Well, after accumulating 3 stoves, 2 flex liners, 2 ladders, half a cord of wood to start, and tools and supplies to perform the install, I finally decided to give it a shot.
I set up my 50 foot ladder with the help of my father in law. (I only needed about 30 feet of it.) Then I climbed it, and realized I could never make the throw with the rope to reach the chimney. At that point a smart person calls a buddy with a knuckleboom truck, or something similar, right?
Yeah, then there's me. I tried to freeclimb a 20 foot long, 45 degree angle roof clutching a rope in my teeth. (yes, I said my fricking teeth) Almost got there. About 2 feet from the peak, I walked out of my shoe. Oops. Ah well, I didn't really want to be roping myself up and down to the chimney anyway, right? I slid down the roof back to the ladder. Little road rash, nothing bad.
Anyway, we took the 24 foot ladder, and brought it to the roof, footed it on the oil burner chimney, and made a roof ladder out of it. Once stable, I walked right up it to the chimney.
Holy crap. My chimney (1 of 4, mind you) is 4 foot wide, 18 inches across, and has 3 separate flues in it. 1 to my 2nd floor bedroom, and 2 to fireplaces that are back to back on the first floor. They meld about 6 feet down from the top of the chimney. And guess how my chimney is lined? That's right, kiddies, it's not. Once course of brick down to the attic, then it becomes 8 feet of stone.
Argh. Spent some time fabricating a sheet metal lid for the chimney, with holes for the flex liner. I made it in 2 sections, so that I can lift it off, when and if I actually pipe my bedroom fireplace. Using Tapcons (thanks Elk) to attach it to the bricks, I got the big half locked down. Then I realized that my battery drill just wasn't cuttingit on those things. Gonna go buy a hammer drill tonight, and finish the lid fab. Leaving one half off will allow me to drop/install the flex liners, and eventually to fill the airspace with bulk ceramic fiber. using the 136 stuff (thanks again Elk), to seal everything.
This is not a one day project for one guy. I have sheet metal slices on my fingers, road rash on my belly, and a new appreciation in how much I hate heights.
Just venting. Pun intended.
More later.
Joshua
I set up my 50 foot ladder with the help of my father in law. (I only needed about 30 feet of it.) Then I climbed it, and realized I could never make the throw with the rope to reach the chimney. At that point a smart person calls a buddy with a knuckleboom truck, or something similar, right?
Yeah, then there's me. I tried to freeclimb a 20 foot long, 45 degree angle roof clutching a rope in my teeth. (yes, I said my fricking teeth) Almost got there. About 2 feet from the peak, I walked out of my shoe. Oops. Ah well, I didn't really want to be roping myself up and down to the chimney anyway, right? I slid down the roof back to the ladder. Little road rash, nothing bad.
Anyway, we took the 24 foot ladder, and brought it to the roof, footed it on the oil burner chimney, and made a roof ladder out of it. Once stable, I walked right up it to the chimney.
Holy crap. My chimney (1 of 4, mind you) is 4 foot wide, 18 inches across, and has 3 separate flues in it. 1 to my 2nd floor bedroom, and 2 to fireplaces that are back to back on the first floor. They meld about 6 feet down from the top of the chimney. And guess how my chimney is lined? That's right, kiddies, it's not. Once course of brick down to the attic, then it becomes 8 feet of stone.
Argh. Spent some time fabricating a sheet metal lid for the chimney, with holes for the flex liner. I made it in 2 sections, so that I can lift it off, when and if I actually pipe my bedroom fireplace. Using Tapcons (thanks Elk) to attach it to the bricks, I got the big half locked down. Then I realized that my battery drill just wasn't cuttingit on those things. Gonna go buy a hammer drill tonight, and finish the lid fab. Leaving one half off will allow me to drop/install the flex liners, and eventually to fill the airspace with bulk ceramic fiber. using the 136 stuff (thanks again Elk), to seal everything.
This is not a one day project for one guy. I have sheet metal slices on my fingers, road rash on my belly, and a new appreciation in how much I hate heights.
Just venting. Pun intended.
More later.
Joshua
