Stainless steel chimney crown cover

[bholler]

Im not a big fan of floating crowns but i still do them. As well as crown splashes

What is wrong with poured crowns?

We wont do wash crowns. I just cant justify charging for such a temporary fix.

What flashing is that?

 

[Blazingembers7749]

I am sorry but rain can absolutly get to that lip.

Is it physically possible??? Absolutly...my nose has gotten wet carrying an umbrella while it was raining. I can verify that it didnt get wet during the storm that hit about 20 minutes after i finished tuckpointing

 

[bholler]

Is it physically possible??? Absolutly...my nose has gotten wet carrying an umbrella while it was raining. I can verify that it didnt get wet during the storm that hit about 20 minutes after i finished tuckpointing

Ok one storm didnt hit it.

 

[Blazingembers7749]

What is wrong with poured crowns?

We wont do wash crowns. I just cant justify charging for such a temporary fix.

What flashing is that?

Nothing is wrong with poured crowns. Just not my preference.
I agree with you on crown splashes but i dont make company policy and ive done many. Idk that was a few months ago now. Customer does however plan on having me come back and install the "cricket" or chimney saddle i recommended so all of that will be changed anyway

 

[fire_man]

Heres a 4" skirt

Thanks for the photo! That's sort of like what I was thinking to use.

My problem is the existing crown dips 2 1/2" inches from peak so I have to add that to my skirt height just to get to the brick.

If the numbers work out right I might just add another layer of brick all the way around so that I can go with a smaller skirt.

 

[bholler]

Thanks for the photo! That's sort of like what I was thinking to use.

My problem is the existing crown dips 2 1/2" inches from peak so I have to add that to my skirt height just to get to the brick.

You really need to get that old mess out of there.

 

[fire_man]

Guess I'm concerned if I start demoing the concrete crown I'm going to damage and loosen lots of brick below. I suppose if they get loose it means they need replacing anyway, but why look for more trouble on a 33 year old mammoth chimney?

From what I read 30 years is not bad for exterior masonry to last in this climate.

But yes, it is kind of a sorry mess

 

[bholler]

Guess I'm concerned if I start demoing the concrete crown I'm going to damage and loosen lots of brick below. I suppose if they get loose it means they need replacing anyway, but why look for more trouble on a 33 year old mammoth chimney?

From what I read 30 years is not bad for exterior masonry to last in this climate.

But yes, it is kind of a sorry mess

I would say 30 years is pretty good for that construction. That is about average size for a fireplace chimney around here. Is it abnormally large for your area? Just curious

 

[fire_man]

The chimney sweep who saw it (in business for 30 years) said its one of the most rediculously oversized chimneys he ever saw. It only has one flue down the center and is 6' x 3' wide. We do have chimneys in the area this big, just not with only one 13" x 13" clay liner.

 

[fire_man]

Did you ever see the movie Ice Age with the saber-tooth squirrel? Well, me working on this chimney reminds me of that squirrel when he taps a glacier and it shatters into a million pieces.

 

[bholler]

The chimney sweep who saw it (in business for 30 years) said its one of the most rediculously oversized chimneys he ever saw. It only has one flue down the center and is 6' x 3' wide. We do have chimneys in the area this big, just not with only one 13" x 13" clay liner.

Not uncommon at all here. Mine which has 2 flues is 9x3.

 

[fire_man]

Why so much masonry for only two flues? Asthetics? 9 feet - really?!?!?

 

[bholler]

Why so much masonry for only two flues? Asthetics? 9 feet - really?!?!?

I dont know i didnt build it lol. Mine is just straight up with no shoulders but it is still bigger than it needs to be. But not uncommon in this area.

 

[bholler]

It does mean that my stove flue is a straight shot up from the basement instead of curving around the fireplace. There is actually a chimney built out of chimney block for that flue running up inside of the structure.

 

[Blazingembers7749]

Thanks for the photo! That's sort of like what I was thinking to use.

My problem is the existing crown dips 2 1/2" inches from peak so I have to add that to my skirt height just to get to the brick.

If the numbers work out right I might just add another layer of brick all the way around so that I can go with a smaller skirt.

If you do add a layer of brink and you dont plan on filling in with mortar to make a nice flat surface for the chase cap to fit on you could always get some hardyboard and some quad iso, silicone, geocel 2300 or whatever you like and glue it down. Throw a couple tapcons in it if you want or double it up. Then just put the chase cover over that.

 

[fire_man]

That's a really great idea. That solves some of my problems with the crown and brick height issues.
I think the hardyboard would have to be supported with some angle iron over such a long 3 foot span.

How long of a skirt starts to look bad on a 6x3 foot chimney?

 

[Blazingembers7749]

Depends on preference you may want to ask someone with a design degree.... if you double up some of the thicker board just ise some adhesive inbetween sheets its actually pretty sturdy. If you need to support it bar stock or angle iron works great

 

[Blazingembers7749]

Grab the stuff that like .5" thick stack 2 on top of eachother and lay brick on the ground around the parimeter. Put the board on the brick like you would on top of the chimney and determine whether it needs to be supported before you take it up the scaffolding.

 

[fire_man]

The weight of my entire rigid liner gets placed on the crown so I am pretty certain I would need the angle iron.
I have 2 sheets of 0.5 hardy which I could test but somehow I think I need the angle iron unless I am missing something.

 

[bholler]

That's a really great idea. That solves some of my problems with the crown and brick height issues.
I think the hardyboard would have to be supported with some angle iron over such a long 3 foot span.

How long of a skirt starts to look bad on a 6x3 foot chimney?

At that size with as much as your chimney sticks up roughly 5" would be the max i would do. Blazing can make fun of my degree all he want but the wrok i do looks good because of it plain and simple.

I still think you should just do it right and remove the old crown.

 

[fire_man]

I thought you said the stainless cover works well? What's bad about leaving the old crown and using a chase cover?

 

[bholler]

I thought you said the stainless cover works well? What's bad about leaving the old crown and using a chase cover?

Because your existing crown sticks up to high so you will need a big silly looking skirt on the stainless top plate. Unless you build up around that crown with brick which if you are doing that why not just pour a crown afterwards.

 

[Blazingembers7749]

Im not making fun at ur degree as u probably worked very hard to get it and it obviously serves u well and probably gives you an edge over most others like myself on subject matters related to design. I was however giving you a hard time because of the way it initially read but i assumed a casual setting and really didnt mean anthing by it. Ill drop it. If it were me i would do what pthers have stated but hes already addressed not wanting to go thru that as he might not feel comfortable doing the repairs so i was tryong to come up with a easy alternative. As far as supporting it, all i really meant was make a judgement call if u think it needs to be supported it probably does

 

[fire_man]

I guess the idea of removing the old crown with a jack hammer and then having to lug up 12 bags worth of concrete does not seem as easy as bricking up one more course, laying a hardybacker top and ordering a 20 lb chase cover. For a seasoned pro the concrete pour is probably no problem.

i don't have anybody to help - my kid went to the airforce and the neighbors around here are more interested in going to the beach.

 

[bholler]

Im not making fun at ur degree as u probably worked very hard to get it and it obviously serves u well and probably gives you an edge over most others like myself on subject matters related to design. I was however giving you a hard time because of the way it initially read but i assumed a casual setting and really didnt mean anthing by it. Ill drop it. If it were me i would do what pthers have stated but hes already addressed not wanting to go thru that as he might not feel comfortable doing the repairs so i was tryong to come up with a easy alternative. As far as supporting it, all i really meant was make a judgement call if u think it needs to be supported it probably does

Ok fair enough i apologize for my comment.