1960's tile lined flue...

[KaptJaq]

A number of trees had fallen in a neighbor's yard during Sandy. I helped him clean up and split him about a cord of white oak. He has two masonry fireplaces. One was built with the house in 1954. The other was part of a room added in 1968. He started a fire in the newer fireplace. Some smoke slithered into the room from above the trim at the top of the wood paneled wall near the ceiling. He let the fire go out and we checked. The chimney is one layer thick of brick around a 1" thick 8"x12" tile flue. Looked solid until I pulled the top tile liner. It came right up. The tiles are sitting one on top of the other with no mortar between them. They also have no mortar between the tiles and the brick. While they do not move in any direction horizontally if you grab the top edge you can pull them straight up. I've never seen a flue built like this before.

He burns ambiance fires in a masonry fireplace. There are a very good set of doors so he can control the air fairly well. I think he got the smoke because of negative pressure in the house. The windows were closed and the clothes dryer was running. My guess is the mortar on the outer brick skin is cracked someplace between the chimney and the house.

Now my question, how can it be fixed?

KaptJaq

 

[webbie]

Masonry is not smoke tight....usually. You could probably take any chimney over 2 years old and smoke would leak out through mortar joints, etc.

I've seen it leak out through welds on steel stoves!

I'd say that is a severely defective chimney! If it were short enough, one possible fix is to remove all the tiles (break or lift them out) and then drop them back in with mortar, etc. and then make sure you also check and parge the smoke chamber.

Another option is to remove them and install a rectangular ss liner (they make them) instead of the tiles.