joist on chimney and more

[vtfx4]

Hi, I am new hear but really new to wood burning. We bought a 1985 house (old one was 1860) this summer. The furnace was original and in real bad shape. We replaced it with a new direct vent furnace leaving an interior, centrally located, concrete block-clay lined chimney unused. After consulting with the local woodstove dealer they felt it would be fine to connect a stove to it. I built a hearth and drilled through the block and clay, then inserted a stove pipe and sealed it. Then connected our new Vermont Castings Defiant, Cat model. I've been burning the deadfall that I have cut up from our land all winter with no problems. I have only had to use about a quater tank of propane. I just removed a wall that was about three feet behind the chimney and replaced it with a beam. In doing so I discovered that a secod floor floor joist runs about an inch from the chimney. Not code I know, but is this something that has to be fixed today, or could it perhaps wait until spring? Also is the cleaning any different for a clay liner? I used to clean our old flexible steal one once per year. I have looked at the liner through the opening and it is accumulating a bit of flakes but nothing shiny.

Thanks for any advice, I have read through alot of this forum and plan on sticking around.

Ken

 

[webbie]

If the chimney is fairly tight and the liner in reasonable shape, this is probably a "can wait" job....in normal operation with a stove such as yours, that block should hardly even get warm. Any danger would require a really hot stove exhaust or a chimney fire sustained over hours. To satisfy yourself, hold your hand on the block near the wood when the stove has been running at it's very hottest for many hours. The wood should never get too hot to touch, although the block is allow to.

As far as cleaning, if that stove is properly operated you should be able to brush it once a year. Flakes, dust and fly ash should not cause any problems.

Did you install a "crock" in the wall to hook up the stove to, or just cement black pipe into the chimney? If pipe, you might want to update this with a proper thimble or a piece of rigid stainless cemented in there.....that way you won't have to take it all apart in a few years when the black pipe rots out.

 

[vtfx4]

Thanks, I will sleep a bit better. The block does not even get to hot touch, even in it's hottest spot. Now I just have to worry about the "cardboard they placed betweent he block and joist. The house but built in 1985 but I am not ruling about aspestos. They seem to have loved the stuff up here in Vermont. There are alot of building mistakes in this house that I am working to correct, so I am glad this one can wait a few months. I did cement in a stainless thimble, the stove shop was quite helpful getting me what I needed.

 

[stonehouse]

Wow, how did you go from 1860 to 1985?
You must be going nuts.
Was it your wife?
My childhood was in a 1986, then I went from 1890 to 1812.

 

[vtfx4]

Well I don't miss the uneven floors, but the new house is fairly devoid of character. We are working on that though. It was actually the land that got us to move. We went from .12 to 12 acres with the move. No more buying firewood for us.

 

[Highbeam]

I suspect that the cardboard is wither roofing paper, felt paper, or plastic. You don't want wood in contact with concrete since the wood will be compromised over time. A chemical reaction with the cement. My 1963 house used a lot of composition roofing shingles in this application.