I’m pondering the renovation of a huge Victorian house I own in Eastern MA. It is currently a 2 family but I hope to convert it to a single family. The immediate problem is a leaking roof. I want to rebuild (and expand) the dormers, then re-roof, but there is a chimney that runs right next to one of the dormers – I think this area (where the chimney runs near the dormer) is one of my biggest leak sources. The chimney vents 2 oil fired boilers in the basement.
I am considering three options:
1. Since I intend to eventually convert from oil-fired hot water to gas-fired hot air, I am considering installing the new furnaces now, one in the attic and one in the basement, ideally using models that can vent directly through the side of the house, eliminating the chimney all together. This will be the hardest option, cost the most, and be very disruptive to my tenants.
2. I could tear the chimney down to the attic floor and rebuild it at an angle, penetrating the roof far enough from the existing dormers to allow me to build and flash them correctly. If/when I ever retrofit the heating system, I could then tear out the chimney and patch the roof. The drawback here is that the chimney is unlined, so as soon as I touch it the BI is likely going to make me line it to the basement, with each furnace venting to its own flue.
3. I could install 2 new metal chimneys on the exterior of the building, re-route the furnaces to them, and leave them there for a couple of years until I get around to re-doing the heating system. I don’t know what the cost would be, and can I stand them off the building by 2 feet so they clear the eaves (hip roof)? This seems like it would be simplest and cheapest.
Opinions? Thanks!
Replies
Check the price of the metal pipe before you decide. I've done a couple of different flues recently (propane heating stove, tankless water heater, woodstove) and each material was quite costly. I don't know if it would be worth it to install them temporarily. Usually the best thing is to simply cut to the chase and do the job you really need, now... meaning install the new furnaces. It's summer, probably a good time to disrupt the heating system and a good time to hire a furnace guy.