New Wood Stove Install

[Achziger]

We would like to install a Vermont Casting Intrepid wood burning stove into our existing fireplace but are running into some trouble. We have a one story house with a crumbling chimney. Since the wood stove installers will be running a flu liner up our existing and cracked (possibly misaligned) flu, our exterior chimney seems superfluous. We'd like to remove the old chimney, repair the roof, and use a class A chimney in its place. What trade or trades would we need to accomplish this? Chimney repair guys are saying this is never done but I have read threads on this forum that seem to suggest otherwise. Any advice for me?
Thanks in advance
Christina

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Do you have any pictures of the fireplace and chimney?

 

[Achziger]

Do you have any pictures of the fireplace and chimney?

 

[begreen]

It can be done, but if the problems are just with the tile liner in the chimney then an insulated liner and a proper chimney top cap should help things settle down. Depending on its condition and size, they may need to remove the clay liner to fit the new, insulated liner.

 

[Achziger]

It can be done, but if the problems are just with the tile liner in the chimney then an insulated liner and a proper chimney top cap should help things settle down. Depending on its condition and size, they may need to remove the clay liner to fit the new, insulated liner.

Interesting. Thanks for this. Would I need to get several trades to accomplish this project? It woulds like I'd need a roofer to remove the chimney and repair the roof, then someone to install the new class a chimney, and then the wood stove installer that would handle the new insert and potential removal of the current flu.

 

[begreen]

Yes, replacing it with class A in this situation would add a lot more expense and complexity vs a sweep properly installing a new insulated liner.

 

[Achziger]

Yes, replacing it with class A in this situation would add a lot more expense and complexity vs a sweep properly installing a new insulated liner.

Oh!! Interesting. OK. So a chimney sweep might be able to install the stove for us and take care of any problems with the flu/chimney?

 

[begreen]

It depends on the chimney issues, but in most cases a good, certified sweep should be able to do everything.
www.csia.org

 

[Achziger]

It depends on the chimney issues, but in most cases a good, certified sweep should be able to do everything.
www.csia.org

Thank you so much! You have been very helpful!

 

[bholler]

Thank you so much! You have been very helpful!

The chimney really doesn't look that bad at all. Just a little pointing. Maybe a crown. Then line it. A good sweep should be able to do it all. The masonry probably won't get done this year though.

 

[Achziger]

The chimney really doesn't look that bad at all. Just a little pointing. Maybe a crown. Then line it. A good sweep should be able to do it all. The masonry probably won't get done this year though.

Very good news indeed! Thank you!

 

[Achziger]

The saga continues . . . we just had a chimney repair person come out. He says the chimney is in very bad shape - not just the mortar but the bricks are crumbling too. He said the least expensive option would be to rebuild the chimney. I asked if we could just replace the chimney and flu above the roof line with a class a chimney. He had never heard of such an option. He also asked what the difference between a wood burning fireplace and a wood burning stove is. I'm guessing people don't do wood burning stoves very often in these parts. That's unbelievable to me!
To save money and frustration, does anyone think it would be possible to take the current chimney and flu tiles down to where the bricks are in decent shape and then cap that and build a class a chimney into that so that we don't have to repair the roof, etc. The folks that install the wood burning stove will be putting in a flu liner but that doesn't solve the problem of the decaying external chimney. Any other options that will not break the bank? The current chimney is on a part of the roof that is not highly visible so we're less concerned with aesthetics than with safety and cost.

 

[bholler]

The saga continues . . . we just had a chimney repair person come out. He says the chimney is in very bad shape - not just the mortar but the bricks are crumbling too. He said the least expensive option would be to rebuild the chimney. I asked if we could just replace the chimney and flu above the roof line with a class a chimney. He had never heard of such an option. He also asked what the difference between a wood burning fireplace and a wood burning stove is. I'm guessing people don't do wood burning stoves very often in these parts. That's unbelievable to me!
To save money and frustration, does anyone think it would be possible to take the current chimney and flu tiles down to where the bricks are in decent shape and then cap that and build a class a chimney into that so that we don't have to repair the roof, etc. The folks that install the wood burning stove will be putting in a flu liner but that doesn't solve the problem of the decaying external chimney. Any other options that will not break the bank? The current chimney is on a part of the roof that is not highly visible so we're less concerned with aesthetics than with safety and cost.

It is definitely possible to take the chimney down below the roofline and transition from a liner to class A at that point. I have done it quite a few times. It just requires the proper transition plate.

 

[Achziger]

It is definitely possible to take the chimney down below the roofline and transition from a liner to class A at that point. I have done it quite a few times. It just requires the proper transition plate.

That idea seems foreign to most people I talk to. Any suggestions what trade I would contact for that?

 

[bholler]

That idea seems foreign to most people I talk to. Any suggestions what trade I would contact for that?

A chimney sweep