Installing a new chimney

Building a new chimneys depends very much upon the appliance desired, but here are a few basic guidelines.

You will be living with your chimney for a long time; it is important to get the right chimney installed properly. It is easy to make mistakes in selecting and locating a chimney so take care in order to get optimum performance from your chimney and wood-burning appliance. Your new chimney must meet safety codes as outlined by NACS. If you use a specialist fitter they will ensure they work within these.

For wood burning stoves being fitted into an existing masonry chimney stack follow this link

Alternatively for wood burning stoves, you can use a twin wall insulated chimney system like MD Plus. New chimneys for open fires are constructed using terracotta liner blocks. Fluesystems Ltd provide excellent online advice on building chimneys, although they do not deal with terracotta products. Visit the Hepworth Building Products website for informative online terracotta advice.

What's out there?

Hepworth Building Products are manufacturers of Terracotta chimney products i.e. flue liners, chimneys firebricks. They supply all the products that go into a traditional fireplace system. While their main bases are in Doncaster and Hazlehead, they supply UK wide and their website gives clear definitions and explanation of terracotta fire products.

Fluesytems provide online advice support and comprehensive descriptions of their services. As an online supplier, they deliver anywhere in the UK.

NACS - a very comprehensive website, phone support and expert opinion. Use them as your main contact when seeking chimney advice.

What should I watch out for?

Make sure you use qualified craftsmen. The chimney is a highly regulated part of the building regulations. Chimneys have their own section in the regulations known as Document J, which explains exactly how any chimney should be installed. If a chimney is installed incorrectly building regulators may consider the house dangerous and unsuitable for occupation.

Many problems can arise from old brick built masonry chimneys. For example, the brickwork or mid-feathers can collapse between flue walls in old Victorian and Georgian properties, which can cause deadly fumes to enter other rooms within the property. Or vermin can enter into chimneys where they have not been protected by fitting a suitable vermin guard. Use the correct components. As mentioned above, if you use the wrong or out of date components the chimney will be condemned.