A few "thin" places in between my mortar joints (clay flue)

[CHeath]

Hey guys,

Just sent the ol gopro down the tile flue. Looks good, no cracks but there are 1 or 2 of the 20 tiles that have some thinner joints than others. This was like this from new because theres nothing in the cleanout. Is there some type of apparatus one can run down in the to fill those gaps even? I know heat shield can do ALL of the chimney but I dont need it all done plus they want about $3000 to do it.

Thanks

 

[bholler]

Hey guys,

Just sent the ol gopro down the tile flue. Looks good, no cracks but there are 1 or 2 of the 20 tiles that have some thinner joints than others. This was like this from new because theres nothing in the cleanout. Is there some type of apparatus one can run down in the to fill those gaps even? I know heat shield can do ALL of the chimney but I dont need it all done plus they want about $3000 to do it.

Thanks

Heat sheild is the only thing I know of and honestly I dont see that it makes much sense in most cases you can line it with stainless for similar if not less money.

 

[CHeath]

Heat sheild is the only thing I know of and honestly I dont see that it makes much sense in most cases you can line it with stainless for similar if not less money.

I see your point but every application is different. To do a SS liner my 6x6 tiles would have to come out. Doubling the price. And since they have no cracks I don't see them needing to come out.

 

[bholler]

I see your point but every application is different. To do a SS liner my 6x6 tiles would have to come out. Doubling the price. And since they have no cracks I don't see them needing to come out.

That should not even come close to doubling the price. Do you have proper clearances from the chimney?

 

[CHeath]

That should not even come close to doubling the price. Do you have proper clearances from the chimney?

What do you mean?

 

[bholler]

What do you mean?

Do you have the required 1" clearance from the outside of the chimney to any combustible material if the chimney is external or 2" for an internal chimney? If not you should be considering an insulated liner for safety anyway. And breakout should not be anywhere near doubling the price. Double the labor price yeah maybe but not double the whole price.

 

[CHeath]

Do you have the required 1" clearance from the outside of the chimney to any combustible material if the chimney is external or 2" for an internal chimney? If not you should be considering an insulated liner for safety anyway. And breakout should not be anywhere near doubling the price. Double the labor price yeah maybe but not double the whole price.

Thanks for the help first of all. My chimney is huge. It has 3 flues. 2 for the fireplace which I don't use it's on the living room floor and one flue down into my unfinished basement. In the basement the base of my chimney at the bottom is 4 foot by 6 foot. There are no combustibles except in the rafters in the attic. And my entire chimney is conderblock with brick on the outside of it. Not sure if it has chimney bricks on the outsides of the flue clay or not.

 

[bholler]

There are no combustibles except in the rafters in the attic.

What about floor framing? walls?

 

[CHeath]

Do you have the required 1" clearance from the outside of the chimney to any combustible material if the chimney is external or 2" for an internal chimney? If not you should be considering an insulated liner for safety anyway. And breakout should not be anywhere near doubling the price. Double the labor price yeah maybe but not double the whole price.

Thanks for the help first of all. My chimney is huge. It has 3 flues. 2 for the fireplace which I don't use it's on the living room floor and one flue down into my unfinished basement. In the basement the base of my chimney at the bottom is 4 foot by 6 foot. There are no

What about floor framing? walls?

Well yea I have all that but my chimney is bricked, with cinderblocks under that and then clay flue. If my clay cracks it would have to get through the cinderblock AND the bricks before getting to any combustibles. I think that's what you are asking?

 

[bholler]

If my clay cracks it would have to get through the cinderblock AND the bricks before getting to any combustibles. I think that's what you are asking?

No I am asking about the clearance that is required because of the fact that masonry is a very good conductor of heat and in a chimney fire there can be enough heat transferred through that masonry to cause a fire. Here is the code.
http://www.rumford.com/code/clearances.html

 

[CHeath]

No I am asking about the clearance that is required because of the fact that masonry is a very good conductor of heat and in a chimney fire there can be enough heat transferred through that masonry to cause a fire. Here is the code.
http://www.rumford.com/code/clearances.html

Yes we are all good there. My house was built in 1980. All brick. There's some drywall around the chimney but there's more than 1 or 2 inches from touching it.

 

[bholler]

Yes we are all good there. My house was built in 1980. All brick. There's some drywall around the chimney but there's more than 1 or 2 inches from touching it.

So no framing in the walls at all in a 1980 house??? And the floor framing isn't touching the chimney? The roof framing isn't touching it? What is that drywall mounted to? It is really very rare to find a house that has proper clearances. Yours could be one of the few I dont know.

 

[CHeath]

So no framing in the walls at all in a 1980 house??? And the floor framing isn't touching the chimney? The roof framing isn't touching it? What is that drywall mounted to? It is really very rare to find a house that has proper clearances. Yours could be one of the few I dont know.

I'll be honest I'm lost. Thanks for helping tho. I was just asking about my clay joints. Seriously tho, thanks.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I think the takeaway here is that we all wish bholler lived in a town close to us so we could hire him to come do inspections/maintenance on our heating systems! There is no one around me that seems as knowledgeable.

 

[bholler]

I'll be honest I'm lost. Thanks for helping tho. I was just asking about my clay joints. Seriously tho, thanks.

I understand that you were just asking about the joints. But if your chimney is already non code compliant I would not spend any money fixing those joints when for similar money or less you could have an insulated stainless liner that will be compliant safer and perform better.

 

[CHeath]

I think the takeaway here is that we all wish bholler lived in a town close to us so we could hire him to come do inspections/maintenance on our heating systems! There is no one around me that seems as knowledgeable.

ill agree here. Thanks Bholler