Chimney Liner/Repair Options/Opinions Wanted

[rdust]

I had the chimney I was planning to use for my wood stove and my fireplace chimney cleaned/inspected and it was determined the chimney tiles had some cracks and several spots where the tiles are shifted with gaps. I'm wondering what my best options are here. The chimney company I had inspect it and sweep it wants a crazy amount of money to repair the chimney for the wood stove and the fireplace.(6K+) I'm not worried about the fireplace, I can go without using that for now. My main concern is getting the chimney for the stove safe and usable.

My thinking is to break out the clay tiles and then install a flexible SS liner with either poured or wrapped insulation. I don't believe I can just drop the liner down without insulation due to the cracked/gapped tiles, is my thinking correct here? I don't think I can get a 6" liner wrapped with insulation down with the clay tiles still in it, I have to take a good measurement before I'll know for sure. Has anyone ever used a tile breaker? Am I kidding myself thinking I can break the tiles out myself? Can they be knocked out from the top or do I need to make an access hole below?(the company quoted it with a bottom access hole) The chimney is 30-35' tall so it's a pretty large job. I figure I can rent a sky lift with a boom if I don't want to mess with the roof(steep pitch), order the tile breaker and rods and insulated liner and still be WAY ahead of the 6k price quoted to do this job.

I've also considered putting in a Class A in the corner of the family room and running up through the corner of the bedroom and pop it out the roof. Only problem with this is it'll look goofy on the roof with a lone chimney since it'll have to extend above the roof line which will make it pretty tall.

Any other suggestions, ideas or advice?

 

[Pagey]

Post up another pic of your chimney, rdust. I forgot what it looks like.

 

[rdust]

Outside shot?

 

[Pagey]

Yeah, outside. Wow, that's a lot of chimney. Part of me wants to say it would probably be cheaper to go with a new Class A system, but if you can successfully use an insulated 5.5" liner and get it down the existing chimney, it would cut down on the "eye sore" of having a lot of Class A showing outside. How far up the roof line would a Class A system exit if you installed in the room you mentioned?

 

[rdust]

Forgive my crude attempt with MS paint. lol This is about the corner of the room. I think the problem is it would have to be 2 feet higher then the chimney since it's within 10' of it?

 

[rdust]

Another idea was to poke it out the side below my crude drawing and then move it over toward the chimney so they would be near each other and be less of an eye sore. Issue I have with this is an exposed chimney for the full length may not like the cold.

 

[Pagey]

Yeah, between the pitch of your roof and the height of the masonry, a Class A would have to be pretty high. Either way you go, let me be clear: I do NOT envy you come cleaning time. :bug:

 

[Todd]

Is an insulated liner required if only a few tiles are cracked? Measure your inside diameter of your flue tile. If it's like mine 6"x 10." you won't get a 6" liner down unless you remove the tiles. Even a 5.5" would be tight with insulation. a 6" liner's outside diameter is more like 6.25". You could also install a liner and pour thermix down around it, that would insulated and strengthen the whole chimney. I considered doing this but my draft is great with just the 5.5".

 

[Wet1]

Is an insulated liner required if only a few tiles are cracked?

Technically, I believe the answer is "yes".

With that said, there's a good chance only the top tile or two is cracked (as Pook was suggesting). A lot of times moisture is what does the damage, and the top tiles take the most beating. It might be worthwhile to send a camera down to inspect the entire chimney. Busting out 35' of clay liner sounds like a major PITA!

 

[rdust]

It might be worthwhile to send a camera down to inspect the entire chimney. Busting out 35' of clay liner sounds like a major PITA!

I agree on the tiles but if it has to be done my time is cheaper then paying someone else to do it! I actually have pictures from when the sweep inspected it, I just don't know at what point in the chimney the were taken. I'll try to post them up tonight.

I think it would draft fine with the 5.5" liner since it's so tall. I assume they make an adapter to go from 6" from the stove to the 5.5" liner? If I can get a 5.5" liner down and use a pour in installation would that work?

 

[Todd]

It might be worthwhile to send a camera down to inspect the entire chimney. Busting out 35' of clay liner sounds like a major PITA!

I agree on the tiles but if it has to be done my time is cheaper then paying someone else to do it! I actually have pictures from when the sweep inspected it, I just don't know at what point in the chimney the were taken. I'll try to post them up tonight.

I think it would draft fine with the 5.5" liner since it's so tall. I assume they make an adapter to go from 6" from the stove to the 5.5" liner? If I can get a 5.5" liner down and use a pour in installation would that work?

Yes they have adapters. Usually the 5.5" tee's have a 5.5" connector where the liner attaches and 6" where the snout attaches to the thimble and stove pipe. Hart's hearth sells the pour in thermix insulation, I think it's $40 per bag. What is your flue's inside diameter?

 

[rdust]

What is your flue's inside diameter?

I tried to get some good measurements tonight, best I can figure without getting up to the top is roughly 6 1/2" x 10 or 10 1/2". I'm thinking I can maybe fit an oval liner or the 5 1/2 with insulation.

 

[BrotherBart]

Probably 7X11 inside dimension tiles. You might as well figure out how to get up there and find out. You are going to be going back and forth up there a lot if you are going to do this job.

 

[rdust]

Probably 7X11 inside dimension tiles. You might as well figure out how to get up there and find out. You are going to be going back and forth up there a lot if you are going to do this job.

This is true! I'll either be building a platform or my brothers friend has a sky lift I may be able to rent.

 

[fraxinus]

There are at least three poured in place liner systems. The only one I've had direct experience is Supaflu (www.supaflu.com). Unless things have changed dramatically in the last 4-5 years, these systems are cost competitive with ss liners when all is said and done, unless you're doing all the work yourself. To me, the great advantages of poured in place liners is that they become and integral part of the chimney and are self-insulating.

 

[ansehnlich1]

There are at least three poured in place liner systems. The only one I've had direct experience is Supaflu (www.supaflu.com). Unless things have changed dramatically in the last 4-5 years, these systems are cost competitive with ss liners when all is said and done, unless you're doing all the work yourself. To me, the great advantages of poured in place liners is that they become and integral part of the chimney and are self-insulating.

I had a sweep tell me every time they run a brush down a poured in place liner it gets a little bigger.

 

[Wet1]

And how do you get them out should you want or need to???

 

[fraxinus]

ansehnlich1: The sweep who told you poured in place liners grow larger each time they're cleaned doesn't by any chance sell and install stainless steel liners, does he? More seriously, I've never heard of a poured in place liner being damaged in any way by normal cleaning. That's not to say it couldn't happen if the mix itself was defective when poured.

Wet1: You're absolutely correct that a poured in place liner is permanent and non-removable. Whether you regard that as an advantage or disadvantage is entirely a personal opinion. With a relatively new chimney in good shape ss liners are probably fine, although I can't really think why taking one out would ever be necessary or desirable. For old chimneys, especially ones with no lining of any kind, the poured option seems to me much better.

 

[rdust]

Is my thinking right that if I use a rectangular liner that is 5x6 which has a area of 30 would work fine since a 6" pipe has an area of 28.xx? Will round versus rectangular made a difference with draft?

 

[dvellone]

Is my thinking right that if I use a rectangular liner that is 5x6 which has a area of 30 would work fine since a 6" pipe has an area of 28.xx? Will round versus rectangular made a difference with draft?

Round drafts better than square/rectangle. The smoke spirals smoothly up the flue unlike in the square configuration with corners which slows down the draft a bit.
Lots of folks use square/rectangle flues without a problem but you may want to refer to the stove manufacturer for flue requirements. They may specify what size square/rectangle. If not their tech. dept. should be able to help you out.