29 06, 2019

Summer is when a chimney needs attention

2019-06-29T09:48:33+00:00

image1

It’s a great time of year to have the chimney cleaned.
The chimney sweeps are easily available, and the fires will be lit again in a matter of a couple of months.
I never burn pine so I can generally get away with going a few years on my fireplace, but the wood stove flue… that gets my attention every year.

Originally posted 2016-08-23 13:02:29.

Summer is when a chimney needs attention2019-06-29T09:48:33+00:00
29 06, 2019

99% of builders get this wrong

2019-06-29T09:48:20+00:00

00002076

Today I’d like to share with you a very important design issue with regard to the construction of chimneys and fireplaces.

99% of home builders and masons get this wrong… and the shameful part is that it does not increase the cost, nor does it take any more effort, to get it right.

It’s all about “fresh air vents”. You see, a few years back, the government in it’s infinite wisdom decided to make it mandatory that all fireplaces be supplied with a fresh air vent to the outside… in other words… a hole poked through a fireplace and out the chimney.

We don’t need to get into the merits of “should there be one or not?”.  It’s not like we have a choice.  It’s the law.

There are pros to having these vents… Some say new homes are so airtight that fresh air is needed to keep a fire going and not smoke up a house, and others say it’s better to draw in outside air and throw it up the chimney than it is to pull heated air out of the house. Both are valid points.

The negative aspects of fresh air vents are many… most people fail to either open the little door to the vent when burning a fire (and thus they are useless) or they fail to close them when a fire is not burning which allows in cold air and all kinds of creatures who decide to crawl through the vent piping. Plus, I have witnessed strong winds blow smoke and ashes out of fireplace into the room (not good at all).

But, my biggest peeve (besides the government once again feeling it has the right to force me to build a home the way they want it to be) is that for some odd reason 99% of builders and masons feel the need to install these vents front and center… as if this piece of hardware is a decorative element. 

It’s not!  It’s an eyesore. It’s a visual distraction. It’s a pimple on a gorgeous face… why put it on the tip of the nose?

If you go to the trouble of building a beautiful chimney why mess it up with a modern vent sticking out of the face of it? You might as well hang a few hubcaps on it while you’re at it. lol  And when you come inside, and you see the gorgeous fireplace that you’ve put so much effort into building… why have a vent cover staring back at you?

You will never find an old chimney with a fresh air vent… at least I’ve never seen one.  And, you will never see a fresh air vent sticking out the face of one my new chimneys.  Remember, it’s all about the details. So you may ask… “How do I get away with having an unspoiled fireplace and chimney, and yet keep Big Brother happy as well?”

It’s SO simple… so simple in fact that I am stumped why no one else does it. Well yes, I do know… it’s because so few bother to consider all the options when building a house, failing to always strive to build a home as attractive as it can be. The simple solution to not spoiling fine masonry?… install the vent on the side of the chimney… on the side of the fireplace… where it is hardly noticed or seen!

Often I’ll even go one step further… on the exterior of the chimney, I’ll install the vent recessed and then shape a stone that can be put into place to cover it over during those times the chimney is not being used (as I did on the one seen in the photo at the top of this posting).

There you have it folks… if you want it done right, you either need to do it yourself, or be prepared to tell others how you like it.

BradInt1

Originally posted 2016-05-21 17:25:20.

99% of builders get this wrong2019-06-29T09:48:20+00:00
29 06, 2019

My recipe for a good chimney or fireplace

2019-06-29T09:48:05+00:00

00002105

My recipe for a great fireplace and chimney…
I’ve never worked from any special drawings when building a chimney or fireplace.
The inner workings (smoke shelves, flue liners, air intake, etc) on my projects are basically the same as those found in most modern masonry units.

00001383
The uniqueness of my chimneys and fireplaces that I build is all about the careful selection, shaping, and arrangement of the stone that composes the finished product… which I tend to model from other structures that I have admired over the years, mostly vintage.
With the vast sources of the internet I’m sure you can find some technical drawings, and then just come up with some photos of the fireplace that you most admire and copy it to perfection.

00001769

Originally posted 2016-05-03 14:12:39.

My recipe for a good chimney or fireplace2019-06-29T09:48:05+00:00
29 06, 2019

The combination of stone and log

2019-06-29T09:47:58+00:00

00001525

I do love the combination of log and stone.
On this cabin we used limestone that we gathered from the Shenandoah Valley here in Virginia.
I thought the copper roof and bow window of the stone section added a lot to the overall appeal of this home.

Originally posted 2016-04-28 12:54:01.

The combination of stone and log2019-06-29T09:47:58+00:00
29 06, 2019

Wide stone chimney

2019-06-29T09:47:33+00:00

5555555jjjjjjj

A wide chimney announces that a cooking fireplace can be found inside.

Originally posted 2016-03-25 14:36:10.

Wide stone chimney2019-06-29T09:47:33+00:00
29 06, 2019

Stepped Stonework

2019-06-29T09:46:44+00:00

 

????????????????????????????????????

Here we have an interesting old cabin out of the mid-West. Perhaps, Arkansas or Oklahoma.This people in this area of the country tend to use a lot of “steps” when building their stone chimneys.

Originally posted 2016-02-17 13:58:23.

Stepped Stonework2019-06-29T09:46:44+00:00
29 06, 2019

A stone chimney with a log cabin

2019-06-29T09:46:29+00:00

IMG_1809

It’s a simple basic cabin. Low to the ground and with a big porch on the front. But for many this cabin is all about that huge stone chimney. The chimney is massive, yet the stones that make her up are small in scale. Each I’m sure gathered locally and laid flat, one upon the other, one at at time. Most impressive, don’t you think?

Originally posted 2016-02-09 13:47:02.

A stone chimney with a log cabin2019-06-29T09:46:29+00:00
29 06, 2019

An excellent source of stone

2019-06-29T09:45:43+00:00

IMG_1387

It was a simpler time.
I can’t help but look at each of these individuals and ponder their lives.
And. as a builder. my eye is eventually drawn towards the stone chimney that stands proud on the end of this cabin. I’ve come to expect horizontal stones on old chimneys… as that is the only way a chimney can stand without the aid of cement binding it together, but chimneys with well defined layers, like this is one, is somewhat uncommon… it requires a supply of stone each of the same thickness, and stones that are easily shaped.  I’m jealous.

Originally posted 2015-12-31 10:54:54.

An excellent source of stone2019-06-29T09:45:43+00:00
29 06, 2019

How not to repair a leaning chimney

2019-06-29T09:45:03+00:00

IMG_1916

Here we have an old cabin with wide hewn logs.
Unfortunately, the chimney appears to be “on the move” (likely do to a combination of an improperly built footer under the chimney and poor drainage around the cabin).
There is a sign near the front door that states that this cabin is the property of the US government which I suppose explains the useless attempt to hold the chimney in place by nailing a few 2×4’s around it.
This chimney could quite possibly be lifted back into place and properly stabilized by professionals.

Originally posted 2015-12-12 14:42:10.

How not to repair a leaning chimney2019-06-29T09:45:03+00:00
29 06, 2019

A most curious cabin

2019-06-29T09:44:49+00:00

IMG_1759

A stone chimney could have been built as easily, and as quickly, as it must have taken to notch all the logs to create this wood chimney… the only reason I can think of to do this would have been the lack of access to good stone or access to mortar for bad stone.

Originally posted 2015-12-08 16:15:21.

A most curious cabin2019-06-29T09:44:49+00:00
Go to Top