Instructions for Building a Chimney - What to Know

Instructions for building a chimney- what to know before you start working on the project will make the task easier for you. It is important to take your time and find valuable information or guides for constructing a chimney. Just like any other project, you need to plan in advance to ensure that the final structure impresses you. Whether you intend to do the construction yourself or hire a professional contractor, there are things that you should know and consider before you start building a chimney. Learning about what constructing a chimney entails should come even before you start buying materials and clearing the space when you will construct it.  Among the things that you need to know or the instructions to follow when building a chimney include the following:

Plan
Planning is very important and it should come before anything else. Think about the available space for creating a chimney. Consider how you can utilize the space properly to come up with the best structure as well as the materials that you will need to construct the chimney. Taking some of your time to plan the project will save you future headaches and possible regrets.

Consider the location
Considering the place where you will erect the chimney is very important. It enables you to take appropriate measures that will minimize negative effects that gusts of the prevailing winds could cause. This will also enable you to prevent smoke from blowing to the living space as well as into your face when cooking.

Consider underground utilities
Before you start digging the area, consider the existing underground utilities such as gas, sewer lines, electrical conduits and cables. This is very important because it will help you to avoid building a chimney that might be demolished later if something needs to be done to the underground utilities.

Design the chimney
You might have a specific design or a mental picture of how you want your chimney to look like. The architectural style and decorating styles that you will use on the chimney should be considered when designing the structure. Decide whether you want a traditional, modern or electric chimney. The design might also be determined by the materials that you intend to use in constructing the chimney.

Construct the chimney
After designing the chimney, you now have to start the actual construction. This entails building the smoke chamber above the fire place and lining the flue. Flue is the part that connects smoke chamber at the top with the roof. This can be made of a metal pipe or brick.  Ceramic or clay tiles can also be used in lining the brick chimney.

Flashing
Metal flashing can be used around the chimney at the roof. Waterproof material should be used underneath a flashing to prevent water leakage into the area around your chimney.

Cap the completed chimney:
Chimney cap should go over the housing of the brick flue. It should act like an extension of the chimney wall by about 2 inches. It should also be designed with a drip edge that will channel water from your chimney. Among the materials that can be used capping a chimney include concrete and stone. It is not advisable to use mortar in the chimney cap because the sand aggregate is insufficient in binding cement together for a thickness that is more than 2 centimeters.

With these instructions you can easily construct a chimney or know what is not being done in the right way by your constructor. Nevertheless, whether you want to do it yourself or hire a contractor, follow these instructions and you will have a quality chimney that impresses you and your entire family. Instructions for building a chimney and what to know before or when building a chimney are very important. They can save you headaches, regrets, time and resources in chimney construction.