[ThePathofDestruction]

Hi everyone!

I have a predicament with my chimney. It has two larger holes in two of the sides about midway up (see attached picture). Now I know I should do something about it but heres the catch. I plan on removing the chimney next year so I want to just basically get it through the winter. The patch doesn't even need to look pretty. I called a mason and he quoted me about $1700 for a temporary patch and about $4000 for a more permanent one. So I've decided to do it myself, since I don't want to pay that much for something I plan on getting rid of soon anyway. My question is what would be the most cost effective way to deal with this so it gets through the winter? Slap some concrete on it? Or some spray foam? Or wrap some flashing around it? I'm open to suggestions. I'm in western New York so we get pretty bad winters around here

 

[turbo4]

If the inside flue is in good shape you just need to patch the holes with some mortar .You can keep the mortar in place with some metal mesh tucked inside. About a 2 hour job. Looks like a defective chimney block to fall apart like that. Im assuming this chimney is not in use. In the spring get more estimates ,those prices sound crazy ., Is a mason making $300-$400 an hour now in NY.

 

[ThePathofDestruction]

If the inside flue is in good shape you just need to patch the holes with some mortar .You can keep the mortar in place with some metal mesh tucked inside. About a 2 hour job. Looks like a defective chimney block to fall apart like that. Im assuming this chimney is not in use.

The furnace pipes go through it, but no fireplace. In fairness it is an old house so it may just have been its time. When you say tucked inside, do you mean line the inside of the chimney itself?

 

[turbo4]

The furnace pipes go through it, but no fireplace. In fairness it is an old house so it may just have been its time. When you say tucked inside, do you mean line the inside of the chimney itself?

Between the flue and the outside of the block, not inside the clay flue liner. It holds the mortar in place ,otherwise the mortar will just slump out of the hole before it can dry.

 

[ThePathofDestruction]

Between the flue and the outside of the lock, not inside the clay flue liner. Otherwise the morter will just slump out of the hole before it can dry.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Fix'n it]

use the mortar, and take a few old bricks and rocks up there with you. put some mortar, then set a brick in there and fill the smaller holes with the rocks and mortar all around that.

if you have not done any tuckpointing before, watch some vids to get an idea.

 

[turbo4]

use the mortar, and take a few old bricks and rocks up there with you. put some mortar, then set a brick in there and fill the smaller holes with the rocks and mortar all around that.

if you have not done any tuckpointing before, watch some vids to get an idea.

Yes in checking the pics again ,those holes are really large. Most likely too large to just fill with mortar. the stones and bricks will help hold the ,mortar in. Adding small stones to the mortar like 1b driveway stone helps as well.

 

[Chris616]

Welcome to the forum.

I guess that the back side is in rough shape too, since it appears that we can see sky right through at the second joint up.

If you’re going to get rid of the chimney altogether next year (new furnace with direct venting outside?) and your concern is just about chunks of material coming off and doing damage to people or things, then I would consider just wrapping hardware cloth around the chimney and wiring it together on the back side. It would be pretty much invisible, easy to do and you could cover even sections that look stable now but really aren’t.

{And by “wrapping” I actually mean bending the hardware cloth at the corners so that it stays in close contact with the surface everywhere, not just wrapping a mostly cylindrical tube around the chimney, which would be much easier to do but wouldn’t do as much to hold things together)

 

[turbo4]

Yea i was thinking about wrapping something, but the block looks like it may not support the top for another year.

 

[ThePathofDestruction]

Welcome to the forum.

I guess that the back side is in rough shape too, since it appears that we can see sky right through at the second joint up.

If you’re going to get rid of the chimney altogether next year (new furnace with direct venting outside?) and your concern is just about chunks of material coming off and doing damage to people or things, then I would consider just wrapping hardware cloth around the chimney and wiring it together on the back side. It would be pretty much invisible, easy to do and you could cover even sections that look stable now but really aren’t.

{And by “wrapping” I actually mean bending the hardware cloth at the corners so that it stays in close contact with the surface everywhere, not just wrapping a mostly cylindrical tube around the chimney, which would be much easier to do but wouldn’t do as much to hold things together)

Yes my concern is that due to winter coming, the water freezing and thawing could cause further damage to the chimney and possibly some water damage or some kind of damage internally for the furnace or inside walls. I do just kind of want to weather proof it so it can get through the winter. sounds like the bricks/stones and morter might be the way to go