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Building a New Chimney

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Adding a chimney to your house if you have no chimney.

Basic Points:

• Chimney Insulation
• Chimney Flues
• Building Warrants
• Planning permission
• Specialist Architects
• Chimney building Costs
• Safety

Many people want a wood burning multifuel stove but have no chimney for it.

Here’s a few misconceptions we deal with daily.

1. There is no such thing as a “Balanced flue” wood burning stove
2. There is no such thing as a “Flueless” wood burning stove
3. You can NOT  Wack a pipe up the side of the house” or “Through the house and out the roof”

The chimney is the engine that drives your stove. You are attempting to create a rising column of warm air that will pull air through your stove to feed the fire (Fire = Fuel, Oxygen, Heat!)

In doing this, the rising air column also carries away the products of combustion (Smoke!)

Chimney Insulation

Modern, efficient, stoves, lose very little heat to the chimney in comparison to say an open fire. Thus in order to maintain that rising column a high level of insulation is usually required.

This insulation, incidentally, also prevents the heat in the chimney from setting fire to your house timbers!

Chimney Flues and Flue Pipe

You can use “Flue-pipe” but it’s a pretty specialist product. Correctly “Class one factory made chimney” . I’m not going to go in to a great deal of detail here about its construction and properties, if you want to see a list of the products available and suitable for use in the UK go to www.hetas.co.uk to see those “Approved” systems.

Following links from there will lead you to manufacturers and distributors of this type of product.

Building Warrants and Planning Permission

As of 2011, its “All change” in Scotland.

There is now no longer a requirement for a building warrant or planning permission for a new flue in most circumstances, with the exception of properties in conservation areas and listed buildings. (Always check with your local planning department, and building standards office to be sure)

This has come about through changes designed to allow greater and easier access to alternative energy technologies. The changes in the Town and country planning acts, make it easier to fit photvoltaics, solar heating, and chimneys serving wood burning appliances.

Is this a good thing?

Personally, I think not. There is so little policing in this industry in Scotland, that the nightmare scenarios that we come across daily are only bound to increase now that local authority involvement has been removed too.

Acquaint yourself with some of the basics of chimney construction and the relevant regulations. You don’t need to make yourself an expert but a little basic knowledge will alert you when a prospective installer is talking complete balderdash! Know that

1. A new flue should terminate 600mm higher than the ridge of your house or 2.3metres away from the weather surface of the roof, whichever is reached first
2. Single skin fluepipe should be kept 3 times its diameter away from combustible materials
3. The maximum horizontal run in a flue can be 150mm. On this planet smoke doesn’t flow horizontally. (You would be amazed how many “Installers” think chimneys “Suck”. No they don’t, rubbish installers do!)
4.  Maximum number of elbows in a flue system 4 x 45 degree.

These are just some of the basic rules and common sense that we constantly see broken. Needless to say, our staff  DO know these principles….you’re welcome to test them!

Bear in mind that although there is no legal requirement for these works to subject to building warrant, your local building standards office is staffed with professionals whose wages you pay! If you want a professional who will ensure that the rules are followed and your installation is compliant and safe, most local authorities will supervise your installation through the auspices of a building warrant for a miserly £100.

You may also find in the event of a fire that your home insurance company will take in interest in the quality of chimney construction. So check with your insurance company what they consider a proper standard.

Safety Regulations

Building regulations aren’t there to be avoided, they are there to afford you, the general public, a minimum measure of safety in your project. No reputable tradesman would ignore them, and most will exceed them.

Use this area and the links to get a feel for the chimney installation process. More complex than you thought? When I look under the bonnet of my car I am equally flummoxed and amazed by the engine. Needless to say when I want or need anything done with it I take it to a qualified mechanic. Please take your project to a professional.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Eoin Fraser

Contact Form and Directions to Showroom Tel. 01501 823006

Areas we cover for chimney building:- Glasgow, Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian, Stirling, Perth, Fife, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders

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