chimney contractors carmichael, ca
Did you know that almost every home has at least one chimney? They’re often an overlooked part of the house, but that doesn’t change how important they are. Many people try to build them themselves, and plenty of them succeed. It’s important, though, that everything is done correctly, or you run the very real danger of burning your home down.
(916) 553-2299 No pressure, though. If you’re extremely handy or experienced in this line of work already, I’d say go for it, but hiring a contractor is an excellent way to avoid setting everything on fire. You can sit back, relax, and let the professionals worry about that – it is, after all, their job. If you hire our company as a chimney contractor, we guarantee to uphold high standards of safety, and produce results that you’re happy to display. (916) 553-2299 |
|
chimney construction process
First: you need to follow all the local building codes and regulations. Check out these requirements and make sure that your build falls within safe parameters. You also need to understand what a chimney specifically does for a home.
(916) 553-2299
Chimneys do two things:
The first: they bring a draft of air in from outside that helps with combustion. After all, fire needs oxygen to properly burn.
And second: they make sure the air in your home stays clean by releasing the byproducts (smoke, hot air) of that combustion into the air. Simple, right?
Longer chimneys will produce more of a draft than shorter ones. This draft occurs when hot air and smoke rises and leaves the chimney. When winds have to get around other obstacles near your home, like trees, this is called an eddy current. They can cause air to blow straight down a chimney, and interfere with the draft.
It’s important that a chimney is built 3 feet above flat roofs, and 2 feet above roof ridges or raised sections within 10 feet of it. This prevents eddy currents from messing up the draft. A chimney hood or chimney cap can also be installed if this isn’t possible.
A little terminology for you:
the chimney flue is where air comes in and smoke goes out. It’s the hollow center. In the case of masonry chimneys (made of bricks), the flue is most often square or rectangular in shape. Here are some rules about flues that should be followed for safety.
(916) 553-2299
Chimneys do two things:
The first: they bring a draft of air in from outside that helps with combustion. After all, fire needs oxygen to properly burn.
And second: they make sure the air in your home stays clean by releasing the byproducts (smoke, hot air) of that combustion into the air. Simple, right?
Longer chimneys will produce more of a draft than shorter ones. This draft occurs when hot air and smoke rises and leaves the chimney. When winds have to get around other obstacles near your home, like trees, this is called an eddy current. They can cause air to blow straight down a chimney, and interfere with the draft.
It’s important that a chimney is built 3 feet above flat roofs, and 2 feet above roof ridges or raised sections within 10 feet of it. This prevents eddy currents from messing up the draft. A chimney hood or chimney cap can also be installed if this isn’t possible.
A little terminology for you:
the chimney flue is where air comes in and smoke goes out. It’s the hollow center. In the case of masonry chimneys (made of bricks), the flue is most often square or rectangular in shape. Here are some rules about flues that should be followed for safety.
- A flue’s slope can’t be greater than 30 degrees.
- Its size and shape can’t change in areas 6 inches or closer to where it’ll pass through combustible material (i.e. ceilings, roofs, floors).
- If you connect them, flues need to be releasing the same byproducts, not different ones (such as gas byproducts from one, and wood byproducts from the other).
Now that you know a little more about the terminology and safety rules for chimneys, let’s get into what it’s like to install one.
(916) 553-2299
(916) 553-2299
chimney resources needed
Your contractor will make sure they have everything they need to install your chimney. Some integral supplies are bricks (of course), mortar, flashing, sheet metal, levels, trowels, and a chimney cap if needed.
Tip: Why sheet metal? Because a masonry chimney that passes through a house needs to have at least a 2-inch space between it and any and all combustible materials (again, these are your ceiling, your floor, your roof, and any wooden beams). Sheet metal is non-combustible, and is used by contractors to fill that space. It’s important to make sure your contractor is taking these steps. Say your chimney is venting a fireplace inside your home. That’s where contractors begin the build, and they work from there all the way up. The chimney will have to be built on a reinforced concrete pad, about 8 to 12 inches thick (this depends on how many stories the house has). If you don’t have one of these, it’ll be installed by your contractor beforehand, as it is a requirement for a fireplace. |
mixing the mortar
Mortar is made of builders’ sand (6 parts recommended), hydrated lime (1 part recommended), and concrete (1 part recommended). Its consistency should resemble pudding when it’s done being mixed. Make sure not to let it sit for too long, as it can dry out and the bricks won’t stick to it as well.
(916) 553-2299
(916) 553-2299
Layering bricks, adding sheet metal, and adding metal flashing
The bricks will then need to be layered on top of each other, and the trowel used to smooth out the mortar between brick joints. There needs to be enough mortar there so that it oozes out of the sides. This ensures that there aren’t any air bubbles within the mortar. A level will need to be used as well after every few bricks laid, to make sure that everything is, well, level – both vertically and horizontally.
(916) 553-2299
If there’s unevenness, the bricks can be adjusted before the mortar dries. Flue tiles on the inside of the chimney will be laid at the same time as the outside is being built. This is so that the chimney doesn’t become too high before they’re installed; if that happens, placing the flue tiles will be next to impossible.
Sheet metal then needs to be placed in the 2-inch gap between the chimney’s outside bricks and the combustible material of the house. Once this is done on all four sides, metal flashing is installed where the chimney and roof meet up. It can be sealed with waterproof caulk and also placed as a lining underneath the chimney cap, if your chimney ends up having one.
Lastly, this is where the chimney cap is added on. It needs to be sloped away from the chimney and extend past its wall by at least 2 inches. The cap will prevent excess moisture from entering the chimney by having a lip that causes water to flow away from it.
Those are the bare-bones steps that make up the process of installing a chimney. It’s definitely not an easy task, so having a contractor would be a solid choice if you’re uncertain. If we’re hired as your contractor, we’ll make sure to treat your chimney build with the utmost respect, and adhere strictly to safety guidelines.
(916) 553-2299
(916) 553-2299
If there’s unevenness, the bricks can be adjusted before the mortar dries. Flue tiles on the inside of the chimney will be laid at the same time as the outside is being built. This is so that the chimney doesn’t become too high before they’re installed; if that happens, placing the flue tiles will be next to impossible.
Sheet metal then needs to be placed in the 2-inch gap between the chimney’s outside bricks and the combustible material of the house. Once this is done on all four sides, metal flashing is installed where the chimney and roof meet up. It can be sealed with waterproof caulk and also placed as a lining underneath the chimney cap, if your chimney ends up having one.
Lastly, this is where the chimney cap is added on. It needs to be sloped away from the chimney and extend past its wall by at least 2 inches. The cap will prevent excess moisture from entering the chimney by having a lip that causes water to flow away from it.
Those are the bare-bones steps that make up the process of installing a chimney. It’s definitely not an easy task, so having a contractor would be a solid choice if you’re uncertain. If we’re hired as your contractor, we’ll make sure to treat your chimney build with the utmost respect, and adhere strictly to safety guidelines.
(916) 553-2299