Chimney Liner questions

[brokencookie]

I have come accross a large variety of ways to line a chimney. Has anyone used any of these methods ?
1. Common brick with castable liner
2. Common brick with firebrick liner (or fire tile liner)
3. common brick with terra cotta tile liner
4. common brick with "black stovepipe" liner

If you have, can you compare and contrast to other methods in terms of price, simplicity, durability, and appearance ?

Any and all information is appreciated

Thanks in advance
Bruce

[Wlodek]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

Bruce,

Driven mainly by cost and availability in the UK I looked at this, and I am going for your option 3.

I thought about option 4 (possibly a problem with Building Regs, but less weight to be supported by the oven smoke chamber), but Class A clay flue liners (as they are called here) are inexpensive, look like they last forever, and also the oven will more than likely happily carry three of them. (surrounding bricks will be supported by lintels resting on the outer walls.)

Option 2 sounds like another possibility - but probably dearer and heavier, while more high-temperature resistant. Clay/terracotta should be fine in the temperatures of a pizzza oven flue.

Option 1? I am sure it would be very messy if I was to do it myself ...

Just my thoughts, seing as the experts have not replied yet. And I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong.

Best wishes from the Lakes,

W.

[dmun]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

Flue liner is a refractory clay product. The older chimneys are made with plain terra cotta liners, and the one on my house in holding up fine after 105 years. Better than the soft red brick and the mortar holding it together, as a matter of fact. The stuff is so cheap, and it looks good to boot, that the only reason not to use it, in my book, is if you don't want the look or the weight of a masonry chimney.

I would NOT build a single wall stovepipe liner inside a masonry enclosure. That stuff is meant to attach wood stoves to chimneys, and it gets rotted out by the corrosive products of combustion, and is replaced every 3-5 years. That's going to be hard to do if it's built in.

[james]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

Wlodek,

If you are thinking about safety, download the new Casa installation guide. It has the U.S. codes for a masonry chimneys.

James

[Wlodek]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

DMun,
Very important point, thanks. The liners I am talking about (the UK Class A ones) are glazed inside, precisely for this reason. I should have said it earlier, sorry ...

James,
Thanks for the pointer. I trawled through the UK Building Regs too and it was hard work. You did the hard work for us. :-)

The updated instructions are excellent. I like the way that the forum exchanges filter into these documents. Many thanks again,

W.

[PeterW]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

There is an alternative, which is to use a teracotta chimney pot - but not sure how prevalent they are across the pond !!

I'm off to pick mine up this weekend - original hand made terracotta, about 60 years old and around 32" tall, and all for ?35 ($70, 50?.... )

The downside over here is people see them as garden ornaments and planters, so they go for silly money !! In fact you can buy new ones cheaper than reclaimed sometimes, but I like the idea of the slightly aged look !

This is the sort of thing [url http://www.salvo.co.uk/images/userimgs/6446/29802_1.jpg /url] that I'm talking about.

Cheers

Peter

[Wlodek]

Re: Chimney Liner questions

Peter,

These can be had cheaper here up-North, if this helps. I saw some in a reclaimed building materials yard near Carnforth for ?10-?15, so if you are planning a week-end in the Lakes I can even pick one up for you.

In a "gabled house" enclosure type I think they should go where they are designed to go - on top of the chimney, not replace anything. In an "igloo" version the taller ones will look great - depending on how tall you want your chimney.

One negative side with most (not all) of these is that they will not shield the chimney from rain - quite important in our climate here

Some form of a rain shield and possibly a spark/bird (depending which way you look) arrester arrangement would probably be useful.

Just my thoughts ...

W.