Chimney capping question

[Roger440]

A bit of guidance please?

 

The wall / chimney breast in the upstairs room is a bit damp.

 

So i finally managed to get up there today and take a look. Basically, its just an open square hole. Can see all the way to the bottom, ie ground floor. So no surprise it gets damp as its raining inside the chimney.

 

There is a wood fired stove in the living room (that ive not used). This in front of the old chimney, with the flue going up and then into the chimney at 45 degrees. But it doesn't continue up through the chimney.

 

For now, im not bothered about the stove. But i do need to stop the water getting in. So i guess i need some sort of stainless cover with a pot on top. Much googling has revealed nothing i can buy / have made over here, though plenty in America

 

So what are the recommendations here. Trying get anyone to come and do this seems to be impossible, so im going to have to do it.

 

Ideally it would be something i can add a flue to later when i get round to sorting out the living room and installing an oil fired stove rather than the wood one and poison myself!

 

Piccy from the ground. 

 

 

[Tennentslager]

Lead sheet...?

Maybe a little timber frame with a slight pyramid and dress in lead. You can go back later re the flue.

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Tennentslager

[Roger440]

Surely lead would need support??? was thinking something like this??

[Tennentslager]

@Onoff will make you one in a jiffy, he got spare steel sheet?

[PeterW]

Bit odd - sounds like the pot is missing ..! How old is the house ..?

 

quickest way so you keep water out and still allow ventilation is to use a standard concrete council paver cut to the same size and set onto a brick at each corner. Still allows the stove to be used if you wanted. 

 

you can buy precast tops tops ready for standard pots - mostly in Ireland for some reason ..!

 

[Roger440]

Thanks Peter. The house, well this bit is about 200 years old, and as far as i can tell had its original open fires until 2006.

 

I had looked at that idea, but it looks a bit odd, certainly here. Next door have something similar to the pic ive posted. (its a semi)

 

Thinking it might be a good temporary fix until i can find some "proper" to do it, the flashing and a few other roofing jobs.

[Cpd]

I had the same situation and used a paver on a few blocks, i also created a raised edge on the top and turfed it just for "why the hell not" i will one day get round to putting a propper top and pots on it but for the moment it works just great and the vegetation survives the random fires we have....... 

[Onoff]

Something wrong with that chimney imo. I reckon the original pots have been removed long ago leaving the big hole. They would often have steel plates on to support the pot (s), even some slate then muck piled on to keep the pots in place.

 

Of course if you do stick a tin lid on the noise of the rain plinking off it will keep you awake all night!

 

Lead atop a bit of timber would be fine. But getting a piece of lead that size won't be cheap. You could lap narrower pieces together.

 

If it was me I'd bend a bit of Zintec sheet up (looks like that in the picture) or paint the hell out of a bit of untreated 1mm mild steel from your local motor factors. You could put 2" Rockwool atop the timber / under the steel to damp down the noise. 

 

Tin bashing with basic tools ain't hard:

 

 

 

 

 

Just affix well to the bricks! And FFS don't use the stove!

 

You could buy this and set into another piece of plate:

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/112374350291?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275&_mwBanner=1

[Ferdinand]

1 minute ago, Onoff said:

Something wrong with that chimney imo. I reckon the original pots have been removed long ago leaving the big hole. They would often have steel plates on to support the pot (s), even some slate then muck piled on to keep the pots in place.

 

Of course if you do stick a tin lid on the noise of the rain plinking off it will keep you awake all night!

 

Lead atop a bit of timber would be fine. But getting a piece of lead that size won't be cheap. You could lap narrower pieces together.

 

If it was me I'd bend a bit of Zintec sheet up (looks like that in the picture) or paint the hell out of a bit of untreated 1mm mild steel from your local motor factors. You could put 2" Rockwool atop the timber / under the steel to damp down the noise. 

 

Tin bashing with basic tools ain't hard:

 

 

 

 

 

Just affix well to the bricks! And FFS don't use the stove!

 

You could buy this and set into another piece of plate:

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/112374350291?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275&_mwBanner=1

 

CATFLAP !!!

[Onoff]

@Roger440 ,looking at your avatar with the cars and that.....surely you know some tin knockers who could whistle up a pyramidal cowl?

 

You could fibreglass in situ over a bit of timber screwed to the bricks.....

[Onoff]

45 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

CATFLAP !!!

 

[Onoff]

A local sheet metal fabrication / ducting place?

 

Edit: I hope you took some measurements whilst up there?

Edited April 23, 2017 by Onoff

[Roger440]

22 hours ago, Onoff said:

Something wrong with that chimney imo. I reckon the original pots have been removed long ago leaving the big hole. They would often have steel plates on to support the pot (s), even some slate then muck piled on to keep the pots in place.

 

Of course if you do stick a tin lid on the noise of the rain plinking off it will keep you awake all night!

 

Lead atop a bit of timber would be fine. But getting a piece of lead that size won't be cheap. You could lap narrower pieces together.

 

If it was me I'd bend a bit of Zintec sheet up (looks like that in the picture) or paint the hell out of a bit of untreated 1mm mild steel from your local motor factors. You could put 2" Rockwool atop the timber / under the steel to damp down the noise. 

 

Tin bashing with basic tools ain't hard:

 

 

 

Just affix well to the bricks! And FFS don't use the stove!

 

You could buy this and set into another piece of plate:

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/112374350291?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275&_mwBanner=1

 

Done plenty of much more complicated tin bashing, but sadly all my tools are in storage  Including my 36 inch metal folder, double

 

If i have to make something it will be stainless. Im only doing this once.

 

Bit of dynamat on the inside should subdue the noise enough. Nobody sleeps in that bedroom.

 

Why do you say dont use the stove?

 

 

[Roger440]

21 hours ago, Onoff said:

A local sheet metal fabrication / ducting place?

 

Edit: I hope you took some measurements whilst up there?

Sadly, like a tool, i didn't!

 

[Onoff]

8 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

Why do you say dont use the stove?

 

I meant if you capped it off completely. You know, asphyxiation / death etc.....

 

Edit: Dynamat...You don't like cars per chance?

Edited April 24, 2017 by Onoff

[Roger440]

Just now, Onoff said:

 

I meant if you capped it off completely. You know, asphyxiation / death etc.....

Ahh, right. No intention of doing that. Need to keep it ventilated so was intending to put a pot of some sort on there. The intention is still eventually to have a stove, albeit probably oil fired at some point.

 

My mind is now running away with the design of said cover, so that i can dismantle to retrofit a flue at some point............................

[Onoff]

I see TP do Supreme Chimney Caps:

 

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Supreme-Chimney-Cap-530-x-880-Cap-33/p/752763

 

Whether you'd get one to match what looks like a rectangular stack you have.....

[bassanclan]

make your life easier and just put a paving slab over it

 

[Roger440]

23 hours ago, Onoff said:

I see TP do Supreme Chimney Caps:

 

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Supreme-Chimney-Cap-530-x-880-Cap-33/p/752763

 

Whether you'd get one to match what looks like a rectangular stack you have.....

 

Im thinking this might be the easy way! But how is the pot secured to the cap. Is it really just mortared in? How is that ever going to be watertight? 

[Onoff]

41 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

 

Im thinking this might be the easy way! But how is the pot secured to the cap. Is it really just mortared in? How is that ever going to be watertight? 

 

Sorry, I have no idea. A cleverer person will be along shortly!

[Nickfromwales]

Until they arrive.......

yes, you just compo it in and bobs ya uncle. Not designed to be 100% watertight, but they're not far off it TBH. 

[Onoff]

I looked at a few chimney pots expecting them to have like a shoulder to sit in the hole in those Supreme Chimney Caps...but none did. If anything they were often tapered. I figured they could just fall through?

[Roger440]

21 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Until they arrive.......

yes, you just compo it in and bobs ya uncle. Not designed to be 100% watertight, but they're not far off it TBH. 

 What on earth does "just compo it in" ,mean?

 

Seems odd for it not to be watertight. Surely thats the objective?

 

[Roger440]

14 hours ago, Onoff said:

I looked at a few chimney pots expecting them to have like a shoulder to sit in the hole in those Supreme Chimney Caps...but none did. If anything they were often tapered. I figured they could just fall through?

 

Thats what i thought. This chimney building thing is like a dark art....................................

[Nickfromwales]

12 minutes ago, Roger440 said:

 What on earth does "just compo it in" ,mean?

 

Seems odd for it not to be watertight. Surely thats the objective?

 

'Compo' aka sand / cement mix. . 

Theyre bedded in well but often aren't ever 100%. They deflect the majority but some rain inevitably gets through, plus what gets windswept into the pot.