On installing a liner and cleaning from below

[Berone]

Getting closer to choosing an insert and have definitely decided on the full chimney liner. Attached is a photo of my chimney. You can see the cover that has kept most weather and all but one very determined bird out. We always have the chimney (it's a double flue, one for the fireplace and one for the boiler) cleaned from below because of the slate roof. After spending $6k to have the roof rehabbed when we bought the house nobody goes up there but the slate roof crew. So I was reading some threads on chimney cleaning and they talked about cleaning the cap, which can only be done from above. In my situation, what would you advise?

I also read a number of conflicting opinions about a block off plate. Whether or not I use one, should I insulate above the stove going to the liner? Or around where the liner comes through the damper?

Thanks,
Anthony

 

[daryl]

I would pick a insert that is easy too remove the baffle and sweep from below. If you burn dry wood with a new EPA stove your cap should stay fairly clean. Or put seperate caps on each flue the brush should clean a round cap on your liner.

 

[BrotherBart]

However you decide to clean the chimney you win an award. You are only the second person in my three years here that has said anything about considering how they were going to clean the flue prior to selecting the stove. Most of the time it is after the stove has been in and burning for a year or two and then folks ask "How can I do this? That roof is steep!".

I am dead set against anybody cleaning a chimney when they can't clean the cap and look down that thing and see the condition. But lots of sweeps and homeowners do it and seem to still be with us. At least you have a good shot at seeing the condition of the cap.

 

[Berone]

The insert I'm leaning toward now is the Hampton HI300, in part because it seems to have a very easily removed baffle. Is there anything special about the cap that comes with the liner kits? Do I have to use that? Or will the existing cap over the two flues do the job? The existing one is a fair distance from the flue and it seems that nothing is going to collect on it and that the brush will push any crud right out instead of sticking it in the cap.

 

[BrotherBart]

If you can install the top plate on top of the flue tile and have five or six inches of clearance to the top of the cap it should be fine. But a problem with a shared cap like that is that they are notorious for letting the other chimney downdraft fumes from the one beside them back into the house. Smelly and irritating when it is wood smoke pulled back down. Deadly when it is from the oil burner.

 

[Berone]

Well, it's been that way for I don't know how long. We've used the boiler and the fireplace for the 4 years we've been there without a problem.

 

[BrotherBart]

Didn't say they all did it. Just something to be aware of. I have had two side by side for 25 years and it only started happening when I lined both chimneys three years ago. But it was also the first time both had caps on them to trap the stuff. Maybe yours will be fine. A lot are. You, of course, have CO detectors?

 

[Berone]

Huh. Never finished my thought above. What I meant to say was we've never had any problem, would adding a liner create one? CO detectors, check. Newly installed hardwired, interconnected smoke and CO detectors.

 

[Hogwildz]

If you need to get on the roof to clean cap, either higher a sweep with good insurance in case of slate breakage. Or make a chicken ladder to stand on if you are going to clean yourself.
They are easy & cheap to make, and they help distribute your weight across the length of the ladder to avoid slate breakage.
When ya walk on slate, try to keep in the center of them, and avoid the edges or seams.
Slate is pretty resilient if treated and tread on with respect. I have done many a slate roofs. From the looks, at least you don't have Pennsylvania slate. Which has a diagonal grain to it, and is one of the weaker slates.
It delaminates faster then the others and breaks along the grain easier. I was always partial to the green Vermont slate, as it was thicker and tougher.
Shame they had to use gray slate and couldn't match the red slate you have. Still a beautiful & long lasting roof.

 

[Berone]

That's an old photo. The $6k roof rehab replaced all of that gray slate with the Vermont red that is the rest of the roof. Yeah, it should outlive me. Particularly if I keep everyone off of it! I'm thinking I can have the liner cleaned every year and clean the cap whenever the roofing guys are up there, which will probably be every two years.