a few liner install questions

Ok, so I ordered and received my liner kit (flex king pro tee kit 5.5"). Can't believe how much cheaper this is than what the local store quoted me for one of their flex liners (about half the price) and free shipping that took only like 3 days.

Anyhow,the big day is fast approaching and now I am getting down to the final how-to questions since this will be my first install, well except for the Rockland liner install which I just watched the place I bought it from install duraliner.

1] The top of my clay lined masonry chimney has a chunk missing from the top edge. The kit has a terra-cotta top plate but this missing chunk will leave a gap. Can I wrap it with flashing and silicone? Or what other methods of sealing this off? And is the standard 100% silicone good enough for top plate sealing or is there a high-temp stuff I need to use?

2] The tee has a cap on the bottom, which has two holes in it, but the tee has no holes. The tee cap does not feel secure enough to not attach it permanently, is it ok to drill holes into the tee body? Then what type of fastener to use, sheet metal screw, pop rivets?

3] I havent really thought about how exactly I am going to get the liner in the chimney... can I leave it coiled onto the roof and then straighten it as I feed it down or will that be too difficult and the liner need to be straightened first like on flat ground and then slid down as one straight piece? It will only be about 15' so hopefully I can manage.

4] The instructions state the flex liners must be insulated for solid-fuel applications. I've never heard that one before and I'm sure many here have not insulated. I suppose its too late for that question anyhow. Reason I got this 5.5" liner was because anything bigger wouldnt fit, I highly doubt I could fit any insulation on it. It is an interior chimney. I can seal off the cleanout in the basement with silicone to cut down on any drafts. The inside dimensions of the chimney are about 6.5x11.25. The thimble is 8" rounds, I could at least try to insulate that if its worth anything, I have some Roxul AFB left over, not sure if that would be too thick to cram in there though.

Thanks for any help,
Tristan

Alright, thanks fellas. I have next mon-wed off so depending on weather I'll hopefully be doing the install then. Doing the burn-in fires in the Shelburne right now, outside. Can't wait to get it installed, its getting cold and we didnt buy as much propane as last year because it was more expensive this year. So far we have only burned a few days in the Rockland, been holding off until both stoves are in. Problem when I burn just the Rockland is that its in the room with the thermostat and keeps the furnace from running, the other side of the house gets pretty darn cold!

Anyone have any good ideas of how 1 person can move the Shelburne? I've got a basic dolly, and can get the stove right up to the porch (its sitting on the trailer now, about the same level as porch. But looking at how oddly shaped it is I'm not sure what the best way to tackle it will be. It has the ash pan, the back has a cast iron piece that bulges out several inches. Its also porcelain front/top/sides so I have to be careful not to scratch. Short of building some custom fitted wood cradle, is there any other easier way for one to handle? I know the common response would be to enlist the help of some friends, but we dont really have any local, and hard to get folks to help you on a big project mon-wed especially when they live an hour away. So I find myself always tackling big projects by myself.

DAKSY said:

Anyone have any good ideas of how 1 person can move the Shelburne?

If you're gonna do it on your own, you're gonna need an appliance handtruck
with AT LEAST an upper strap, but it'd be better to have one with BOTH an
upper & lower strap. If you have to rent one, you might as well see about
getting one or two heavy furniture pads to protect your investment.
If you only have a couple of steps to negotiate, you should be able to do it
by yourself, but an extra body will make a TON of difference.
BTDT

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No steps since its already on my trailer which puts it level with porch. Just the transition in the doorway, couple inches. And from the front steps of the house to the hearth is only probably 15 foot. I do have a cheapie dolly but I was unsure how to best 'attach' it due to the non-flat bottom, and dont want to crush the ash pan either. Not sure if I've ever moved anything quite as heavy as the stove on it either. Today I looked underneath the stove, and it might be easy to just take the ashpan off and then I might have a flat enough bottom to put the weight of the stove on. But since the bottom is several inches above the end of the legs, I'd have to build up the bottom of the dolly to get the legs off the ground? Or another idea I had is if I could tip the thing over onto one of these which I have a couple of: http://www.harborfreight.com/lawn-garden/wheeled-carriers/steel-mesh-deck-wagon-38137.html with that method though I am not sure how easily I could tip it back off onto the hearth.

DAKSY said:

I havent really thought about how exactly I am going to get the liner in the chimney… can I leave it coiled onto the roof and then straighten it as I feed it down or will that be too difficult and the liner need to be straightened first like on flat ground and then slid down as one straight piece? It will only be about 15’ so hopefully I can manage.

Again, this is best done with two people. One to push & one to feed...Straighten it first...I've always zip-screwed an aluminum collar to the bottom & attached a short length of plumber's strap to the collar - with zip-screws - & then tied a rope to the strapping. Feed the rope down first - with a weight if you need it - & have someone down below pull while you guide the liner down...
I can't emphasize enough to WEAR LONG LEATHER GLOVES. That stainless will most definitely have jagged edges & I have seen a co-worker slip while feeding & require 60+ stitches to reclose his forearm...
Good luck!
HTH

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Thanks for the heads up... I do generally wear gloves for just about anything. Most of my friends / wife go bare skin and give me dirty looks when I have to say hold on I got to get gloves. But I'm rather attached to my skin. I was going to make some kinda quick clamp that would support the liner that I would move up every few feet so if I dropped it, wouldnt go very far. Not really sure if I have something that will work though.

My wife will be around to help, but when it comes to moving a stove or feeding a liner I think she is more a liability. Good for eyes and to tell me 'when'. I planned on having her down looking through the thimble for the tee to show up, and maybe slipping the nose loop around the tee as it comes down. I was thinking about rigging up a pulling rope as you say, debating on trying it first though without.