Chimney Block construction

[hetkind]

Here is a good question, I have the shop built and would like to put wood heat in. I have 20 cord of cut wood, a log splitter and a excellent place in the shop with 5' clearance all around for the wood stove.

Nothern Tool has a nice pot bellied stove with a combination wood/coal grate for $400, plus tax, and if I pickup at the store, no shipping. The last element is the chimney. I would like to run it outside to several reasons...the premade, class A double wall chimney are $40 a foot and I need about 20 feet, plus the thimble (wall penetration) and elbow. I would like to run it with a 15" standoff from the wall to go around the eves and not require a roof penetration. A grand for chimney pieces just seems a tad steep to me...

However, funds are getting a bit tight after shop construction and I was wondering how much cheaper it would be to build a chimney out of those square chimney blocks with the orange tile liner. I don't mind pouring a concrete foundation for the chimney, I have plenty of room for the base and the further out I build it, the shorter it has to be.

Have anyone built a chimney out of the block and have some experiences to share?

Howard

 

[NUTTSGT]

Mine is block, it was here when we bought the house. If you have to pay somebody to lay the block, you may have a greater total cost in the masonary chimney. The real savings will only show if you can do the block work yourself.

As for the stove, the popbelly stoves are cast iron and need to heat up slowly. Although they may make some heat, I don't think they are very "air-tight" if you want to heat over the night unless you fill it with coal. Also, have you looked inside one to see how much wood you can put in one ?

I would try to find a regular add on type wood furnace or wood stove. I'd even try to find a nice used unit on Ebay or Craigslist.

 

[hetkind]

thanks for the advice...After doing some more reading and talking to the folks at www.ventingpipe.com it looks like we are going to an internal type A metal wall chimney and stove pipe. This way the costs are reasonable...

I think we are going to stick to the pot belly design of several reasons, one is that we don't need an all night burn in this building and since we live near coal country, I like having coal as an optional fuel.

Howard

 

[hetkind]

update, pot bellied stove is paid for and ordered...on sale and with free shipping.

Found a local supplier of class A chimney pipe and will order Monday. Looks like heat is on the menu

Howard

 

[onewaydave]

This may draw the critics that know something, but...
My house has a masonry chimney with no liner. About 2' square ID. Only the area under the damper (sp) is fire brick. May not be right but it has been like that for 34 years. My shop has a 55 gal drum with doors, feet, and flu adapter with single wall 6" exhaust straight up through the roof (metal building). I tried to go through the wall and off set past the eves but could never get the thing to draw right. the straight up works fine.

In 0' temps I fire that thing up and the shop (30x36x18) heats up to 50s in about an hour.

 

[Mattlt]

Check with your insurance company before doing anything.

If you don't do the install up to their "specs" and a fire starts, they could refuse to pay.