liner install: top down or bottom up?

[bostock]

ok i bought the liner kit and insulation blanket (chimneylinerdepot), rented the lift, ready to go tomorrow am. Watched the vid a few times too..i am confident. But i see (and read) two methods. In theory they both end up the same. I am wondering if anyone can offer up reasons they prefer one method over the other. Some numbers: chim/liner is 35', non-lined brick flue..using 6" ss flex (with wrap). Flue is large (house is circa 1850), i don't forsee any problems with liner being tight. I am thinking about the end of the project and the excess, hacksawing, etc...
1. Is it better to feed liner up from bottom, or drop from top?
2. Once in place but unattached, do i fasten bottom to T first (and cut excess at top), or fasten top to cap first (and cut excess at bottom)?
3. Or, does it matter at all?

 

[billz]

I did bottom up and cut the extra at the top.

the olny problem was he pipe got cought on uneven tile joints. I should have made a pulling cone some how

 

[btuser]

If you've got a nice spot on the roof to lay the liner I'd suggest the top down method and let gravity help you out. I did both of mine by myself but I had 1/2 the distance you're trying to cover. Get a friend, tie a rope on the end with a cone or logger not and have your buddy guide it. If you're insulating often the mesh is longer than the liner so you can just tie off to the extra mesh and use it to pull down/up. No matter how large the flue you the liner is still curved as you insert it, so its going to bang the sides. With such a long pull this is imperative.

If the roof is dodgy I'd pull bottom up, because that's a lot of weight for a person to guide down. Not rocket science but be carefull. I'm used to heights but in the end I had to climb up and straddle the top of the stack to massage it down the flue. In my younger days it wouldn't have been a thought, but after a couple dozen OSHA videos now I belt myself off to an anchor point. Good luck and give us some pics.

 

[bostock]

Waz: no flue tiles, but yeah there are two (i think) slight bends.
btuser: great idea, using the mesh to tie off - love these gems. I'm leaning towards top-down (i'll be on a lift, taking the roof out of the equation).
Last question - fasten top first and hacksaw at bottom, or fasten bottom T first and hacksaw top...or doesn't it matter?

 

[Rudyjr]

I have done it both ways. With your lift I would go top down. I would make the connections at the stove and cut off and terminate the top last.

 

[spencer186]

I tried top down but gog hung up on flue tiles so tried bottom up. Got half the distance as I did before, so back up the the roof for a top down. Made the connections at the stove then cut off the top. Good luck if you have'nt gotten it in already!

 

[billz]

I have done it both ways. With your lift I would go top down. I would make the connections at the stove and cut off and terminate the top last.

me too....with a lift I would go top down and cut the top last. I was going to do it this way but was to cheap to rent a lift. plus I wasn't sure I could get a lift on that side of the house.

 

[RedGuy]

For me I would feed it the way that starts with the longest strait shot, for me that will be top down. That way I'll only have to really mess with it (hopefully) will be the last couple feet.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That's a lot of tugging up. 35 feet of liner isn't going to be light. I'd let gravity pull it down, especially with the lift to carry the weight up.

Matt

 

[bostock]

well i'm stuck now took the lift up but the 35' liner with insulation wrap was too heavy to get up, manipulated above the stack... Went in from bottom, first 20+ feet went up fine then the thing just lucked up. I believe it is the wire mesh bunching up. stuck stuck stuck - couldn't budge it with one man at top pulling and me hug/pushing from bottom. It is currently frozen in place, with about 6' left to clear the stack. Thinking about dropping a straight pipe (press-fit) to complete the run...

 

[Intheswamp]

Very interested in your outcome. How's it going?

Ed

 

[bostock]

hi ed - thanks for checkin in. I had to start over and do it right (surprise). Pulled it down, stripped insulation, sent it back up and fastened to top cap the right way. Used a coupler to add back the length that i removed way back on day 1. Liner is in place now, just need to trim bottom and connect to stove. I'll be posting new question today though - need to feel some comfort about using this system without having the liner insulated. chimney flue is huge/roomy, just brick (never had a liner or flue tile). Thinkin about temps and creosote build-up...hopefully it simply means i need to sweep more often. Thanks again. Nice to have this online community to help - these aren't topics that a normal neighbor or friend has any idea about.

 

[Intheswamp]

hi ed - thanks for checkin in. I had to start over and do it right (surprise). Pulled it down, stripped insulation, sent it back up and fastened to top cap the right way. Used a coupler to add back the length that i removed way back on day 1. Liner is in place now, just need to trim bottom and connect to stove. I'll be posting new question today though - need to feel some comfort about using this system without having the liner insulated. chimney flue is huge/roomy, just brick (never had a liner or flue tile). Thinkin about temps and creosote build-up...hopefully it simply means i need to sweep more often. Thanks again. Nice to have this online community to help - these aren't topics that a normal neighbor or friend has any idea about.

I hear you on doing it right. I'm going to be installing a liner myself in an unlined chimney soon myself. My house is only a 1950 vintage one, though.

I'm thinking, though, that by code/insurance regulations that you have to have your liner insulated if it's in an unlined/untiled chimney. You might want to check on that. ???

Best wishes on your project, it may be after the first of the year before I can start...

Ed