By Jason Broderick
Brick and mortar or cement chimneys were the first built and offer a traditional look and excel in vertical strength. Cement or brick chimneys are often integrated into the building at construction and multi-story houses will often multiple chimneys stacked atop each other in a line and reaching the roof.
Brick or Cement Chimneys are usually lined with another material such as tile. The lining in a chimney helps ease cleaning, improve performance and enhance safety. Terra cotta is very commonly used as a brick or cement liner while aluminum or steel might be the flue liner for a metal chimney.
Recently metal chimneys have become increasingly popular for a number of reasons; they are pre-constructed and usually lighter than a traditional brick or cement chimney and in a few situations somewhat less expensive. Although aesthetically a metal chimney is somewhat less desirable they can be rendered more pleasing with the use of a faade, allowing the exterior of the metal chimney to appear much like a traditional chimney.
Different types of metal chimneys are used in different situations. The most common commercially available metal chimney types are single walled galvanized steel, double walled type B and type L. Type B double walled chimneys use aluminum in the inner wall to help resist rust and corroding, while type L uses steel in the inner wall to add strength the structure.
Chimneys are constructed to take advantage of the fact that hot air rises, heat from the fireplace warms the air, which rise, and cooler air is drawn to the fireplace to provide more fuel for the fire. A chimney is generally constructed to rise almost vertically to encourage unobstructed airflow to the exterior.
Generally, the chimney should extend at least two to feet above any part of the building to which it is attached. While this is a minimum in many situations the chimney must be taller than minimum to allow enough draught to produce a proper fire. In higher altitudes, more air is required to fuel the fire and hence the chimney must be taller. Most metal chimneys are factory fabricated which explains some of their appeal, but the height can be adjusted by adding sections or choosing a taller chimney when necessary.
A chimney cap should protect even metal chimneys. This will direct the rain or snow to the sides rather than trickling down the chimney. Chimney caps and cowls can be used to extend the height of the chimney as well as protect the flue from the elements.
The cap on top of a chimney flue is easy to repair and is usually easy to locate. The problems I have seem recently is that many fireplace companies do not make flue pipe or chimney termination caps any longer. A homeowner loses a termination cap off the roof in a storm and has to find something else to repair the chimney flue. There are usually enough single, double and triple walled caps to locate something close enough to use. Remember wood burning fireplaces and gas log fireplaces always must have adequate ventilation. There are ventless gas fireplaces that can be used indoors with little or no ventilation but standard gas logs have to have all the same ventilation and insulation as a wood burning fireplace.
About the Author:
ventless gas fireplace
designs have evolved into amazingly realistic fireplaces and are now available without mimicking wood burning fireplaces in alternative designs.
Gas log fireplace
s with ceramic wood logs need a chimney just like wood burning fireplaces. Contact the professionals at http://www.Grill-Repair.com
Source:
isnare.com
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