chimney help needed please, before it gets colder!

[gary]

We have a square 8" x 8" red tile chimney that we want to extend with a round chimney pipe.
What do we need? Any suggestions or ideas?
Thanks for your time and help!

 

[begreen]

How much of an extension do you want? Can you give more specifics about why the added length and why round pipe?

Have you looked at this product? Product pitch from the shameless commerce division: http://www.extendaflue.com/

 

[gary]

We wish to extend the chimney approximately 2 to 3 feet to increase the draft. We are trying to extend the 8 x 8 square red tile chimney to a round pipe because it is more common on the market. We are trying to do this in the most economical manner possible.

 

[gary]

I feel I should mention that we will be purchasing a wood burning fireplace insert to put in our masonry fireplace. I would assume that we will have some sort of flexible pipe connected to the insert that runs through our chimney to the top. From there we are wanting to extend the height of the chimney.

 

[elkimmeg]

The interior of most 8/8 clay flues is app 6.75" by 6.75 " a liner cross-sectional area wise is not a big deal. Chances are insulation wrap will not fit either. An 8/8 if in good conditionm is not required by code to be lined */8 clay liner is for masonry solutions is about as good as it gets for wood stoves. So you want to extend the chimney one flue length 2'

The work involved, probably means setting 20 to 24" of staging,just to get at it. Then staging break down really due to climbing a two man job. The extend a flue, using a ladder,
an ok skilled homeowner should be able to handle, cheaper in the long run,

Who told you have to install a liner in an 8/8 clay flue?

 

[gary]

There are two reasons we want to install a liner in our chimney...
1. the damper is corroded and doesn't work in our masonry fireplace and
2. just in case the masonry flue is starting to deteriorate we thought it best to install a liner.

 

[gary]

Forgot to answer some questions posed earlier. Our chimney is an exterior chimney and we have nothing currently connected to it.

 

[BrotherBart]

Elk said it all. The Extend-A-Flue is the cheapest way to do it. No contractor, no tile and mortor and you can insulate the Extend-A-Flue. Stick a pipe up in the air and it is going to be the biggest creosote factory in the county. In fact I predict that when the weather hits thirty degrees it will take it approximately 16.7 hours of burn time to completely clog with crap.

The smoke in your house will be your clue.

 

[begreen]

Given that you are concerned with the condition of the chimney and want to extend the chimney at a lower cost, a 6" liner would probably work ok. Be sure you don't get a stove that requires anything larger than a 6" round liner. The liner can continue another 2-3 feet above the chimney top. You'll need a stiff stainless chimney top plate that has a raised lip to prevent water from leaking down the pipe and a storm collar to go over this lip. The stainless plate gets siliconed to the top of the chimney (clean it off first). If you get a flexible liner, you'll need to switch to rigid at the top, a couple feet before you exit the chimney in order to extend it.

Whether this saves any money over the extend-a-flue is hard to say without getting the full picture. But as Elk put it, you chimney is just about ideal sized, so there may be alternatives. Have you had a professional sweep look at the chimney?

Note, an exterior chimney typically doesn't draft as well as an interior one, extending it should help a bit, but it isn't going to be a complete cure. Be sure to get a stove that isn't fussy about draft.

Keep posting information. Get Gary online too. Let us know what your budget is and what your goals are. Hopefully we can keep you warm, safe and avoid bad expenditures that can happen when one tries to set up a stove on a budget and cuts the wrong corners.

 

[gary]

Thanks for all the suggestions and help so far. I will let Gary know all that you have said. He can answer more questions more fully than I.
When we purchased our house we had a fireman come and clean/inspect the fireplace and chimney. He was the one that recommended we put an insert in. He told us we could still put a fire in the fireplace, but that cold air would come in when not in use.
When we do burn a fire things smell like smoke. So we are hoping that an extension of the chimney, plus an insert and maybe cutting down a few trees (as we have many!!) may help.