Metal roofs and burning

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Cearbhaill

Cearbhaill

Feeling the Heat
Nov 15, 2007
356
The deep end
Anyone around??

I am having a metal roof installed later this month.
I have researched online, talked to contractors, talked to my metal manufacturer and have been assured that burning wood fallout will not harm my new metal roof.
Smoke won't hurt, sparks won't hurt, and regardless I have a very comprehensive lifetime parts and labor guarantee from a firm I trust.
All is well, right?

So today I stumble on THIS photo and it scared the pants off me.

june182011077.gif


Obviously it is a bad chimney installation job- I know nothing and even I can see violations.
But... that's rust or what??

What I want is for you guys to tell me all the 100 different ways this went wrong and why it will not happen to me.
I have a stainless steel liner, spark arrestor,and am serviced every spring, I burn well seasoned wood (really), and read here and do everything I can to burn correctly.
But as I said- that photo is frightening.
I THINK it is more moisture related than burning related but please reassure me.
Thanks!
 
That picture may be more about bad wood burning habits in a non-epa stove than about problems with a metal roof. You should be fine with a proper flue and roof installation as long as you are burning correctly with dry wood and a hot enough fire during the outgassing stage.
 
Interesting thought. The roof does show a lot of history there.
 
I don't know what well casing is but I'm fairly sure it is not an approved material to use as a chimney.

So you think that damage is old and from a different arrangement?
And they kept the old flashing?
 
Possible. Might have been old rotten galvanized pipe too. The cap and pipe look much newer than the storm collar and flashing. The underside of the cap doesn't look like it's even seen a fire yet.
 
I think it's all creosote from ignorant burning. Rick

ETA: Well casing is heavy-wall pipe. The old Lopi that was in our house here in Oregon when we bought it had 8" well casing for interior connector pipe, then Class A chimney from the roof penetration to daylight. Overkill. Worked like a charm. All gone now.
 
Kind of looks like one of those "we have a couple chimney fires a year to keep the flue clean" operations. Hope they got a proper new stove with the new flue and are burning dry wood now.
 
Whatever it is, it shouldn't happen. I live in VT, a land of metal roofs, woodstoves of all vintages and no concept of what "seasoned" wood is, and I've never seen anything like this picture. I have a metal roof, high quality stainless steel chimney professionally installed (ie, not by moi, so don't ask me for specs) four years ago and have no sign of any kind of staining. This is also a land of DIYers, "What's a code?" and making it up as you go along, and I've never seen this.

In other words, if you follow the instructions and do a reasonably competent job, no worries.
 
A metal roof burner here. Looks as good as the day it was installed. That actually looks like rust stains in the pic, with creosote dripping down the old chimney that was there. Hense the reason of the new pipe which probably rotted out (assumming galv) before it burned the house down. Who knows, but sure looks nasty. Don't worry about it, get the metal roof installed and stop searching the internet for pics of people who don't know how to properly burn wood! :)
 
We see that same kind of staining on shingled roofs also. Happens from bad burning habits. The color can be anywhere from rust brown to almost black. Sometimes it is actually rust, from the metal chase pan rusting out. It seems excessive gooey creosote mixed with rain water turns into something that eats away galvanized metal and rusts it out.

Again, the ONLY time we see this is with people who do not use their fireplaces / stoves properly.
 
Another vote for rust coming off the sheet metal around the chimney . . . although I'm sure the creosote dripping out of the chimney isn't helping things either.
 
jtp10181 said:
We see that same kind of staining on shingled roofs also. Happens from bad burning habits. The color can be anywhere from rust brown to almost black. Sometimes it is actually rust, from the metal chase pan rusting out. It seems excessive gooey creosote mixed with rain water turns into something that eats away galvanized metal and rusts it out.

Again, the ONLY time we see this is with people who do not use their fireplaces / stoves properly.
Click to expand...
Kind of interesting thought on the creosote eating the galv., I used to work in a meat processing plant and the liquid smoke used in the hot dog area would eat stainless steel after a period of time. They had to install the best stainless they could get but it still ate it up.
 
gdk84 said:
Don't worry about it, get the metal roof installed and stop searching the internet for pics of people who don't know how to properly burn wood! :)
Click to expand...
:lol: You got that right- if there's a horror story I will find it.

Thanks everyone- I feel better now.

I have wanted this roof since I first saw/bought the property in '07 and this just frightened me.
The flashing frightens me, too, but the way the guy explained it they actually score into the masonry somehow- anyway, it sounded great.
Can't wait!
 
For sure that is a combination of creosote and rust. I've seen that a lot (sadly) here in MI. It is because very few fully understand the need to cut their wood ahead of time. Well, the almanac even tells them to put up their wood in November!!!!!!! And we all know, it is printed words and wisdom from days of old so it is correct. Right? Right....... :shut:
 
Rain/snow hitting the chimney smoke comming out the chimney cap at startup/cold firebox dripping down.

1. Burn hotter dry wood and no garbage; If there is a lot of smoke comming out, you will always have the problem.

2. Add a 3 or 4 feet of pipe and removing the cap, cap is directing smoke downward, might help.
 
I installed our metal roof [Galvalume] in '95. We have three stove chimneys and the fireplace [stone chimney for that one]. There are zero signs of any problems with the roof and degradation or even discoloring. We burn two of the stoves all winter. There are several problem-signs in the OP's photo and they've been covered already, so I won't go over them.

But my point is, no problem with a metal roof.
 
I've got neighbors with an even worse rust stain... and when I go by, I can smell coal burning. I have a metal roof, and quite a few of my neighbors burn wood with metal roofs, and none have marks on the roof. (Except for the guy with the coal burner)
 
I have a friend with the same stains, but on a new shingle roof after 1 season. (should have seen the old roof, ugh) He burns mostly green wood.
 
RRJ22 said:
I have a metal roof, and quite a few of my neighbors burn wood with metal roofs, and none have marks on the roof. (Except for the guy with the coal burner)
Click to expand...
Thanks!
SteveKG said:
I installed our metal roof [Galvalume] in '95. We have three stove chimneys and the fireplace [stone chimney for that one]. There are zero signs of any problems with the roof and degradation or even discoloring. We burn two of the stoves all winter. There are several problem-signs in the OP's photo and they've been covered already, so I won't go over them.

But my point is, no problem with a metal roof.
Click to expand...
Thank you!
Mine will be Galvalume, too.
 
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