1920 unlined chimney, open hearth

10 years ago

Hello,
I moved in to my home last winter and used the wood burning fireplace. Everything worked well (no draft issues, no smoking, no hot walls around chimney).
I called this year to have it cleaned and inspected and the sweep came out.
He said that my chimney is unlined brick and mortar and no longer allowed in code. The original damper was replaced with a really good one that functions well and the cap and crown up on the roof look good. I have an ash chute that drops to the basement for a clean-out and it was empty (except for a little ash from last winter).
He said he didn't SEE (no camera, just a flashlight from top and bottom) anything in the structure that worried him, but the simple AGE of the home made it probable that I would have mortar deterioration and that would allow for wood in the walls nearby (if any) to combust.

He said his insurer wouldn't allow him to clean an unlined chimney because it could be construed as giving it a "thumbs-up" to use and he isn't ALLOWED to say it's safe but must recommend I don't use it and offered me 2 choices:
put in an insert (3K) or
have a new liner cast-in-place (6K)

For info: my gas furnace is newer and vents outside through it's own PVC pipe so the fireplace is the only thing using the chimney

Also: I don't like inserts, I like to have to put down my book, get off the couch and poke a log now and then. What are my options for keeping an open hearth?

He said I could call other sweeps in town and get it cleaned, but that he couldn't / wouldn't. I'm trying to judge the risk since his refusal wasn't on anything he SAW, but just on the age of the bricks and mortar.

Any advice? Are the costs he mentioned in the ballpark? My house is 1.5 story

The other threads I saw on this were from 2009, I apologize if this is already being discussed in a recent thread.

PS, I lived in France for the past 8 years and was in some OLD homes, so 90 years is just a baby in my mind now. Not sure how THEY keep those old hearths going!

Kind Regards,

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Comments (2)

berlin
10 years ago
A chimney used for a wood-burning fireplace without even a clay tile liner is an increased risk if it is single brick thickness - even if it's in good condition. The concern with an open fire isn't so much chimney fire danger (compared w/ wood stove producing ample creosote) but rather a loss of appropriate draft allowing a spark to escape through any deteriorated mortar joint or crack.

In my home, would I use it? Probably (but then I'd likely burn coal which won't produce sparks).
In your house-it's your call, it's not an instant house fire, but, there is some level of increased risk.

As far as older homes in France, they likely (typically) have thicker stacks than one wythe of brick, if yours does, only then would I say there's no discernible risk.
akamainegrower
10 years ago
You've received good advice from both the chimney sweep and berlin. There is, however, one puzzling area. Namely the sweep's insert recommendation. A wood burning insert would do nothing about the chimney issue in itself. Was he talking about an insert plus a stainless steel liner for the chimney?

For old unlined single brick chimneys, my own preference would be a cast in place liner. I had this done about 12 years ago and have been very happy with it. Unlike a metal liner, a poured one is self insulating and works its way into every cranny and crack in the chimney adding greatly to its overall strength.
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