Stainless steel chimney crown cover

[Chimchimery]

Below is the chase! Arrived in a pallet and was held upright. It is pictured now in my entrance way as it takes a lot of room.

Even at 22 gauge there is pretzel flex with it. Two things I noticed after getting it unwrapped. Lots of scratches on the top. A few more than just surface scratches. Second thing was the short ends where the drip edge runs -- maybe that is the way it is designed -- but the drip edge looks almost bent (IE. bottom left in the picture and top right on the other side).

Don't know if either the scratches or the 'bent' end is normal. The long ends don't have the bent. Yes, the price was high; but mine was customized to fit my chimney because it is not square. I didn't want to contend with too much gap on one side. That alone added $150, plus the extra gauge.

I have to get prepared next buying the tapcon screws, create pvc spacers if needed, pre-drill the holes perhaps in the chase. Don't figure it will be picnic. Have to get it up there as well as use my clamps to hold it at just the right height.

And we are in the 100's temperature these last few days. So going to wait until we are back in the low 90's.!

 

[Chimchimery]

Trying to again visualize the mounting procedure I need to follow before carrying the chase to the roof.

I understand I can purchase stainless steel tapcons and could use stainless steel washers.

My chief concerns are:

1) How long of tapcons should I purchase and the diameter. Intend to go into the brick.

2) If I pre-drill any or all holes in the chase, which diameter should they be?

3) How to I make sure my holes line up with the holes I have to drill for the tapcons? I understand there is not any room for play with tapcon screws going into brick. The alignment is a big concern of mine.

4) Spacers - I assume I should have an array of different lengths? Possible the PVC pipe could be cut to length on-site on the roof.

I plan on purchasing a HF Brauer Hammer drill and I already the an impact driver.

Son-in-law might offer his services around Father's Day, so I want everything ready to go if he volunteers.

 

[Chimchimery]

Yes, if you have the cap attached then you don't have to line up the holes so you hit brick. You could preplan it all too, and drill all the holes in the stainless first before taking it up.
I don't like adding extra stuff on brick as it makes a mess. You don't need to trap moisture in there either. Hopefully the gap is small enough a bird can't get in. When I put a home made cheap caps on mine I blocked the flue first. Someday I will do something better. I had to do that on the wood side to get insurance. The side on the left was for oil.

Tomorrow is the big day, chase going on. Forgot what you meant by, "if you have the cap attached then you don't have to line up the holes so you hit brick."

Today I sealed some holes in the crown with mortar and insulated my flue. Double layer. Made spacers out of CVPC. Lots of prep work getting supplies, etc., so hopefully goes well tomorrow.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Tomorrow is the big day, chase going on. Forgot what you meant by, "if you have the cap attached then you don't have to line up the holes so you hit brick."

Today I sealed some holes in the crown with mortar and insulated my flue. Double layer. Made spacers out of CVPC. Lots of prep work getting supplies, etc., so hopefully goes well tomorrow.

Yes, that statement does seem strange now. I'm guessing I meant if you were to put it in place with no holes, then you would drill the holes in the brick face (and the cap) without having to pre-plan the holes in the cap.

 

[Chimchimery]

Yes, that is my BIG decision is do I pre-drill the holes in the chase or not.?

Several videos suggest to pre-drill them, place the chase on the chimney and then mark the holes on the brick, take the chase down and drill the holes for the tapcon screws.

My chase is 3' x 6' so that isn't the easiest thing to take back off and lay aside on the roof. Also you sort of have to assume your pre-drilled holes line up with the brick face everywhere.

But if you don't pre-drill, you drill the holes through the chase first with a metal bit, and then run the tapcon drill bit through those holes. Making sure you don't tear up the pre-drilled holes.

Having never done this, not sure what is the best route. Most of the pre-drill videos are screwing into a wood frame around the chimney and not brick.

 

[stoveliker]

I would predrill the metal.
Then drill the first hole in the brick thru the metal, put a fastener in, go diagonally opposite, do the same. Then mark the other holes, and either take off the metal to drill them (if it's hard to drill thru the metal hole) or drill thru the hole.

 

[Chimchimery]

Sounds like your steps are as follows:

1). Pre-drill at least two stainless steel chase holes. Opposite corners.

2). Drill through those holes with the tapcon drill bit, insert tapcon.

3). Mark location of other holes, potentially remove tapcon screws in the two locations, remove chase, and pre-drill the remaining holes.

My concern would be getting that tapcon out and then putting it back in. Never used them so not sure how removable they are.

 

[Chimchimery]

I re-read this long thread and noticed Fire_Man's process for mounting.

My skirt is not pre-drilled from Rockford. I purchased a hammer drill as several recommended drilling through the brick as the top of the mortar may not be in great condition (I think that is my case somewhat).

Wish it was clear in my mind how you line up the pre-drilled holes in the chase with the pre-drilled holes in the mortar (or brick in my case). Seems with putting the chase on to mark the holes for the tapcons, taking it off, drilling the holes in the brick and then putting the chase back on could be very challenging lining everything back up. A lot of flex in these things.

3. I drilled holes in the SS skirt so that the holes would line up with mortar. I then pre-drilled for Tapcons in the mortar. I drilled more holes than probably necessary around the skirt for extra support. I am pretty sure the skirt was already pre-drilled by Rockford but I ignored those holes if they did not line up.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Sounds like your steps are as follows:

1). Pre-drill at least two stainless steel chase holes. Opposite corners.

2). Drill through those holes with the tapcon drill bit, insert tapcon.

3). Mark location of other holes, potentially remove tapcon screws in the two locations, remove chase, and pre-drill the remaining holes.

My concern would be getting that tapcon out and then putting it back in. Never used them so not sure how removable they are.

Tapcons do not like to go in and out. If you are planning that, don't use Tapcons, use stainless steel screws and plastic inserts. Even then the plastic inserts might go bad. If you pre-drill holes in the cap, in roughly the right height, then just make one every 8 inches. You should end up with most in good brick. You don't need a screw in every cap hole, A total of 10 or so would be enough.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, or a wood dowel for the first two

 

[Chimchimery]

So I just read I "might" have a problem for my 'go' tomorrow.

I picked up black tapcon screws (1/4 - 1/1/4) and was going to color the heads with Rust oleum aluminum colored paint to match the stainless steel chase. Could not find anywhere to purchase the OEM tapcon Stainless steel 410. But I read now of something like Galvanized Corrosion because of different metals.

Is this a show stopper for tomorrow?

 

[Whitenuckler]

So I just read I "might" have a problem for my 'go' tomorrow.

I picked up black tapcon screws (1/4 - 1/1/4) and was going to color the heads with Rust oleum aluminum colored paint to match the stainless steel chase. Could not find anywhere to purchase the OEM tapcon Stainless steel 410. But I read now of something like Galvanized Corrosion because of different metals.

Is this a show stopper for tomorrow?

The only tapcons I ever bought were blue. They are probably meant for indoor use. I believe they are powder coated steel. I use them outdoors. Because the tapcons have a coating (the black ones you have) I wouldn't be too worried. Yes, stainless steel would be better if you want to wait.

 

[Chimchimery]

Yea, in most cases I would probably just use the ones I purchased; but I reckon for this project a few more weeks won't hurt me too much. I have to order them from a place like Builders Stainless. They sell them in a lower quantity. The big box stores don't sell them in store and only the large length ones can be bought in their online purchases. Bummer a bit.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Yea, in most cases I would probably just use the ones I purchased; but I reckon for this project a few more weeks won't hurt me too much. I have to order them from a place like Builders Stainless. They sell them in a lower quantity. The big box stores don't sell them in store and only the large length ones can be bought in their online purchases. Bummer a bit.

If you look on Amazon there are many options: search tapcon concrete screws 1/4 x 1-1/4 stainless

 

[Chimchimery]

Thank you, yes I reached out to one company.

--After much searching on their website, I found Lowe's has brand tapcon screws 1/4"-1/3/4" stainless steel. Longer by a half inch, but that may not be bad since I am using stainless steel washers and potentially a spacer between the chase and brick. They don't list carrying 1/4" - 1-1/4."

They will be here Wednesday and by purchasing two boxes of 8, I get free shipping. LOL $28.

 

[mr meener]

I have seen 100's of chimney cement caps done and I did countless ones. they were done with mortar not concrete being mortar for the bricks is there and nobody would get separate concrete mix.
I never saw rods put in. steel and cement expand at different ratios and fight each other causing cracks. concrete columns holding up overpasses with so many rods after 15 years look like explosives were planted in them. the guy that used Durawall metal in the mix was the best if you are set on putting steel in. people pour simple pads thinking it is an interstate hway. best mix you can use is the fiber mix and add anti hydro which will almost make it like Roman concrete being it will be waterproof. the water seeps in the cracks then freezes and acts like a jack hammer

 

[Chimchimery]

@fire_man

Tomorrow maybe the installation day if my son-in-law can assist. Supposed to be 93 degrees.

A question for fire_man. Did you sit the chase on the crown and then raise the clamps up to it? IE. raise the clamps until the chase no longer sits on the crown and no longer flexes? (I assume it would flex sitting on an uneven crown).

OR did you guesstimate the depth the chase would need to be set; and then pre-stage the clamps at the expected distance from the top? IE. The clamps were in position to what you believed it would need to sit and then set the chase on to them.

 

[bholler]

I have seen 100's of chimney cement caps done and I did countless ones. they were done with mortar not concrete being mortar for the bricks is there and nobody would get separate concrete mix.
I never saw rods put in. steel and cement expand at different ratios and fight each other causing cracks. concrete columns holding up overpasses with so many rods after 15 years look like explosives were planted in them. the guy that used Durawall metal in the mix was the best if you are set on putting steel in. people pour simple pads thinking it is an interstate hway. best mix you can use is the fiber mix and add anti hydro which will almost make it like Roman concrete being it will be waterproof. the water seeps in the cracks then freezes and acts like a jack hammer

Yes and I rebuild the tops of 20 to 30 chimneys built like that every year because they fail. Mortar does not hold up and masons never allow expansion joints

 

[mr meener]

Yes and I rebuild the tops of 20 to 30 chimneys built like that every year because they fail. Mortar does not hold up and masons never allow expansion joints

some years from now somebody will be redoing yours also. I always put a slate or steel cover up a foot over the chimney

 

[bholler]

some years from now somebody will be redoing yours also. I always put a slate or steel cover up a foot over the chimney

Yeah in 60 or 70 years not 20 to 30. There are right ways and wrong ways to do things.

 

[Chimchimery]

Update: Chase is installed. Like a glove actually and made me sweat a little. Turns out on the long side the brick bows out a wee bit. But my son-in-law and I were able to get it on and screwed down. Stainless steel tapcons and stainless steel washers. The front side we had to climb up the ladder quite high so we ended up getting the latter a bit too close to the drip edge (my OCD). Once on the roof we had more leverage to move them up a bit. It's not going anywhere.

Thank you for everyone's input. Couldn't have done it without it.

 

[stoveliker]

Looking good!

 

[Chimchimery]

Ok, I am not telling my wife yet, and maybe its just my OCD. Since my helper installed most of the tapcon screws (not blaming him as he was not as afraid of the height as I was), I've seen at some glances reflections that bother me that perhaps the screws should be backed out a little. What do you think? If so will backing tapcons out a little break? Second picture is at a different angle than the first.

 

[Chimchimery]

No responses either means Much ado about nothing which is re-assuring. It does look like a light reflection thing. Just never occurred to me such contrast could take place. This picture is from another time of the day. Go figure.

 

[stoveliker]

yes, the edge is a bit pulled inwards by the screws. That's good, it keeps tension on the fastener, so they won't easily vibrate loose.
It's a chimney, not the kitchen countertop. Beauty/perfection standards are different. Countertop: appearance matters. Chimney: mechanical construction matters more.