So I'm going to take this chimney down to the roof. I will learn about mortar and the like, but need ideas on some kind of staging. Ill need to be able to stand up here for several hours, be able to haul buckets of mortar up and stage bricks. Moving things around won't be as much of an issue as keeping it up there without wrecking the new roof. I'm not too thrilled about breaking shingles off to stuff and nail brackets underneath, so looking to build something to set on the roof. Thoughts?
Google Image Result for https://riversonghousewright.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/img_8011.jpg The Pitch Hopper, is a plastic wedge platform with foam bottom to keep it from moving on shingles. One vendor below. The Pitch Hopper You can also use ladders with ridge hooks on them. Search online or ask local hardware store for Roof Ridge Ladder Hook. Heavy Duty Roof Ridge Ladder Hook - Google Search
I just repointed mine this summer. My roof is in need of replacing so I wasn't as careful as you need to be but depending on the setup, you can literally build a wooden platform up there if necessary. If there's a will, there's a way. I suppose I don't have a finished picture but here's one after I ground out all the old mortar. Good luck and take your time. Like most jobs, it's not hard - just time consuming and requiring much patience.
I think setting up will be ambitious. I've always wanted to learn basic masonry though. This is an auxiliary heating unit, so I'm not in as much of a hustle as getting the chimney done for the wood stove last fall. It should be interesting!! Sca
Hey that turned out well. I like the textured brick. Nice touch. You're right, after seeing some pics, I believe I can build a big ol platform up there. If I have no choice but to use a couple brackets and nail them in, I'll do it. It will be time consuming, but, if I get everything up there, (whatever tools, water, new brick) and hoist everything else up thereafter....(yeah right) maybe it wont be too bad. Its only 3.5 feet or so, not like I'll need more than a bucket or two of mortar. Most of the bricks are reusable as far as I can tell (but I got 100 new bricks as payment for a tree job). Sca
The chimney is at the end of the building, but off the edge is a rather old shed running left and right along the wall below the peak. I don't trust that shed as a proper staging base. But I may well put a ladder or some sorta platform on the shed...6' gets me to the peak. Good idea. Sca
Sweet, then a few roof brackets/planks should provide a stable work platform. I do a bunch of stuff DIY but I’m pretty sure I’d hire that out. Good for you for giving it a go.
This^ or a ladder with ladder hooks over the peak on both sides of the chimney. Or Farm it out to a mason.
As a young mason my boss/dad often thought some of these smaller chimney jobs would be easier/faster done off ladders. While tossing a ladder against the house is fast it’s anything but easy. Within a few years the only ladder I would use was a wooden ridge hook ladder to build on the roof side. Everything else metal scaffolding. The few extra minutes of setup time was easily made up with speed and safety later. so there’s a shed on the gable side? How far off the house? A lean to style shed attached to the house? Can you set temporary legs inside to support the roof seeing as you don’t trust it? Gable chimneys are built with staging on the gable side. Anything else is a suicide mission. One wrong move and over the edge you go. If this shed is half decent I would set staging next to it till you get to the top of the shed roof. Then double planks across. You can then set in the staging onto those planks. If the shed is small enough you may be able to set the rear legs onto the front legs for a 5’ set in. That’s obviously the best way but not always feasible. Then it’s up you go. On a small chimney like that with a gable staging I’d then just drape a roof ridge ladder and that’s it. No real need to build wooden scaffolding off of the ladder. You can if you want but strategic placement of the material within reach on the foot planks of the staging should be all you need. carpet remnants on the shingles to stop abrasion and mortar stains. Carpet is the best. It’s the only thing I’d bother using. Carpet I would use the new bricks if they are decent. Is there a flue inside that chimney? If there is the new bricks may be too short to wrap around the flue without big joints. Check that out before tossing the old ones to the ground. It’ll be more than a few buckets of mortar You can put that dream to bed right now Give a holler if you have any questions. Let us know which way you wish to proceed. There’s a million more tips and tricks.
Hey thats a lot! Yes, shed on gable end. That makes most sense to work from that side, and add a roof ladder if needed. Even a bit of wood from the ladder to the staging below the chimney. The shed roof is good, but the supports are sketchy. Staging on the ground, and planked out back to the high side of the shed roof is workable. I'm gonna have to clean that chimney, and possibly replace the liner if we decide coal sucks, and go with wood. Maybe something a little more permanent would be in order. No liner whatsoever in that chimney. So, down to the roofline it goes, and rebuild from there. I'd like to reuse the bricks that I can, so if I can clean them up, I will. Insulated ss liner is what I'll end up with in all likelihood. Will take a pic or two tomorrow for perspective. Thanks for the ideas and info. It'll be fun! Sca
So thats a real thought for us. Actually. Take my brick tower down to roof, line it, and just extend the ss a few feet taller, to match the height of the current chimney. Interesting. Sca
You would have two dissimilar metal chimneys. Flexible below and double or triple wall above. I’m sure it can be done but you’d need to secure that top part somehow. The flexible liner won’t hold it and it’ll be almost as large as the chimney so bricking around it for a support isn’t too feasible.
Yeah, thats what was coming to mind too. But, there's no rush....i might just line it for the winter, and then do all the fancy staging in the spring to rebuild the chimney entirely. Sca
Ive done some rebuilds myself Dave. Couple in the past 18 months. Before After Before After I can advise. Ill have to come over and take a closer look.
They do make transition/adapter plates to go from flex liner to class A chimney pipe at the top of the masonry chimney...
