Finally got that old farmhouse flue liner in after a full day of fighting it

Got a call for a 1920s brick chimney in Millbrook that hadn't been touched in decades. The clay liner was shot, so I went to put in a new stainless steel one. The old mortar had crumbled and fallen into the space, creating a solid block about eight feet down. Had to chip it out piece by piece with a hammer and chisel from the roof. What I thought was a three hour job turned into a solid eight. Anyone else run into a liner just completely packed with old debris?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarcooper2mo ago

Honestly that sounds like a standard prep job... not some crazy surprise. Should always budget extra time for a century old chimney. Maybe just need better planning next time.

thompson.abby2mo ago

Eight feet of packed mortar is not standard prep. That's a full demo job from the top down. Did you have to drop a camera first to even find the blockage, or was it just a surprise when the liner wouldn't budge?

tylerr291mo ago

Right, they should budget extra time for a century old chimney AND a backhoe. Eight feet of packed mortar isn't a surprise, it's a full archaeological dig. Surprise is when your liner gets stuck and you realize you need a permit for a historical excavation. Planning ahead for that would be like planning for a meteor to hit your truck, just hope it doesn't. Sounds like Oscar thinks we all carry around an x-ray machine to spot that one.