Completely Rusted & Rotted Chimney Intake... Now What?!

[WaWaZat]

Any suggestions? The chimney intake is has completely rusted away after years of use and even more years (over 10 to be exact) of non-use! The intake is cemented in and the insulation blanket is exposed. Not an easy spot to get to either.

What would you do?

[Giovanni Rossi]

Wow, you have your work cut out for you. I'm all for repair and reuse vs landfill, but this looks like a challenge. It's far above my level of expertise and I'm really interested in seeing the experienced builders' recommendations and following your progress. Since you have so many gaps into the internal sections to vent moisture, I would be inclined to get the flue repaired enough to then do some long low-fire drying sessions before doing the other repairs. I'm sure others will weigh-in if this isn't the best idea. Good luck!