terracotta chimney installation

[SarahF]

First, I was wondering if there is a procedure for attaching a terracotta chimney to the vent (top of the transition part). Is high temp mortar used to attach the flue? Build up an area with bricks?

Second, I would like to put stucco around the flue (like an "australian" style oven). Do the flue and the transition/vent get insulation blanket around them? It seems like this would be an extraordinarily hot area and I would think that expansion/contraction during cold seasons would crack the terracotta without insulation. I feel like the flue should be insulated somehow or is the air space generated from the chicken wire enough...

Thanks in advance,

Sarah

[Aegis]

Re: terracotta chimney installation

Hi Sarah,
The flue needs High temp mortar on all connections for sure. I unfortunately have no idea how you would stucco around the flue unless you enclosed it with steel studs and cement board first. You are correct with the thought of the flue getting hot! Even with my curing fires the flue gets all the heat exiting the oven. Building code around hear say to not have anything touching the flue, except for incidental mortar from and enclosure.

I have built a chimney from a clay flue and surrounded it with cement block. I am worried about the weight being put on the vent/landing area with this amount of material. I will add brick above the roof line. I am planning on buttressing the sides of the vent/landing in hopes of preventing a collapse. See Dmun's build for the correct way to set up a clay flue.
Hope this helps.

[david s]

Re: terracotta chimney installation

You can wrap it it with blanket, then chicken wire and stucco over that. This will prevent cracks.