Lining an old chimney?

Post by **Phoenix02** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 1:02 am

Hello! We just purchased a home in Northern Kentucky (Ewing, about 30 min south of Maysville) and it has an old, 2 sided coal fireplace. The chimney appears to be original to the house, which was first built around 1880. It is exposed brick, unlined with no damper. The previous owners had placed glass and wood covers over the fireplace openings to prevent drafts.

The home currently has a central heat and air system running on geothermal. We do not have a regular need for a fireplace, but with times being unsure and the possibility of having no power in a storm or similar, I would really like to recomission the fireplace for use and get a ton or two of coal to have on hand. It couldn't hurt to use it to boost the geothermal on very cold nights, and my family loves to sit by a roaring fire with some cocoa and enjoy each other's company.
I am having a hard time finding a chimney sweep in the area that could check it out and quote on the job. I have pulled the covers and looked up the chimney- it's clear, black from a century of fires and unlined stacked brick.
I was thinking the only way to make it useable would be to run a stainless liner down it and add a damper. Would a damper at the top of the chimney work, or do each side of the fireplace need a dedicated damper? I am new to all this. If I can't find someone to do the work, is it a doable DIY project? My chimney is a straight shot up. Can I just drop the liner from the top, tie it into a top damper cap and mortar the cap in place, then use a refractory cement or something to make a smoke box transition from the fireplace lintels to the liner?

I was thinking about pulling the divider wall, bricking in the back and making it a wood fireplace, but being in KY coal isn't too hard to come by so I figure it's less costly, more original and easier to just make it work as it was intended originally. I believe it was last used about 10 years ago when they installed the geothermal, and was used regularly since it was built until that time.

Am I barking up the wrong tree? I really don't want to have this beautiful fireplace sitting there unusable, but would I be better off buying a backup generator for the geothermal? The fireplace is so... fireplace though, right?

Thanks, all!

Post by **freetown fred** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 6:55 am

Pix P--we need pix!!!!

Post by **Rob R.** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 7:06 am

If you plan to burn coal, I would skip the liner. Depending on the construction of the fireplace, you may be able to add a damper with some masonry work.

Post by **coalder** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 8:50 am

Well P, ya kinda are barking up the wrong tree. Having had my own masonry business for over 30 yrs & building several fireplaces, you would be asking a lot. A conventional throat damper would require major surgery & most likely involve blasting the whole face off to get it installed. That's IF the firebox is remotely close in size. You might be able to find a flue damper, somewhat like a butterfly in a carburetor. This could be installed at the top of the chimney with a bit of modification. But, it would still prove to be a major heat dump.

I would personally give serious consideration to some sort of stove or insert with a liner going full length of the chimney & the top sealed off. Knowing that this is a double fireplace, the chimney size would be required to be quite large so just a short piece of SS chimney might not be advisable.
Hope this helps;
Jim

Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 11:09 am

Phoenix02, See if any local coal supplier recommends burn the local coal in a FP on a open grate. Only certain coals burn easily on a open grate. The alternative is to burn coal in a closed stove which may lose the coco ambiance. Stove glass and coal burning are a poor match for viewing also.

Ventless gas logs and seal the chimney up tight could work…

Post by **Phoenix02** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 12:17 pm

Ok, I got some pics. And I contorted up a bit to see the chimney a bit better- it's not a straight shot, it actually arcs in to one side and loses about half it's width. I'm guessing lining isn't much of an option. Also, the bricks around the front fireplace have seen better days, there are a few that are loose.

All these are the front fireplace-

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File Comment:

Front fireplace

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Post by **Phoenix02** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 12:21 pm

Here's the back fireplace. It's in better shape and was probably not used as much. The summer cover is there, and the cast iron surround is pretty neat, with dragons in the corners. The tile hearth is also pretty neat. The front is the sitting/ living room, the back is my girls' room, so if I could make this work, it wouldn't be used much, mostly just for energency heat for them.

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Post by **McGiever** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 12:38 pm

Pretty nice! Not at all what I expected.

Looks like grates have done and will do the job.

Post by **coalder** » Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 1:29 pm

Not what I expected either. I was expecting a see-through fireplace where it is open front to back, with just masonry on the sides. Ya know, with a little modification, you just might be able to get a liner in that chimney. I'd consider maybe talking to a local contractor & see what they think. Not for nothing, a rear exhaust Chubby might work & look real good in the process.

Just a thought.

Jim

Post by **Phoenix02** » Sat. Oct. 29, 2022 3:39 pm

I forgot to put a pic of my little chimney.

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Any more input? I'm still working on finding a chimneysweep to check it out.

Post by **waytomany?s** » Sat. Oct. 29, 2022 8:05 pm

Where is little chimney in relation to big chimney? Anything hooked to little chimney?

Post by **Phoenix02** » Sat. Oct. 29, 2022 10:07 pm

No, it's just one chimney, I just meant it's a little old chimney, 12x18 or so it looks like, maybe, looking from the ground? In the center of the house.

Post by **waytomany?s** » Sun. Oct. 30, 2022 7:07 am

coalder wrote: ↑Thu. Oct. 27, 2022 1:29 pm Not what I expected either. I was expecting a see-through fireplace where it is open front to back, with just masonry on the sides. Ya know, with a little modification, you just might be able to get a liner in that chimney. I'd consider maybe talking to a local contractor & see what they think. Not for nothing, a rear exhaust Chubby might work & look real good in the process.

Just a thought.

Jim

What type of masonry materials would be used to repair where the bricks are loose? Can it just be parged on the inside to tighten it up?

Post by **waytomany?s** » Sun. Oct. 30, 2022 7:16 am

I bet you could run two liners., one to each side. Probably not cheap, but I don't see why it couldn't be done. Or repair the sitting room side and use both as fireplaces. You have the grates to build a wood fire on. I would still have it swept and inspected.

Post by **coalder** » Sun. Oct. 30, 2022 9:20 am

waytomany?s wrote: ↑Sun. Oct. 30, 2022 7:07 am What type of masonry materials would be used to repair where the bricks are loose? Can it just be parged on the inside to tighten it up?

Naw, parging wouldn't work. For one, it wouldn't adhere well to contaminated brick, & would never take the heat.

Ideally, where the bricks are lose, use a small chisel to free em up & replace new with refractory cement. To use a grinder would make too much dust.

Also, from what I can see on one of the pic's of the firebox, it is quite water stained. This could very well indicate that the firebox was damaged as a result of water infiltration & steam created when a fire was lit. A large open chimney can let in quite a bit of water & result in significant damage. All of which should be checked out by someone qualified.

Jim