Another rebuild...same old problems.

[Yagminas Masonry and Wood-heat]

I'm rebuilding yet another brick chimney and here's what I usually see upon demo. No clearance to framing and poor mortar joints in the flue. I'm starting to find it is good practice to snap pics to show the customer. Sometimes it leads to more work....

 

[begreen]

You would have loved our fireplace and chimney. 80+ years old, mortar was returning to sand. Framing touching the brick in multiple locations. I also found 3 buried, stove take offs on the single, unlined flue from past owners. I have no idea how many were active at one time. When they were sealed up, they just put on a metal plate or in one case a coffee can, then plastered or drywalled right against them. Add a few earthquakes during the chimney's life and you can see why I never ran it without a liner. When we got the house, there was a Majestic insert slammed into the fireplace. I wouldn't run the thing til a liner was installed. And it was out of there after 2 seasons when we could afford to put in a pellet stove.