My neighbor, who I have done quite a bit off work for, is concerned about heat from his chimney. I’m not real knowledgeable about codes and other issues concerning chimneys. The house is one of those “build by farmer Joe” houses, as I call them. The chimney is constructed out of square chimney blocks, hopefully picture attached to clarify. There appears to be no stove pipe in the chimney. The wood stove is in the basement. The concern of my neighbor is that the sheetrock around the chimney, on the main floor, gets hot in the winter when the stove is going. The wood is the heat source for the house. Apparently, it does not get so hot that you can not touch it. The framing is right against the chimney block. I’ve done a lot of remodels on home build near 1900, and most of them had framing against the bricks. But, I’m not sure how thick the brick work was. Anyway, any thoughts on his concern would be helpful. Thanks
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There probably won't be a stove pipe, it will more than likely be a clay flue, they are put in as the chimney blocks are laid.
If the sheetrock is getting warm or hot it's time for an inspection, call someone to inspect it and tell you if there is a hole in the flue.
If there is a holee then get it fixed ASAP, I just did a fire job a few months ago where there was a hole in the flue and the wall was getting warm to the touch. Then it burst into flames one night. Burning the laundry room.
Matt
I haven't gone up on the roof yet to look inside the chimney, but the homeowner thinks it just goes straight into the chimney block. My concern is holes in the mortar between blocks. Looking at the exposed block in the basement, the mortar looks iffy. I think I'll suggest having someone inspect the interior. We are about 3 hours from Spokane,Wa. I don't think we have anyone around here that could inspect it.
No telling what may be wrong with the chimney behind those walls. An inspection is needed if the sheetrock is warm, the studs are probably even warmer.
Thats what happened on the fire job I just finished, the clay flue devolped a hole, then the heat found it's way to the framing that was tight to it.
Matt
IF the chimney is nothing but those block lifts, then he is very right to be concerned foir two reasons.
One - he could be having CO gas leak back into the house where it could kill him and his family in large enough dose or just keep them stupid and feeling crappy forever from lack of oxygen to brain and body tissue.
Two, if he ends up with a chimney fire, the house could burn down. The mortar in regular masonry cannot handle the heat produced in a regular chimney at certain times and definitely not during a chimney fire when it can reach 2400°F.
The right way to build this is with clay flue liner, not tightly in contact with the rest of the structural surround portion that you are now describing. Maybe he has that and just can't see it. The clay flue liner is usually sections 24" tall and set with refractory cement. There is an air space between that flue and the block lifts.
Then any wood or other combustible framing should be 2" space away from contact6 with the cement lifts so that if there is achimney fire and the masonry gets too hot, the wood won't char or flame up.
one fix for the flue if missing would be to get a SS liner kit to insert and connect to the wood stove. The framing in direct contact is going to need something else. occasionally one option there is to remove some framing and do a plaster finish directly on the block work so the chimney can radiate heat into the room.
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Thanks for you input. I'll pass these on to my neighbor. I'm sure he'll appreciate your insights as well. thanx
Keep in mind that every time a piece of wood gets hot, its ignition point is lowered, increasing risk of a house fire.
Plus the CO issues.
From what you describe, I wouldn't stay one night in that house with the stove going.
Call, or have him call, an ASHI certified home inspector in his area to get recommendations for a chimney inspector. http://www.ashi.org has a "find an inspector by zip code" feature.
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