Build a New Chimney if there is No Chimney

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

Basic Points:

• Chimney Insulation
• Flues
• Building Warrants
• Planning permission
• Specialist Architects
• 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!

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 far as installing a new chimney is concerned, note that the situation in Scotland is very different from England.

In Scotland a Building Warrant and Planning Permission is required for each and every new chimney installed, unless THE LOCAL AUTHORITY TELLS YOU OTHERWISE (IN WRITING!).

In England there is no requirement to involve a local authority in the process providing a HETAS registered engineer is doing the work.

Getting your Building Warrant and Planning Permission

In the first instance....Ask.

Contact your local authority Building Standards Office. (Note that Building Warrants are processed by them, NOT the Planning Department.)

They will tell you whether or not you require a Building Warrant, or what qualifications they may demand if you do not need one.

ALWAYS ask for written confirmation of a decision.
(Have no fear of talking to these people. Remember, they are public servants and are only too delighted to serve.)

Specialist Architects

Having discovered that you need a warrant. Your next step is to engage an architect to draw the required pictures.

Note that not all architects are Fluent in Flues!

Chimney design is a specialist technical area of work and some architects, like all consultants choose to specialise.

Stove Experience is fortunate to have access to two highly skilled practitioners in this area. Broadly in a line characterised by the M8 they work North and South of the shop.

Architect North of the M8

For areas north of Shotts contact Stuart Banks of “T” square, in Linlithgow. Follow the links to his website and contact points.
http://t-square.design.officelive.com/aboutus.aspx.

Architect South of the M8

For areas South of Shotts contact Jim Struthers who is located in Carluke and is a partener in the firm of Craig and Struthers, with three offices in the south and west of the central belt.

Jim's website is www.craigandstruthers.com where you will find contact information.

COSTS

An architect may seem like an unexpected expense, but trust me. These chaps know their business. It is possible to engineer a warrant application through the process with line drawings on the back of cigarette packets but it sure won’t be quick!

A well drawn set of schematics, by a recognised professional smooth’s the whole process, and reflects the seriousness of the project.

You are, after all, playing with fire! Expect to pay around £500 for their assistance and work for you.

Be realistic about your total costs. Think in terms of around £1200 for a simple, single storey chimney system, installed. And up to £2000 for a two storey system. (Mind these “Ballparks” don’t include the chosen appliance)

Yes, it is a competitive market, and there will be cheaper and dearer than this, but really, if anyone offers to do this for a massively under these figures, then they are playing fast and loose with the legislation and most probably the safety of you and your family.

Anything to do with fire and safety is not a place to be cutting corners to save a few quid.

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 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

Summer Holiday Closing - 26th July to 7th August inclusive