Chimney leaks (pics included)

dafattkidd · Nov 13, 2010

Hey guys,

My chimney had been leaking. I filled some of the cracks in the crown with hydroloc cement. I've only had one rain since then but it seemed to be decent short term solution. The chimney used to be exterior, but now it's interior due to an extension in 1960 (I think). The chimney was brick, but then was wrapped in cement or mortar some time later. As you can see the mortar is cracking and falling off. We just redid the roof and couldn't really properly replace all of the flashing, because it was underneath the cement. So for now we replaced two sides of the flashing (where we could shove it up under the masonry), and tarred the crap out of the old flashing. The chimney looks hideous. I really want to do something with it to improve it's appearance. I spoke with a few chimney guys. The prices they gave me were all around $900-$1000. I do not have that right now, but I do have some time to do something myself. I am not a mason, but I am a carpenter, so I'm fairly capable. Any suggestions or ideas of a reasonable solution to improve the appearance and keep it water tight? Thanks so much.

*Also just a side note: Should I insulate the the flue at all around the 6" liner? Should I seal the flue with sheet metal? I don't think my installer did a great job. He was kind of a turd. Thanks again.

webby3650 · Nov 13, 2010

You could have water splashing off of the crown and coming in the flue and around the flue. That is not the proper top plate, the plate should seal the top of the masonry flue as well as clamp to the liner to prevent it from falling or moving around. Insulation is always a good idea, you might look into pulling it out and doing it yourself but I sure wouldn't have the liner installer do it.

Ducky · Nov 13, 2010

that honestly looks like dyvit to me.

maybe call a plastering contractor. As far as the cracks, as long as the stuff isnt falling off, use for acrylic caulk in the cracks.

Also, the trick with applying tar, (fibred is better) is the thinner you apply it, the better. cause when it gets cold it cracks.. cracks = bad. the thicker it is, the worse it handles the cold.

WARDNEAL · Nov 13, 2010

I would fill the cracks with the hydraulic cement and then find a faux stone and mortar it over the chimney.

elmoleaf · Nov 13, 2010

When you say "leaks", where do you mean? Down around the stove pipe inside the home? The ceiling in your home someplace else?

Get a proper metal plate covering the entire top of the old clay flue. That will keep water out of the clay flue and improve draft/reduce creosote by keeping your metal liner warmer.

The masonry chimney itself is another matter. It looks short. The stucco coating is failing. The stucco likely covers other problems, like failed mortar joints between bricks. It cannot be properly flashed at the roof.
Verify it's 3' tall from top of ridge to top of flue...if not, it needs to be rebuilt taller. Remove failed stucco and get all mortar joints cut out and repointed. Don't patch with sealant or anything else, since it'll prevent future repairs to the mortar. Once it's cleaned up, proper step flashing can be installed at the roof to replace the tar mess.
Good luck.

begreen · Nov 13, 2010

webby3650 said:
You could have water splashing off of the crown and coming in the flue and around the flue. That is not the proper top plate, the plate should seal the top of the masonry flue as well as clamp to the liner to prevent it from falling or moving around. Insulation is always a good idea, you might look into pulling it out and doing it yourself but I sure wouldn't have the liner installer do it.

Agreed. If the water is coming down alongside the pipe onto the top of the stove, this is what I would address first. Get a proper top plate on there. It should extend beyond the top of the clay tile pipe at least an inch on all sides. When installing, clean the top of the clay flue tile first, then put down a good sized bead of silicone adhesive (GE Silicone II works well). Then seat the new top plate with gentle pressure so that you get a nice seal all the way around the top of the flue tile. Then reinstall the top cap.

dafattkidd · Nov 13, 2010

elmoleaf said:
When you say "leaks", where do you mean? Down around the stove pipe inside the home? The ceiling in your home someplace else?

Get a proper metal plate covering the entire top of the old clay flue. That will keep water out of the clay flue and improve draft/reduce creosote by keeping your metal liner warmer.

The masonry chimney itself is another matter. It looks short. The stucco coating is failing. The stucco likely covers other problems, like failed mortar joints between bricks. It cannot be properly flashed at the roof.
Verify it's 3' tall from top of ridge to top of flue...if not, it needs to be rebuilt taller. Remove failed stucco and get all mortar joints cut out and repointed. Don't patch with sealant or anything else, since it'll prevent future repairs to the mortar. Once it's cleaned up, proper step flashing can be installed at the roof to replace the tar mess.
Good luck.

Thanks so much for all of your responses. The water comes in from the ceiling where the brick meets the ceiling. It trickles down the brick on the mantle. I'm pretty sure it's coming in from the crown of the chimney. There were some big cracks that I filled with hydrolock cement. I'm thinking pretty seriously about building a form on the crown, extending the crown to create a drip cap, and putting cement over it. Then for the sides; install nailer strips, use siding to wrap around the the chimney being sure that the crown extends past the siding. I've seen faux stone siding that looks pretty good. Does this sound like a decent solution? What are the wholes in this idea? Besides the fact that I'm not a mason.

As for the flue; I will be extending that cap to cover the whole flue and seal it. I'm going to try to stuff some insulation without the paper in the top two feet. Maybe that may help with draft. I already get pretty good draft, but it can't hurt.

nojo · Nov 13, 2010

Dont try to fix all the cracks, that is just a stupid waste of time.

Look what you need to do is break it down to roof level and rebuild it. That is what seriously needs to be done. that way you can make any repair at the junction between the roof and masonry, lay down some new flashing an make it look pretty. Its pretty simple to do. Its just going to get worse if you keep going over whats there. You dont need to be a mason to do this, brick laying isnt rocket science. Not wrecking your liner when you break it down to the roof would be the only part i'd worry about. But if you are careful, it wouldnt be a big deal. Seriously consider this. It wont cost that much and it will only take an afternoon or two.

Ronmbucket · Nov 14, 2010

I'd chip all the old stucco off,wire,and three coat with new cement.Build up the top with a few courses of brick and and add another terra cotta flue section,so a decent crown can be mortared. The terra cotta can be easily cut with a skill saw and carborundum blade. The hardest part is banging the nails into the mortar joints and getting a good bite.
You might want to remuck and fabric the flashing after you knock the loose stuff off. It looks like a drunk flashed that in.

clr8ter · Nov 14, 2010

Agree with nojo, only solution. ANY kind of tar is only a bandaid, nothing else. I bet you already know this, being a carpenter. Nice looking house & roof, though. A new chimney would just make it look better.

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Chimney leaks (pics included)

dafattkidd

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webby3650

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Ducky

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WARDNEAL

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elmoleaf

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begreen

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dafattkidd

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nojo

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Ronmbucket

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clr8ter

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