Opinions on chimney extension install

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velocity1

Member
Dec 5, 2021
104
Connecticut
This is partially opinions needed but also posting for people to be aware of what I'm considering to be shotty work. Looking for @bholler to shed some of his expertise here.

Long story short went through the crap shoot originally with the wood stove install, got that all straightened out but was having draft performance issues so ultimately my chimney required a 4' extension. The extension is now on and pretty much all of my stove issues are gone and its been running great. The issue was the actual "craftsmanship" install of the the extension, I have already cut my ties with the chimney company that did the work and also had the bill for the extension wiped out so i did not have to pay.

Essentially what the company did and I'm providing pictures for all of the steps:
-Cut off original flue tile flush to crown exposing 6" liner
-Bolted a smooth chimney liner sleeve to a class a 4' extension
-Slid the extension into the existing chimney liner and screwed tight, male to female so no drip
-Took a 12x12 clay flue tile and slid that over the class a pipe.
-Clay flue tile rested on chimney crown
-Chimney company then built up the crown about an inch or two around the new clay flue. No expansion joint made
-They then filled the 12x12 flue tile with concrete up to the top so the chimney pipe was surrounded and essentially their way of "anchoring" it to crown.
-Before anyone asks yes it was already leaking when it rained inside of the chimney down the flue tiles because when the concrete dried it pulled away from the chimney pipe a little. I had to caulk it all to make it water tight again.

They had everything all complete before I was able to inspect any of the work so i was kind of stuck with what they did. I immediately asked why did they go through all of that when they could have just bought a class a anchor plate and just bolt that to the crown and twist on the class a and call it a day. They said this was how they decided would be better of the options to do for the extension. I completely disagree and wanted to see if you all had the same thought? Again I'm stuck with it for now and but at least everything works good, I'm just very salty about it and will look to one day knock down the chimney and just run a full class a chimney set up. Oh and I should add they had the 4' extension completely crooked so i had to have them go back up and get it as best they could straight. Standing from the ground it was very noticeable.

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They then filled the 12x12 flue tile with concrete up to the top so the chimney pipe was surrounded and essentially their way of "anchoring" it to crown.
This should have been a simple matter of bolting the proper anchor plate to the top of the chimney. This ^ is bound to fail due to the heating (expansion) and cooling (shrinking) of the metal pipe in the cement jacket. This part was entirely unnecessary.

Was the installer asked to hide part of the metal pipe to make it less obvious?
 
Begreen said it exactly correct. There are components made specifically for this purpose why didn't they use them?
 
Nope, they did that all on their own. Even when i had traded emails with the head installer i mentioned it seemed pretty straight forward that he they would order a plate to anchor to the crown. He had agreed and apparently day of they deemed it was better to do it this way. The only other thing i remember them saying is that this was a "retrofit" so later down the road if I wanted them to extend the bricks on the chimney they would cover this all up with brick.
 
Begreen said it exactly correct. There are components made specifically for this purpose why didn't they use them?
Its a great question but at this point I just don't want anything further to do with them so following up with them is just wasted time.
 
My one concern with this the more i think about it is that extra weight of the 4' pipe is really resting on the liner since its basically pulled away from the concrete right? You think any issue there, like should i look into getting a roof bracket to bolt to it?
 
My one concern with this the more i think about it is that extra weight of the 4' pipe is really resting on the liner since its basically pulled away from the concrete right? You think any issue there, like should i look into getting a roof bracket to bolt to it?
That is a good point. I would tear it all off and start over using the proper components
 
That is a good point. I would tear it all off and start over using the proper components
You think the crown they poured over the pre existing one would chip off easy? It seems flaky so I'm thinking it would, like where it started to leak down the sides of the brick it chips off really easy. If so then Ill just order a new 4' pipe and anchor plate and bolt it up come spring.
 
You think the crown they poured over the pre existing one would chip off easy? It seems flaky so I'm thinking it would, like where it started to leak down the sides of the brick it chips off really easy. If so then Ill just order a new 4' pipe and anchor plate and bolt it up come spring.
I don't know how easily but it will come off
 
Ok thanks. When an anchor plate is used how is the transition from the liner to the class a pipe done. Assuming you just cant slide the class a over the liner since that would basically be a female to male connection?
 
Ok thanks. When an anchor plate is used how is the transition from the liner to the class a pipe done. Assuming you just cant slide the class a over the liner since that would basically be a female to male connection?
You use an anchor plate with a liner adapter on the bottom. Most manufacturers have one available