Fireplaces and Chimneys

Photographs of fireplaces and chimneys found during home inspections.

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missing saddle on chimney
This

chimney looks fine, but there is a problem. There should be a little

bump in the roof to divert water to each side of the chimney. This

bump is called either a cricket or a saddle. Here pine needles are

starting to collect behind the chimney.

chimney
The

chimney has a flue coming out of the top with a device, a spark

arrester, is placed on top of it. The cement around the flue is built

up to shed water down the sides of the chimney.

the fireplace vent
This type of vent is used in place of a chimney. This unit was not near to any windows, which can be a problem. I have also seen them under covered patios, where creosote can collect on the ceiling. My only issue with this one is that the metal parts of the vent can become quite hot when the firplace is in use. Some units will have a mesh cage over this vent to prevent someone from accidentally bumping into it.

Here is another picture of a fireplace vent.

traditional fireplace
Traditional

fireplace where meals could have been cooked, but the kitchen for

this historic home is out back.

fireplace hearth
You

can see that the firebox is kept well away from the walls, and if you

look at the bottom you will see that a brick base extends into the

room. This is called the hearth, and it is meant to help protect the

wood floor from burning embers.

This may or may not be a problem over time. This house has a steeply angled roof over the front portion with a lower roof in the back, which is not at a great pitch. Where the two roof planes meet, the chimney rises through the structure. The concern is that during heavy rains, there may be a good deal of water coming through this area (particularly the left side of the picture). Heavy water passage here may penetrate into the trim of the chimney. The cricket is the bump out which diverts water to the sides of the chimney. The cricket is also called the saddle. However, there may be enough space for water to pass where the trim may not be effected. The flashing around the chimney was properly installed.

This home was advertised as having fireplaces. Not quite right. These are only the chimney portion. This would cause a problem with energy efficiency and possibly rodents. The conditioned space s open to the unconditoned space of the attic. You would be attempting to cool or heat the attic with this setup

I should not have been able to take this picture. I am standing on the roof, looking down the flue. The black material on the bricks is creosote, which is flammable. There happens to be no damper on this chimney, so with no cap on the top, we have the equivalent of an open window all year long, not energy efficient. Next, the cap over the top of the flue helps prevent rain from coming into the flue, so we can have moisture problems. Finally, we will want a spark arrestor to prevent any sparks from landing on the roof.