Home > Video Channel > Installing the Chimney Liner

Installing the Chimney Liner

Bob and Chris Vila join Andy Grover of Hallsted Welles Associates for the installation of a new, flexible, stainless-steel chimney liner. Grover has already completed exploratory demolition at the smokebox, above the fireplace. A probe the width of the chimney opening was inserted and run down the chimney to determine the flue length. Then a video-scan camera was inserted and run the length of the chimney to look for any obstructions or irregularities that might need to be cleared. Grover is using a heavy-gauge, 304 stainless-steel alloy liner with a lifetime warranty for wood-burning fireplace use. Grover explains that there was once a cast-iron firebox that is no longer present. The decision to use a flexible liner rather than terra cotta means they need only punch a small hole in the brick, rather than tearing out the chimney wall from the fireplace to the roof. A nose cone and hook are attached to the liner and it is winched up from the roof. Once in place, a 30-watt draft inducer will be installed to ensure steady drafting for the new chimney.
Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content.

Chapters from this episode

Clip Transcript For:

Installing the Chimney Liner

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Let's look at what we've got behind you here you've gotten done some exploratory demolition. And the smoke chamber here. The green took a probe the same size as this liner. -- up inside all the way to the roof to make sure that that would fit and there's pretty narrow. As -- how how do you look at the inside of the flue. We also drop down a video scan camera. From the roof down and seeing if there weren't any irregularities in the flue that would stop that from passing. So the video camera actually can be dropped down the thirty or forty or fifty feet whatever it is. Of old unused flue to determine whether you've got any kind of obstructions -- Fallen masonry year birds' nests or anything like that yeah let's listen and it's actually up to 200 feet fabulous. All right then. Assuming that we can do this what is it that we're doing what is this product. It's. It's very heavy gauge flue liner at all one piece it's gonna go from here all the way to the roof without any seams is a stainless steel stainless steel 34 alloy and then this product is lifetime warranted for foreign prisoners. Well and would burn -- wood. -- and that's what our objective is going to be here. Although back in the forties when they closed everything up they've obviously reduced the original firebox or obliterated it. I believe there must have been a cast iron liner in this opening they don't see any scorching so whatever was lining this box is gone. He. Leaving a brick. Opening and -- didn't friendly fire zones of this kind of resources a lot easier than trying to -- Lou -- line a flue. With that Erica terra cotta right if you're gonna that you have to panel wall open all away from your roof all right are we ready to start yanking this up yeah I think we -- let's go. And we got a man on the roof. We're -- man with a walkie talkie down here. OK -- up."

" back that up front about that they've been about the fabric."

" Okay stop. OK so it's not it's ribbed on the inside and on the outside is that a problem for a the draw known something do you have some sort of fan attached to. Yeah because this liner is an -- size and we -- to decent firebox -- herself. They're relaxed it will be a problem that's blown through of the -- not with a large -- condenser -- so that's the key. And then we'll have to find an antique mantelpiece that can order your own good thanks Sander."

 [-]


More Videos »Related Videos

Repairing and Relining the Chimneys
Repairing and Relining the Chimneys

One of the home improvement projects for the Melrose home was to repair the chimney. The chimneys for the furnace and the fireplace were both in need of repair. The furnace chimney flue needed to be relined to meet code. A flexible stainless-steel liner will protect the home from fire danger or carbon monoxide poisoning. Jack Frederick of Frederick Gerraghty reviews some of the technology that went into the fireplace. The pipe used in this project had a double wall which protects the heat of the natural draft needed to properly vent chimneys. Three-foot, twist-lock lengths of pipe were assembled on site and dropped down from the top of the chimney. The fireplace chimney needed urgent attention both inside and out, so a new gas fireplace insert could go in the hearth opening. There was a lot of damage to the brick at the top of the chimney. The bricks were removed and replaced by Tim Martinson of Upside Down Chimney Sweeps. Some of the bricks were very loose and were removed and re-mortered.

Winterize Your Home
Winterize Your Home

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. While you were having fun in the sun this summer, it was no vacation for your house. Sun, wind and rain can cause as much wear and tear as snow and ice. A fall checklist will tip you off to some problems before they become nasty mid-winter surprises. Check your house from top to bottom. Start by inspecting the roof with binoculars: Are your shingles worn or failing? Check the attic for signs of leaks around the skylights or vents, chimneys, and have your chimney cleaned once a year. Clear out your gutters and check for leaks there, too. Drain your outside hose spigots if you live where pipes can freeze. Switch your screens for storm windows, and seal any drafty windows and doors. The same goes for paint and siding: make sure you caulk or repair those gaps around windows, doors, trim and vents, and replace any siding that is failing. In the basement, check for dampness on the floor and walls, test your sump pump, flush your water heater and check for any signs of leakage. Clean your dryer vent regularly. Make sure that paints or any flammable materials are stored away from heat sources in a closed metal cabinet. And make that appointment to have your heating system serviced yearly. Do the top-to-bottom check this fall, and you ll avoid expensive surprises this winter! Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Trimming the Chimney with Fieldstone
Trimming the Chimney with Fieldstone

The structure for the fireplace is now being trimmed out with real stone. Bob talks with John Nadler of Plymouth Quarries about the stone being used. In this case, real stone is cut thin so it can be applied like a manufactured veneer. The stone is a New England fieldstone from Connecticut. The stone can be cut with a hammer, a four-inch grinder, or a wet saw. Because the stone is so thin, it can be cut quite easily. It costs approximately $12-15 a square foot. In contrast to traditional stone which weighs about 50 pound to the square foot, this is a lightweight stone product weighing less than 15 pounds to the square foot. The installation can go from the top down as it does not require any structural footings underneath. Bob talks with Joseph McDonough of McDonough Masonry. McDonough built the original chimney when the house was built over 25 years ago. A grout bag is used to squeeze the mortar into the joints between the stones. After two to three hours, once the mortar is set, McDonough uses a pointed stick to scratch out the joints. He then brushes the joints to clear any fine leftover particles.

Supporting the Chimney Flues and Hearth
Supporting the Chimney Flues and Hearth

Bob and the mason discuss the chimney. Pointing out that we have two flues, one for the boiler in the basement and one for the wood stove. By code, the ceramic flue liners need to be surround by at least four inches of solid masonry (the chimney). The mason tells Bob how they are going to attach the pipe from the wood stove to the flue. Then the mason shows how easy it is to cut a four-inch cement block with a hydraulic jack. The mason and Bob then discuss the supports for the hearth, including a concrete table and a blue stone finishing floor.

Related Products & Services Showrooms

Cleaners for the toughest household cleaning challenges
Cleaners for the toughest household cleaning challenges

…bathtubs, toilet bowls, sinks, glass, chrome, fiberglass, stainless steel, coffee makers, humidifiers, dishwashers, washing machines…
…bathtubs, toilet bowls, sinks, glass, chrome, fiberglass, stainless steel, coffee makers, humidifiers, dishwashers, washing machines…

More Content »More Content

Terra Cotta Flooring

I just moved into a home that has an unglazed, unsealed terra cotta kitchen floor! The stains are beginning to incease as my patience decreases. I know I must have the floor sealed and probably…

Terra cotta tiles

Have you ever heard of a treatment for terra cotta tiles that involves a mixture of Linseed Oil, Thompson Water Sealer, Mineral Spirits and Lacquer thinner. We have this…

TREATMENT FOR TERRA COTTA FLOOR?

…THE FLOOR. AFTER IT HAD SET, IT WAS VACUUMED AND THEN POLISHED. DOES ANY ONE KNOW ABOUT THIS PROCESS? I HAVE A GLAZED TERRA COTTA TILE FLOOR IN THE LOBBY OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING WITH. I DON'T WANT TO TEAR IT OUT…

Drilling Terra cotta

I need to drill a 1" diameter hole in the bottom of a "terra cotta" fire pot (fireplace made of flowerpot material) without cracking or breaking the surface. What cutter will do the job?

Browse Topics

Click on a letter to browse content by topic alphabetically.



About  | FAQ  | Contact  | Sitemap  | Privacy Policy  | Terms of Use  | Help

© BobVila.com 2009