wide range of heating appliances—from wood-burning stoves to conventional furnaces. Faced with the need for a chimney in a garage/workshop conversion, we opted for a Metalbestos insulated stainless steel chimney manufactured by Selkirk Inc., 14801 Quorum Dr., Dallas, TX 75240; www.selkirkusa.com. The Metalbestos system we used, the Model SSII Type HT, features double-wall, insulated stainless steel pipe that’s available with inside diameters of 6, 7 and 8 in. The lengths simply thread together for fast assembly.
In addition to the pipe, you’ll need various components to support and finish your chimney. These are available in kits tailored to the specific types of installation. We used a flat ceiling kit with which the chimney is supported on the ceiling joists. Other kits include a pitched ceiling kit that handles cathedral ceilings and a kit for running the chimney through an exterior wall and up the side of a structure.
The big advantage of a metal chimney is ease of installation with minimal site modification. However, this convenience carries a price. A 36-in. length of the 6-in. pipe we used retails for about $118—that’s a little over $3 per inch. And, there’s the cost of the roof and support accessories. Metalbestos SSII chimney systems carry a 10-year limited warranty.
This project was originally published in the December 2000 issue of Popular Mechanics. You can find more great projects at Popular Mechanics DIY Central.