chimney struck by lightning

[rmcfall]

The chimney at our new house got struck by lightning and is going to have to be rebuilt from the roofline up. The chimney had three flue tiles coming out of the crown, but only one actually did anything--the other two were decorative. Any particular reason why this was done? When the chimney is rebuilt, would it make more sense to have it rebuilt so that the bricks taper inward to surround only a single flue? I was thinking that all that extra mass of brick might simply be drawing heat from the house???

I've attached a pic...

 

[begreen]

Wow, glad that it's only your chimney that got damaged. The chimney seems really wide for just one flue. Are you certain that it is one common flue? Is there a furnace connected?

 

[rmcfall]

Yeah, there is definitely only one operational flue--the middle one that was literally blown out of the picture. The two flues that you see do absolutely nothing--they are just two decorative flue tiles stuck in there at the top with nothing underneath. I was actually sort of disappointed to learn that the two extras were purely decorative...I was hoping maybe there was another fireplace in the basement hidden behind a wall or something. Not the case though...

 

[paulgp602]

Couldn't bear to cut that tree down, huh?

 

[rmcfall]

yeah, that tree needs to go at some point...we were lucky it didn't collapse on the house from the lightning strike. We still haven't moved into the house yet, so needless to say I haven't gotten around to getting that tree taken down yet.

 

[stovepipe?]

i have wondered about this. does a SS liner put one at risk for a lightning strike? I would be less than excited to have a bolt of lighting travel into my dining room by way of my stove. do folks out there worry about this?

 

[elkimmeg]

Most cases lighting strikes a home traveling threw the wires connected to you telephone pole or service connection.
Does not have to hit you home for the electrical surge to do a great deal of damage.
Friday morning our office was very busy investigating all the damage done by lighting strikes.
Get this, in one house the lighting caused almost all the copper plumbing to develope pin hole leaks everywhere
never seen anything like it. Hundreds of holes. Forget surge protectors with a direct strike effecting wiring

 

[paulgp602]

The deck is built around it, right? Wanted to make sure I wasn't looking at it wrong.

That is kind of cool to have a tree through the deck, good shade and it's unique. On the other hand it is a liability to your house.. Catch-22

 

[berlin]

rmc, you didn't by chance have a fire in the fireplace when that happened did you? lightning absolutely loves to travel down a trail of smoke particles. if you want to prove this have someone you don't like shoot a bottle rocket up in the sky during a thunderstorm.