Chimney

Looking to put a new woodstove in..thinking about a pre-fab triple wall chimney for the stove..Any thoughts on this compared to a cement block style? Should I box the chimney in for extra insulation and what is the easiest way to clean it

I would put a pre fab double wall chimney in. If your going to have alot of chimney exposed to the outside you might consider a insulated chase to enclose it. There are lots of brands out there. Check out simpson duravent, metal fab, selkirk metalbestos, amerivent, security chimney. Thats all i can think of off the top of my head.

should I leave it up to an installer or could I tackle it myself being relatively handy but never putting one up?

Yes, if you can frame, and twist lock pipe together you can do it. You have to pay real close attention to clearances, overall chimney hight, minumium elbows, keep as much of the chimney in the building envelope as possible, and most important, pull a permit.

yeah I agree, I wil probably get an overall estimate and then go from there. I could probably do it but if its only gonna save me $100 then I would say the heck with it, my time is worth more than that with the 18month old!