Having been a small builder and remodeling contractor for the better-part of thirty years, I too have been involved in numerous projects, some large but mostly they have been on a somewhat smaller scale. In the process, I have had several fireplaces built, not to mention the houses my family and I have lived in during my fifty years. The “burning” question here is where does rainwater go in respect to the chimney? I live in the southeast and we frequently receive 2″ to 5″ of rain during some storms. Check the fireplace and it is bone dry! I have asked brick masons, inspectors, and others whom I respect and they all give me this funny look and say, “I don’t know. I never thought about it.” Am I missing something here? I haven’t lost too much sleep over this but I certainly would like to hear an answer, one that makes sense anyway. And thanks for the wonderful magazine. My dad is a master woodworker and has given me the subscription as a gift for many years.
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smoke shelf catches some
Updraft deals with some
Excellence is its own reward!
I've wondered about this for years.
When we bought our house in '96, one of the first thing I did was to install three caps on the three flues in the chimney.
Many houses in our area (SW Virginia) do not have caps.
I'd say the ratio is about 50/50.
The house next door we just bought does not have caps.
The flue liner does not protrude far up enough for me to secure a cap, so I need to figure out what to do.
If anyone has any suggestions...
The caps I see are masonry.
About four bricks high at each corner with a slab or large bluestone on top the size of the chimney..
Excellence is its own reward!
re - The caps I see are masonry.
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Piffin -
I hadn't thought about that approach.
Sortof like something on a Wright house, if any of his houses have such a detail.
I'm so stuck on metal ones that are attached as an afterthought.
Come to think of it, not sure if there are any masonry slab capped ones in our area.
Thanks for the idea.
Alan
I just installed a cap from HD which was labelled "universal", or something like that. It has spring tabs with points which slide into the inside of the flue tile, and can fit many sizes of flue, including round and rectangular. It actually worked quite well, at least for me, and without the ring around the bottom, I think it looks better, since the expanded metal starts right at the flue. It was a couple of bucks more than the standard ones, though. I got that style because it looked cleaner, and the chimney is rather prominent (hip roof, so it freestands tall on the side of the house).Be seeing you...
Thanks, TDKPE -
Attching on the inside surface would solve my problem of not having enough of a raised lip to attach the typical metal cap.
Will check it out at HD.
Alan
I fabricate a lot of whole chimney caps (from copper). My usual design lips over the outside of the chimney and I then tapcon thru this lip to secure the cap. They also make a flue cap that has friction legs that stick down inside the flue and create outward pressure. These seem to blow off occasionaly.
Ah...the custom caps.
I see the occasional ones around town but none in copper, which would be very nice.
Inside friction fitted one is what I need because there is no way to mount it the other way.
Or, as Piffin mentioned, one large cap sitting on four corners would fit the bill.
Alan
I guess after living in tornado alley of west Texas, mountains of Colorado, and coastal Maine, I've seen enough wind to think of the metal caps as a temporary solution..
Excellence is its own reward!
Cross my fingers ours (three of them) don't go flying off.
It's been six years with not even any signs of rust and it is on the windy side of the house.
With a strong enough storm to knock off the caps, the giant pine will slice through the living room after missing the chimney...
Just called Home Dump but they don't have the inside mounting type caps mentioned. They told me items such as this differs from store to store.
Alan
I think the porosity of the flue liner and the general depth of the flue, combined with the updraft and damper, eliminate most of the rain from reaching the bottom. Since most rain does not fall at a perfect 90 degree angle to the chimney top, most will hit the sides of the chimney, and be absorbed. . .
That is certainly true. I have lived in two homes with fireplaces that had no smoke shelf. A heavy rain would usually yield only a small wet spit on the hearth bricks, maybe four or five ounces worth..
Excellence is its own reward!