old houses, interior chimney jog

[gardener]

Lots of old houses where we live.
I have been reading about older residential architecture.
Looking at photos posted on home listings for sale, but usually no photos of the basements and attics.
I toured three homes when they had open houses, one was built 1900, another 1896, I think the third was early 1920s. All three of these were two story with walk up attics.
Years ago, I had seen a photo online of an old house where the chimney jogged in the attic space, with no apparent obstacle to require the jog, I assumed it was an oddity, it was posted on a home inspection forum, like they couldn't believe the chimney jogged.
Anyhow, these three homes I toured, all three the chimneys jogged in the attic. One of the three had wood bracing supporting the jogged portion coming down from the roof rafters. Another jogged just as much, but I didn't see any bracing, figured the roof supported it where the chimney breaches. The third's chimney jog wasn't severe only about 3 inches.
The main floor fireplaces had terra cotta tiles in two of them, the other just brick. There was a second flue in all three, but the fireplaces were blocked off in the other rooms, and a modern gas furnace was using that second flue from the basement.

Was there some builder/construction practice back then that explains why these chimneys were built with a jog?

[Rob R.]

Many houses have a hallway in the center of the upstairs. In order to have the chimney exit through the peak of the roof a jog is required to keep the chimney out of the hallway.

My house is a compromise. The chimney juts into the hallway a few inches, but has enough of an offset to be centered with the peak.

[McGiever]

This was posted here by infamous member *Smitty* a while back…

Post by SMITTY - Hello Everybody, New Here and Hoping to Be Burning Soon!

[fig]

My chimney has a jog in my attic. When I saw it I thought something was seriously wrong but it was built that way. No idea why. Maybe to avoid the main beam that the rafters are nailed to.

[Retro_Origin]

Was there some builder/construction practice back then that explains why these chimneys were built with a jog?

When my wife and I looked at buying a house in 2020, a few of the houses we looked at were built pre1940. Most all of them had the 'angled chimney', some houses had two! When I asked our realtor why she said the only thing she could find was it was designed that way 'so the witches couldn't get in' because of superstition. I thought that sounded a little thin, but my father in law has been a contractor/carpenter his whole life and his father before him and he said he had no idea why they did it that way because it certainly wasn't easier....some of the houses we looked at we noticed that if the chimney had gone straight it still would have broken thru the roof offcenter anyway. Haha, maybe the masons did it to show off their bricklaying ability...

[Hambden Bob]

Thanx,McGiev's,for Resurrecting "The Smitt's" Post from Da' Day!! He's Alive,Well,And Still An Animal!! Back on Da' Topic At Hand,an old home of mine that started Life as a Hand-Hewn Cabin,had the Nefarious "Jog Chimney"!! It was a head-scratcher to say the least! Sometimes the chimney appears to be an afterthought! I think Rob R. Hit it on the head though!

[Freddy]

My coal burning buddy Scotty lives in a home built in the late 1800's. It had two chimneys about 8 feet apart.... they both jogged and joined together to become one that went through the roof. At some point one was capped off and the other rebuilt to go straight up and through the roof.

[waytomany?s]

My coal burning buddy Scotty lives in a home built in the late 1800's. It had two chimneys about 8 feet apart.... they both jogged and joined together to become one that went through the roof. At some point one was capped off and the other rebuilt to go straight up and through the roof.

Any chance you could get a picture? That would be something to see.

[joeq]

If the jog is totally unnecessary for clearance purposes, then maybe the contractors built it with the theory they would be protecting the damper from the outside elements?

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(I don't know. just thinking outside the box).

[freetown fred]

I'm thinkin you're probably right J--back then there were actual "THINKERS" LOL

[joeq]

Yeah Fred, when you had-ta use your "brain", and not your phone.

I think pretty soon the new edition of Webster's anatomical dictionary, will show a kinked neck, and these stupid phones, as a modern growth on your fingers.

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[Freddy]

Any chance you could get a picture?

It's all behind lathes & plaster now.... I'll ask if he has any old photos.

[warminmn]

Maybe it was so Santa had a softer slide down the chimney?

Im betting some were on purpose but some were a centering mistake or a change of plans or if they were like the person who re-did the top of my chimney they were drinking while doing it and got it crooked I still pick on him about that but the price was right, free.

I like the witch theory. I can see superstitious people doing that.

[rberq]

If the jog is totally unnecessary for clearance purposes, then maybe the contractors built it with the theory they would be protecting the damper from the outside elements?

Makes sense. If not to protect the damper, then maybe so rain would end up running down the bricks and evaporating? Or introducing some turbulence to the flue gases, though I'm not sure why. Or reduce downdrafts? Or arresting flaming cinders before they could exit and fall on the flammable cedar roof shingles?

[jedneck]

It’s my understanding that the jog was to avoid having beam into chimney. Seen few houses that had center beam run into chimney exposed on inside to heat.