BDM Insulflue

[EatenByLimestone]

Has anybody here heard of a thimble "unit" called Insuflue? I just ordered one for a masonry chimney I'm putting up. I did a search, but could not find anything. I found a website for the company, but could not find any testimonials from any users.


TIA
Matt

 

[BrotherBart]

Are you talking about Insul-Flue thimbles?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yes. The book copy the store gave me does not have the dash, but the web page does.

http://www.dalsinmfg.com/links/insul_flue.html

The thimble is pricey too! More than my chimney is costing to the roof line. (I haven't picked up the blocks for the section above the roof yet.)

I'm hoping it is a safe product and worth the cost. The thimble area seems like it would be more dangerous than the area around the woodstove. I'm a bit nervous about the heat trapped in the wall with the framing, etc. I picked up a clay thimble, but the codes made it look like I will would have to cut out a section of the wall that is wider than the chimney.

Matt

 

[BrotherBart]

I took a look and Hart's Hearth, Chimney Depot and dozens of other reputable hearth products dealers sell them. That would give me a lot of confidence in them.

I bet Craig knows about them and will be along to comment.

 

[elkimmeg]

Honestly I have not seen that thimble during my inspections, But one installer uses BDM liners I have read their literature
Inspected them, they seem to be of decent quality. You are using that thimble to pass threw a combustiable wall or just as you chimney outlet? If just your chimney outlet then why not a clay flue stub?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The thimble must pass though a 6" combustible wall, an air space of around 2" and then into the 16x16 block. I didn't want to use the clay tube because I figured it would be a pretty good conductor of heat. The amount of insulation required around it would have me cutting back the vinyl (Is that spelled correctly?) siding beyond the sides of the chimney.

It's probably me being paranoid, but the thimble area seems like it would be a more dangerous area than the area around the wood stove. The woodstove has lots of convection currents and air spaces to keep surrounding combustibles cool. When you poke the stove pipe through the wall, you have a closed area, probably insulated to keep down convection currents, and framed every 16" with wood. This seems like a very likely place for a fire to start. Hopefully this paranoia is healthy?

As a side note, and another reason I don't want to make too wide of a hole in the vinyl siding on the house...

I moved into this house in November of last year. When spring arrived, I was welcomed by a swarm of carpenter bees setting up shop in the exposed eaves of my shed. I think I got them all, sealed their nests after injecting boric acid and such, but I'm not crazy about cutting holes in the vinyl siding and giving any of them a way into the 85 yo clapboard on the side of the house.


Matt

 

[webbie]

Has anybody here heard of a thimble "unit" called Insuflue? I just ordered one for a masonry chimney I'm putting up. I did a search, but could not find anything. I found a website for the company, but could not find any testimonials from any users.


TIA
Matt

Yes, a couple outfits made similar units at one time- not sure if they still do.

The BDM unit is UL, so I would feel safe using it. They are a top-notch company, and although not real visible in the industry, they are the OEM (actual maker) of a number of products for other manufacturers as well as their own lines.

Make certain you follow the instructions carefully as per installing in exterior chimney - if that is your application.

I agree that this is the most dangerous part of most installations, so you are not being paranoid!