And they all came crumbling down?

[MoeB]

Does anyone have any advice for old (1833) chimney bricks turning to powder? I have a center chimney cape, and the center chimney feeds four fireplaces. It sits in the middle (center) of the house on the ground level. When I first bought the house years ago, I kept going into the basements (I have two) looking for this particular chimney. It was only when I was having renovations done in the hallway that I saw that the house had been built, it seemed, around the chimney.

There are a few bricks that are turning to powder in the upstairs hallway. Should I just put some mortar over them? I was told by a mason who does some work at my place of employment that the bricks in this chimney were made before they fired them. I may have misunderstood what he was saying, so any mistake in this retelling belongs to me, not him.

I have two wood pellet stoves at either end of the Cape -- one at the end of the ell. The only thing in that chimney right now is a jotul gas stove, which I only use if there's a power outage.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Moe

 

[mtalea]

I am no mason but sounds like it time to have the chimney redone.If the bricks themselves are turning to powder, I cant imagine that be good.Sounds expensive unless you do it yourself

 

[begreen]

I am wondering if a poured in liner would save the chimney together with repointing? Have you contacted a chimney repair place to see what it would take to repair?

 

[Shane]

I would have a mason look at it. Alot of times they can replace damaged bricks. If it is every single brick you might have to look at dismantling the chimney.

 

[MoeB]

I haven't had a chimney guy over to look at it. It started with one brick a few years back. Last spring, after a driving rain storm that went on and on and on, I noticed a buldging second brick on the same side of the chimney, upstairs in the hallway. Thanks for the suggestions. I guess it's time to bite the bullet and have someone over to look at it. The fellow who installed my pellet stoves and gas stove a few years before the pellet stoves told me that the flues are pretty small. I'd love to have a new chimney so I could have a few wood stoves or inserts -- one for the house and one for the office, but the mason I talked to at work told me it sounded like about a week's worth of work. It will have to wait for income tax refund time or refinancing because it's probably going to cost a small fortune. I just don't want it to deteriorate worse while I'm waiting to win the lottery or something. Anyone know a good chimney guy near Bangor, Maine?

Thanks everyone.
Moe

 

[hardwood715]

Any they all came crumbling down.....Literally

Chimney collapse damages Highland church


HIGHLAND — “We had no idea chimneys were up there,” said the Rev. Arlene Dawber. The pastor of the First United Methodist Church in the hamlet of Highland found out that her 138-year-old church had chimneys Monday morning.

That was when it was discovered that one of them — long hidden above the auditorium — collapsed and crashed through the ceiling to the floor over 26 feet below.

“Thank God no one was hurt,” Dawber said. The area was directly above where the organist sits during worship services.

Church officials spent much of today meeting with insurance adjusters and arranging for professional cleaning services.

Dawber said it was too early to know what the damage will cost to repair.

Losses include a baby grand piano and electronic keyboard.

“The building cost $35,000 to be built in 1867,” Dawber said. “It will probably cost that much to fix everything.”

 

[fraxinus]

I have seen the same condition in my neighbor's late 18th century chimney. The bricks at the base were extremely soft and who knows what condition they were in hidden behind walls. I think the problem is related to moisture as well as the manufacture of bricks long ago. If your cellar tends to be damp as they usually are in houses of this era, this is a major cause. Rain entering from the top is a second possibility. Poured liners may help, but this may not be possible if the flues (unlined?) are already small. Major chimney reconstruction would create a huge mess and a huge expense. By all means consult a mason, but there is another possibility. There are epoxy based products used in historic masonry preservation. Contacting a firm specializing in such work could be a good idea.

 

[MoeB]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. The chimney does not originate in the basement. It sits in the middle of the house at ground level. I think the basements were dug after the house was built. If there is water coming in, and I think there definitely is, it's coming from the top. Yesterday afternoon, I took a closer look at the top. There are some holes in the mortar that need repair. The flues are small, so I'm told. I would love to be able to repair this chimney enough to keep it from deteriorating any more. Eventually, a new chimney will have to go in if I ever want to burn wood in it again. Only one flue was ever lined. If I wanted to discontinue the chimney all together, it was suggested that I take it down to the roof line and build a dummy top for looks only. Since the chimney only goes to ground level, and the whole thing is exposed on the second floor, I think taking it down won't be that bad because one could just work their way down and then back up again. Maybe in the spring . . . if it lasts through the winter and spring rains. Maybe I'll post some pictures later.

 

[fraxinus]

Digging the cellar after the house was built was not an uncommon practice but I've never seen a case where the chimney did not have a footing of some kind in the ground, so now I'm really curious. What is supporting the weight of the chimney which must be considerable given its size?

 

[Gooserider]

Definitely sounds like something that you should have a "restoration specialist" mason look at - new masonry products are different from old ones, and can actually make damages worse if the repairs aren't properly done.

However it sounds like much of your current problems are coming from the deterioration of the outside masonry, and I would make repairing that a high priority, even if you just get temporary work done to get you through the winter.

Gooserider

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Digging the cellar after the house was built was not an uncommon practice but I've never seen a case where the chimney did not have a footing of some kind in the ground, so now I'm really curious. What is supporting the weight of the chimney which must be considerable given its size?

I saw one this weekend in a house I was appraising. It was an old farm house where the chimney rose straight through a few rooms. When I got down into the partial basement there was no footing. I looked at the oil furnace and it was venting into the bottom of the chimney.

Kind of erie.

Matt