Anyone know about old chimneys?

Robert.B

Robert.B

Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
5,283
Hey guys got a question some of you knowledgeable jack of all trades folk might know...the situation is we have a 120 year old house, we dont NEED to use the fireplace (full central heat) but its an aesthetic thing that my wife likes during the holidays now we own a home with a fireplace which we bought at the end of winter and only just lit the fireplace up for the first time this week. Wife found on the wall behind the chimney a hot spot since we decided to run the fire during thanksgiving festivities, alarm bells rang and I instantly inspected to find a damaged brick with a good piece missing, we had a local who also sells firewood and works at the local co-op clean the birds nest out and he said he'd been inspecting chimneys a long time but missed a VERY obvious safety hazard when he brought us a load of wood.

What are my options with it being an old mason chimney? can I fill the missing piece of brick with a lime mix mortar and minimize use/size of fire? do I need to chip out the brick and then mortar (which will be difficult for me) or would you recommend looking into a modern chimney liner when funds permit and just discontinue use of the fireplace completely?

Really can't afford to get a pro in atm and being good with my hands and repairing stuff around my home wanted to get opinions.

67669_10151107118761601_113850931_n.jpg


If I can just patch the spot at this time with a lime mortar mix to match the time period and still do small low temp fires that would be optimal but i'm not risking our safety. ANY advice welcome.
 
Last edited:
Why don't you get a different piece of brick and make the repair then have a qualified inspector make sure it's safe.
 
Definitely no expert so take my input with a grain of salt. It's not that hard to remove/add and tuck point a new brick provided the rest around are in OK shape; the hardest part obviously is getting access from below. If you can your arms in there the toughest part is getting the mortar smoothe when it's in place. I did a few on my 100 year old chimney and it's still standing...

With that said I would have a pro take a look, never hurts to spend a few bucks for a professional opinion, even if they don't do the work. Not that they will bless your work but if you get the right person they will give you a thumbs up/down for whether DIY is safe.
 
Been reading a lot into it tonight and eventually do want to do a modern stainless liner but keep the old look, will look into any and all recommendations at this point to hopefully keep it running over the holiday period and not cost a mint since funds are low...this is the first year in our home and want a good Christmas, part of the selling point was the house is very large and the fire place was nice and traditional, but with the volume of oak wood work our house would go up in no time if the fire place failed.

I'll also be talking to my local fire brigade to see who they recommend to check it so I dont need to call them when my house is alight. Thanks for the responses so far guys!
 
There's also something offered by Ahrens - had this done to the upper portion of mine. It wasn't cheap but again peace of mind of having it done by a contractor was better than worrying. If you don't mind, can you post/pm any feedback you get from the pro's - never hurts to have some info in addition to what's available on the internet
 
Will do, not sure when i'll be able to get them in but I want the chimney ready for next year if I have to back bench it this year...if I could get on my roof i'd lower a video camera down and get some pics going.

I live out in a rural city so options are sometimes limited.
 
Get an expert !!! I had a local chimney sweep check out things completely ! He has the knowledge ,experience and things like a TV camera. I also talked to the local inspector who explained one interesting thing. Wood near those old chimneys can be VERY dry over the years and light up easily !!
In any case my chimney was ok but he said the 7"x11" flue was too large for proper draft . He then installed a 6" dia pipe which increased draft significantly ! Around the pipe he filled with vermiculite and concrete .Now come annual cleaning ,in the chimney is just fine ash ,nothing sticking to the chimney ,just shovel out the ash from the bottom.
 
mete said:
Get an expert !!! I had a local chimney sweep check out things completely ! He has the knowledge ,experience and things like a TV camera. I also talked to the local inspector who explained one interesting thing. Wood near those old chimneys can be VERY dry over the years and light up easily !!
In any case my chimney was ok but he said the 7"x11" flue was too large for proper draft . He then installed a 6" dia pipe which increased draft significantly ! Around the pipe he filled with vermiculite and concrete .Now come annual cleaning ,in the chimney is just fine ash ,nothing sticking to the chimney ,just shovel out the ash from the bottom.
Click to expand...

Great advice, plus work with your homeowner's insurance, they may be willing to lower your rate because you lowered your risk. Long term you will enjoy it more with less stress and it may even increase the heat gain to the house. There are also options of traditional looking inserts that would recover even more of your heat output. While you may not want to heat with wood it is nice, especially if an ice storm leaves you without power for extended times.
 
BTW if you are interested in a fireplace that actually works - research RUMFORD fireplaces .Invented over 200 years ago it works much better than others !! If you rebuild your fireplace make sure it's Rumford type.
 
If I can just patch the spot at this time with a lime mortar mix to match the time period and still do small low temp fires that would be optimal but i'm not risking our safety. ANY advice welcome.
Click to expand...

dttomcat said:
Why don't you get a different piece of brick and make the repair then have a qualified inspector make sure it's safe.
Click to expand...


I'd be a whole lot less worried about matching the time peropd and colour of the mortar mix and muchmore about getting the right protection.
It's inside, who will see it ?

There is a difference between brick and firebrick, Just one brick and the mortar, be sure you get the right stuff and let it cure, or the moisture will vaporize and the mortar will crack and blow out.


and + 1 on getting a pro to look at it, everyone chokes off the airflow and tries to make a log last all day and night.
That relatively cold fire contributes to creosote buildup when the flammable vapours condense on the colder chimney interior.

(that creosote is basically the pitch in fatwood.)

Eventually that creosote can catch fire and when it does that's a super hot chimney fire that can burn the house down.
If you call the fire dept, they pour water on it which will likely crack every brick in the chimney and you have to replace it all.
 
Got a repair kit with a liner paste which is good to 2000+ degrees (looks like thick satanite premixed in a tub lol) and a piece of firebrick I got given to use as filler in the hole to avoid using up all the stuff I bought which wasn't expensive but it wasn't cheap either. Getting right up in there it is fairly clean, couldnt see much buildup or more damage in the lower section but I have a weird chimney which has a slight redirection in the attic so I couldnt see the whole way up which is considerably high.

We are getting out a pro to look things over because looking at all the stuff I need to clean it such as square brushes it would be just as cheap till I get my own to have the pro come out with all the gear and chuck a camera down.
 
For the time being patch it up, but if you plan on staying longer term then buy an efficient fireplace insert with the glass doors and a new chimney liner. Not only will it be much safer than an open fireplace it will greatly reduce your heating bills and pay for your investment. The new fireplace inserts have fans that produce enough heat to warm an entire home, and use very little wood. Your existing fireplace probably draws allot of heat up the chimney raising your heating bill, and it would appear that you have questions about its safety. It's well worth the money, making payments for a new installation would be worth it as they offset heating bills.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top