Last week the Chimney Sweep came out and cleaned our system, but I told you that already.
I noticed (even before he came) that after Hurricane Irene, the Chimney seemed to be leaning slightly (3º or so, perhaps) to the West, which would have been consistent with the way the wind was blowing during the first part of the storm.
After the Chimney Sweep came out, I noted that the Cap itself was re-mounted more parallel with the top of the roof line, further accentuating the appearance of a slight lean to the Chimney itself.
Sunday I went up in the crawl-space attic (no small feat) and examined the chimney. I noted a very slight (what appeared to be) mis-alignment of one of the threaded screw locations (however many there are around the chimney, I dunno.......perhaps 4 or 6?) where there was a slight gap of about 3/8 of an inch in length and perhaps .200 in width. The two metal strips that were used to anchor and center the chimney between two of the rafters, were secure. If anything, I'd say that there was a slight Northward lean to the pipe, at perhaps a 5º angle.
Let me ask these questions:
A) Is the gray pipe that I could see and touch in the attic crawl space, (I know I have double-wall flue pipe, and the segments I saw before installation were black; not gray), a heat shield?
B) If it is a heat shield, is there any play or floating between the black flue pipe and the heat shield, or are
they a glove fit?
-Soupy1957
P.S. Obviously, if the Chimney Sweep (a man I trust) had seen anything that was worthy of review, I'm
sure he would tell me, and we have talked about his impressions of what he saw. (He admitted to me,
by the way, that he DIDN'T go into the narrow crawl space in the attic, all the way to the pipe itself,
but got up on the ladder at the opening to the attic and simply "looked over there"). He indicated that
there was nothing that he "saw" that concerned him.
I noticed (even before he came) that after Hurricane Irene, the Chimney seemed to be leaning slightly (3º or so, perhaps) to the West, which would have been consistent with the way the wind was blowing during the first part of the storm.
After the Chimney Sweep came out, I noted that the Cap itself was re-mounted more parallel with the top of the roof line, further accentuating the appearance of a slight lean to the Chimney itself.
Sunday I went up in the crawl-space attic (no small feat) and examined the chimney. I noted a very slight (what appeared to be) mis-alignment of one of the threaded screw locations (however many there are around the chimney, I dunno.......perhaps 4 or 6?) where there was a slight gap of about 3/8 of an inch in length and perhaps .200 in width. The two metal strips that were used to anchor and center the chimney between two of the rafters, were secure. If anything, I'd say that there was a slight Northward lean to the pipe, at perhaps a 5º angle.
Let me ask these questions:
A) Is the gray pipe that I could see and touch in the attic crawl space, (I know I have double-wall flue pipe, and the segments I saw before installation were black; not gray), a heat shield?
B) If it is a heat shield, is there any play or floating between the black flue pipe and the heat shield, or are
they a glove fit?
-Soupy1957
P.S. Obviously, if the Chimney Sweep (a man I trust) had seen anything that was worthy of review, I'm
sure he would tell me, and we have talked about his impressions of what he saw. (He admitted to me,
by the way, that he DIDN'T go into the narrow crawl space in the attic, all the way to the pipe itself,
but got up on the ladder at the opening to the attic and simply "looked over there"). He indicated that
there was nothing that he "saw" that concerned him.
