Santa Took my Chimney Cap

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So wife an I were opening up presents this morning when wife looks out the back window to point out the Chimney cap that blew off last night in the winter storm we had in Chicago.
I was able to recover the cap.
My questions is It's been raining /Snowing and I now have an open Chimney any thing I can do any possible damage ?
MY second problem is My cap is about 38 ft and there so no ladder made that will reach.
I was thinking man lift ??

 

[LLigetfa]

I'd call Santa back and make him do right. Is this a brick chimney?

 

[[email protected]]

no it's stainless steel
12" OD 8" ID
I had noticed the cap had a little bit of a limp due to a few 50-60 mph wind storms but silly me to assume that they would have used a few self taping screw when they installed it

 

[[email protected]]

Here is a picture of the back of the house I am guestamating the cap is at about 36-38 ft. Now how am I going to get up there to get the cap back on and screw it in place?

 

[BrotherBart]

Time for a warranty call. Let them get the hell up there and do it right this time.

 

[snowtime]

For sure I would not go up in bad [slippery] weather. Try to get them to fix it if not I would not worry about it. It will not hurt to have it off until spring assuming you are burning 24/7. We have to take care of everything our selves as we are usually snowed in so I bought a 44' extension which does the trick for us. You could probably rent one in the spring if the installer will not come back out.

 

[[email protected]]

Installer is out of Business.
I don't burn 24/7 so my concern is snow /rain down the pipe.
Should I burn 24/7 until I can find a safe solution to fix this.
I may have a line on a 40 ft man lift in the morning

 

[maraging]

Here I showed you how to do it in ms paint.

 

[snowtime]

Man I would not cross that much roof. Get a ladder that will extend to the roof right next to the chimney. It looks like the chimney already has a ladder against it. Have a buddy help you. Like I said I have a 44' ladder and that sucker is heavy. Rent one and be sure to brace it well. I am usually alone when I use the ladder I just have major weight on bottom rung and brace the bottom so it cannot slip out. If your ladder is braced on ground and you put it up right next to chimney it should be very stable.

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, go for the Genie lift.

 

[[email protected]]

That's some funny stuff right there.
Roof is a 12 /12 Pitch I am crazy and will go up there in Summer but not with the weather we been having.
I have yet to find anything longer than a 36ft extension and the problem is that the ground is not level due to the english in the corner.
So should i be having a fire or no ?
I will figure out fixing it in the am if this snow stops and the 30 mph winds

 

[BrotherBart]

Turn up the thermostat.

 

[derecskey]

You must be burning all the trees they cut down to install your yard?

 

[Chad S.]

I have a buddy thats a 20 year shingle roofer and hes NUTS! Just be like him and run up there like a squierrel :exclaim: But seriously, if you are not used to working that high up and it would make you terrified you have no business being up there.

 

[[email protected]]

I do not have a problem with the heights and can work with them but crazy and stupid are 2 different things.
Hope I can line up the lift if not I will be trying to find a crazy wanting to risk his life for a few bucks

 

[Shari]

A thought for the future: A skylight that opens completely in that bedroom nearest the chimney would make fairly easy access assuming that bedroom has a cathedral ceiling......

Shari

 

[rowerwet]

at my parents old house we had a scarier roof 3+ stories victiorian with lots of pitches, in the middle of winter the cap seals it self shut (lots of creosote) from almost 4 story external run, my dad and mom go up in the attic and he nails cleats to the icy roof while she feeds out the rope from his waist, tied to the old iron bed in the room...fun times!
after that we never got a cap again, just pulled the bottom clean out cap off also (also outside) to let the rain and birds out when not burning.

 

[quads]

Call around. Roofers, chimney sweeps, handymen, firemen, TV antenna installers, somebody must be able to handle a job like that.

 

[xman23]

Your going to need to get up there sooner or later so I'd use this problem to work out how your going to do it. That said I would only do this if the roof was dry and you are comfortable with using and being on ladders this high. So I would get a 35 or 40 ft ladder to reach the gable roof next to the chimney. To walk up the 12/12 roof, lay a small ladder next to the chimney chase, secure it from sliding with a rope over the top of the roof, tied off to the ground. Used a small section ladder from the roof side of the chimney to get to the cap. Well that's how I would go about it.

With out the cap you're going to get rain water in, which has to go somewhere, either into the stove or running out of connector's into the chimney chase. Maybe someone who runs without a cap can comment. I don't have a screen on my cap and the stove gets a bit damp during the summer down pours.

Tom

 

[fespo]

With all the trees you cut down in your yard, you will have to look me up in the spring for trees. I sell them real cheap. I can you some shade for about $75.00 for a 3"-4" tree and bushes for $9.00 each.


Now for the cap just wait untill the roof is clean, no ice snow or wind

 

[LLigetfa]

Park a pickup the right distance from the wall and put the base of the ladder in the bed of the truck. Tie off the ladder to the front and back of the pickup and as long as the keys are in your pocket, it will be safe. I'm sure everyone has heard the urban legend where the guy tied a rope to his pickup to clean his chimney and the wife drove off with the truck.

 

[[email protected]]

YEa 2-4 Inchs of Snow and 20+ mph winds
My luck keeps on getting better

 

[begreen]

Rain and wind are going to play havoc at times with that flue. Maybe it's time to have the chimney swept? Tell him while he's at it to reattach the cap and this time use screws.

http://www.woodheat.org/chimneys/wind.htm

 

[[email protected]]

I sweep it myself from the bottom up.
I called a few sweeps to see if they would come out and they all said NO

 

[cycloxer]

I feel bad for you guys. I can walk onto my roof and access my chimney via a step ladder.

My friend has a pita chimney like that. He rented a cherry picker to work on the crown and liner. It's either that or bust out the 40 ft ladder and climbing harness.

Do you know any tree service climbers who'd be willing to go up there?