Replies

1. 
   theslateman | Sep 07, 2007 04:05pm | #1

   This chimney is brick- but the stone cap of native granite might look appropriate for your stone chimney.

   Walter

2. 
   davidmeiland | Sep 07, 2007 04:11pm | #2

   Jim, can you post a shot of what you have now?

   The masons did a nice job on a chimney cap across from where I'm working--I'll trespass over there today and cop a photo.

3. 
   shearwater | Sep 08, 2007 12:03am | #3

   My mason just did a chimney cap of poured concrete.  At 40' up, nobody can tell the difference betwen concrete and granite, and it saved some money.

   View Image

1. 
   timkline | Sep 09, 2007 12:23am | #16

   how does the chimney sweep clean those flues ?

    carpenter in transition

1. 
   rez | Nov 15, 2007 09:51pm | #19

   How does the chimney sweep clean those flues ?

     

4. 
   seeyou | Sep 08, 2007 02:13am | #4

   Jim, this is not a stone chimney, but here's a copper cap I made a while back:

   View Image

   http://grantlogan.net/

    

   "he ot the placed closed down whyyy thhhattt nnooo gooodddd" - sancho

5. 
   notagain | Sep 08, 2007 03:43am | #5

   granite cobblestone supports, poured concrete mix

   It is tough to find a big enough stone sometimes( and then you have to get it up there!), so a poured concrete cap is a good alternative.

   Build a form, put in some rebar...........good to go.

   Rod

1. 
   jimblodgett | Sep 08, 2007 05:54am | #6

   Thanks everyone. 

   David - Tried to scan in a shot tonight, but my computer won't take anything from my scanner for some reason - had a house full of computer savvy 20 somethings all summer and have been trying to get my computer back to normal ever since.  Sure would like to see any photos you came up with, though.

   Hoping to see some more shots from other folks, too.Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.

1. 
   sisyphus | Sep 08, 2007 09:10am | #7

   I worked on a stone chimney umpteen years ago. The cap was similar most of the others already shown (ie. four posts supporting a concrete slab).  A couple features that  may or may not be common were;  there was a removable section in the top slab (Santa access?) and we installed  heavy bolts, threads protruding outwards. These bolts were set firmly inside the chimney, their threads were greased and covered with plastic pipe. Their purpose was to support any future platform required for maintenance or modification of the top of the chimney. Obviously they would not pass a safety inspection but the client ( an ex stone cutter who had worked on Notre Dame in France) used them while finishing the top of the chimney and pouring the cap.  I don't  know if the removable section in the top has ever been opened or not. It was, of course, to provide direct access to the flue for cleaning etc.

   Edited 9/8/2007 2:13 am ET by sisyphus

6. 
   Gene_Davis | Sep 08, 2007 03:00pm | #8

   View Image

1. 
   jimblodgett | Sep 08, 2007 04:53pm | #9

   I admit that when I asked about a "chimney cap" I was thinking more about the top of the chimney, not an actual COVER for the flues. 

   I see the logic in keeping rain and snow from falling into the flues, but last night I was envisoning how I would go about forming the bottom of a poured in place cap when it occurred to me how hard it would be to sweep the chimney with a solid cover above the flues.

   So what about that?  How DOES a person clean a chimney with a solid cast in place cover? From inside the house?Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.

1. 
   theslateman | Sep 08, 2007 04:58pm | #10

   Jim,

   What you were interested in then was a good looking terminus for the stone chimney top without covering the flues??

1. 
   jimblodgett | Sep 08, 2007 05:11pm | #12

   Yeah, I guess that's better terminology, slatemen. 

   I mean, when I saw those covers you all posted I thought "that IS a far better idea" and spent a lot of energy thinking through folding formwork underneath and such.  I am still thinking about that, but how the heck WOULD a person clean their flue from the top with one of those? 

   I guess you could have a couple trap doors in the top that hinge open...almost seems like it would defeat the purpose, though...

   Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.

   Edited 9/8/2007 10:13 am ET by jimblodgett

1. 
   theslateman | Sep 08, 2007 05:47pm | #13

   Grant's post just above points to a good method- do it from below.

   I also agree with him that the larger cap makes for a longer lasting install from a leakage point of view.

   Also you should think about thru- flashing a stone chimney. I'll see if I can attach a Shutterfly album illustrating that type of job.

   Walter

   http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8cbsmrhq0VY&notag=1

2. 
   jimblodgett | Sep 08, 2007 09:31pm | #14

   What metal is that flashing, Walter?Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.

3. 
   theslateman | Sep 08, 2007 11:09pm | #15

   20 oz. per sq.' copper with a lead coating- lead coated copper for short.

2. 
   seeyou | Sep 08, 2007 05:09pm | #11

   Back in my chimney sweep days, I normally swept a fireplace flue from below. Only reason to go on the roof was to inspect the top of the chimney. You can't get at the smoke chamber from above and if you're working from below, you can see how much soot is falling and slow up if it's getting ahead of the vacuum.

   FWIW, a large percentage of my chimney leak calls are for stone chimneys. They tend to be more massive and consequently have a larger wash area than your average brick chimney. That larger wash is more prone to cracking leading to infiltration thru the top of the chimney. We've solved a lot of "unfixable" leaks by installing full cover caps (my experience says that the cap needs to be several inches wider in both dimensions than the actual chimney top so that the top of the chimney is out of the drip zone).

   Also, the chimney wash is an out of site out of mind type maintanence item. It seldom gets checked for cracks 'til water is damaging something inside.http://grantlogan.net/

    

   "he ot the placed closed down whyyy thhhattt nnooo gooodddd" - sancho

2. 
   timkline | Sep 09, 2007 12:23am | #17

   very very cool

   has the log laying on the roof in the foreground rotted off yet ?

    carpenter in transition

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Sep 09, 2007 12:24am | #18

   Don't ask me, ask the wizards at Nold Design.