Am I foolish to try getting chimney stack repointed during winter?

[WestVirginian]

Hi everyone--

Just had chimney inspected by the local chimney sweep, in anticipation of buying a woodstove for our primary heating source. Among other things, he said that our 80-year-old chimney stack is about to fall over, and that we need to fix it before we even think about getting a liner installed. The chimney stack is literally falling over, so it would probably be a total rebuild, instead of just repointing. It's a 7-foot chimney, so it would be a serious job.

I was REALLY hoping to get a woodstove before winter is over, to defray the cost of gas. But I called a local, well respected mason, who kindly said it might be a bad choice to rebuild the chimney stack during the winter (we live in north central West Virginia, and are looking to have a pretty harsh winter).

So am I stuck waiting until Spring? Any thoughts? I'm sort of hoping that someone has a creative solution to how I can temporarily install a liner despite the chimney stack being in a state of disrepair.

But having said all that, if I have to then I'd much rather do it right and wait until Spring, than do it half-assed just so I can get it a few months earlier.

Any guidance/ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks. Ian

 

[Mike Wilson]

The chance of you buying (and receiving) a stove and actually having it installed before February is probably slim to nil. Therefore, I'd wait until spring, when you have time to completely evaluate the idea, shop the pointing job around, and not pay for a stove during peak season. Plus, as I understand it, having cement work done in the winter is ill advised.

YMMV...

Mike

 

[DonCT]

I agree with Mike. Wait till spring. Spend the winter researching and planning. That way when you do get ready to rebuild the stack and get the stove, you will be much more prepared and probably get a better price. That is what I'm doing and I think it will work out well. I can get everything lined up and designed the way I want them. Bite the bullet and just think about how great it will feel next winter when you can enjoy the benifits of a job well done!!

My momma always said "Haste makes waste"

 

[BrotherBart]

Rebuilding a masonary chimney just to put a liner up it to run a woodstove does not make sense. Tear the sucker down and put up an exterior double wall Class A stove pipe.

Save a ton of money and have a good chimney for the stove.