Rebuild or replace metal chimney

[cawebdude]

We have a cabin at 7500 feet in the CA Sierras. My metal chimney flue was crushed by snow. We are getting the roof redone and looking at options to repair or replace the chimney. The pipe is an old Duravent pipe 19" in diameter with a 13" inner pipe. They built a huge metal box and cricket on the roof to protect against the snow, but it finally got crushed after 50 years. As an amateur, I see 3 options. 1) Try to fix it and reuse most of it. Maybe replace the snow cricket. 2) Replace everything on the roof and try to marry new pipe to the old one. 3) Replace the whole flue- but not sure how to do that since it goes into a concrete hearth.
Any ideas or suggestions from the forum? I would prefer a nice clean chimney installation to go with the new roof, but not sure I can get parts to marry the old and new pipe. I'm leaning towards just trying to fix it, but the roofer doesn't like that option.

 

[begreen]

The amount of snow that fell in the Sierras was astounding. I suspect there was a lot of damage like this up there. How long was it before access to the cabin was possible?

The chimney pipe passing through the concrete slab should have been installed with an expansion sleeve of some sort and a storm collar. If so, the old chimney pipe should slip out and be replaced with new. The question is, what does the fireplace specify as a requirement? Is this DuraPlus?

 

[cawebdude]

This is an old heatilator type fireplace from 1967. The pipe is old and non-standard- 19" in diameter. 13" inside. The pipe goes into cement- see photo. It's all built-in with no information about what model it is.
Another option- could we install a fireplace insert and then run a standard 8" liner up the old chimney? Not sure how that could work.

 

[begreen]

Yes, if it is a heatilator (heatform) style fireplace then an insert would be possible depending on what fits. Almost all modern inserts take a 6" chimney liner now.

 

[cawebdude]

Thanks. I may try to just fix the existing structure because the alternative would be to completely replace it, it seems. That would be very expensive and time consuming. The existing structure seems to still be solid. I may just try to bang out some of the dents. Maybe someday I can get an insert and replace the whole chimney but first I have to pay for the roof.

 

[mirabelorion]

We have a cabin at 7500 feet in the CA Sierras. My metal chimney flue was crushed by snow. We are getting the roof redone and looking at options to repair or replace the chimney. The pipe is an old Duravent pipe 19" in diameter with a 13" inner pipe. They built a huge metal box and cricket on the roof to protect against the snow, but it finally got crushed after 50 years. As an amateur, I see 3 options. 1) Try to fix it and reuse most of it. Maybe replace the snow cricket. 2) Replace everything on the roof and try to marry new pipe to the old one. 3) Replace the whole flue- but not sure how to do that since it goes into a concrete hearth.
Any ideas or suggestions from the forum? I would prefer a nice clean chimney installation to go with the new roof, but not sure I can get parts to marry the old and new pipe. I'm leaning towards just trying to fix it, but the roofer doesn't like that option.

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Thanks. I may try to just fix the existing structure because the alternative would be to completely replace it, it seems. That would be very expensive and time consuming. The existing structure seems to still be solid. I may just try to bang out some of the dents. Maybe someday I can get an insert and replace the whole chimney but first I have to pay for the roof.
Gatwick Airport transfers

We just bought a home in SE Wisconsin and the projects are starting to stack up on me, through a few google searches about tools I landed here and wish I would have found this site sooner.

Anyways, the GF wanted the fireplace inspected before using it and wanted to go through a specific company for the work(Personal connection). I see some red flags in the quote I'd like to run by you guys.