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Chimney Pots
Decorative chimney pots also
extend the chimney height and may improve draft
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about types of chimney pots & their inspection, installation, troubleshooting & repair or replacement.
Chimney pots & decorative tops:
This article describes chimney pots: the decorative and also functional topmost extension of (usually) masonry chimneys and flues.
The page top photo illustrates a complex of 18 close-set chimney pots and chimney tops on a London (England) building.
This article series discusses chimney cap & crown types, choices, & defects, and we cite pertinent chimney top cap / crown building codes & standards for fire and other safety concerns.
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Decorative Chimney Pots also Extend Chimney Height
As we defined at CHIMNEY CAP & CROWN DEFINITIONS, the term "chimney pot" is used to describe a decorative rain cap assembly on the top of a chimney, covering its flue and in some cases covering both the flue itself and the entire chimney top, including the chimney flue and chimney cap/crown. Typically the chimney pot also adds height to the top of the chimney flue and it may improve chimney performance as well.
Our photo (above ) of a Boston Massachusetts chimney top and Carson Dunlop Associates' sketch below illustrates a typical chimney pot design, a decorative treatment used at the top of (usually masonry) chimneys.
A chimney pot is often cast of concrete or constructed of fired clay in a decorative design as we illustrate further below.
What is not clear in the Carson Dunlop sketch but what you will see in our photographs below, is that most decorative chimney tops, caps, or crown assemblies cover the flue and include rain cap protection as part of their design.
Also see Ceramic Roofware in our references section at the end of this article. [24]
From the ground we cannot ascertain the condition of the rain cap, actual flue vent opening, nor how well the chimney crown/cap is sealed around this pair of metal chimney extensions.
Above magpies are inspecting the chimney pots atop a chimney at Somerville College in Oxford, U.K. Or maybe they were warming themselves in the chilly morning air or perhaps just enjoying their commanding view of Somerville College.
Our photos (above left and below left) of decorative custom-cast concrete chimney pots or decorative chimney crowns (in some people's usage) illustrates the combination of rain-cap and complete chimney flue and crown covering offered by chimney pots designed by Gaudi and found on the top of the Gaudi apartment house in Barcelona, Spain.
Those "eye' shaped openings visible in these decorative chimney crown assemblies are the actual vents, while a domed top offers rain protection for the chimney flue.
The decorative chimney top design used here overhangs the entire chimney side, providing good drip-edge protection for the chimney top and sides. - Photos ©DJF.
The chimney pots above left, located on a Boston MA building, illustrate a crowded, possibly multi-flue chimney serving multiple apartments in a building. These chimney tops and pots are touching, crowded, some not even vertical, raising a several worries:
- Do the individual flue drafts interfere with one another?
- Are there leaks around the base of the non-vertical chimney pots in this photo?
Either of these may in turn lead to unsafe chimney flues.
Below are more distantly-spaced chimnneys and chimney pots on a home in Maine.
Below is a simple chimney pot installed on a New York home in order to improve chimney draft.
Also see CHIMNEY HEIGHT EXTENSIONS for other methods to extend the height of a too-short chimney.
Question:
(Dec 3, 2014) Tony said:
We installed a triple walled metal chimney 12'run of pipe straight up from the top of our woodstove to 3' above the roof line. We burn our stove almost constantly at 250F-400F.
We don't see any creosote buildup when inspecting and cleaning the chimney, but are plagued by soot collection in the top 3'-5' of the chimney.
There is no chase surrounding the exposed section of the chimney, would an insulated chase eliminate this problem? Or are there other solutions? I'm getting too old to keep climbing up on the roof all winter.
Reply:
Tony I'm not confident I can safely diagnose and recommend for this concern. Light soot from a woodstove at a chimney top may be ok but if soot blocks the cap, screen or flue there are indeed safety hazards.
I agree that depending on the chimney height, enclosing the flue increases its temperature - but in wood burning I'm not sure what that does to soot at the cap.
I would feel that you are safest getting onsite advice from a certified chimney sweep. Do keep us posted.
Question:
(Feb 2, 2015) Eva said:
Do you need licence to produce Chimney caps in nyc?
Reply:
I'm not sure Eva, if you need a special license to produce chimney caps but selling them would be another question: certainly you'd need to get your chimney caps listed by UL or another accepted authority before they'd be code-approved and thus legal to install.
Question:
30 March 2015 chris said:
what is the minimum clearance between the top of the flue liner and the bottom of the chimney cap
Reply:
Chris this question was answered just below in a reply to ANON - thanks for asking, I'll also add that text to the article above.
...
Continue reading at CHIMNEY SHROUDS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see these
Chimney Top Cap, Crown, Rain Cap Articles
- CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR - home
- CHIMNEY CAP / CROWN CONSTRUCTION
- CHIMNEY CAP & CROWN DEFINITIONS
- CHIMNEY "CAP" CROWN / TOP SEAL INSPECTION
- CHIMNEY INSPECTION from GROUND
- CHIMNEY INSPECTION at ROOFTOP
- CHIMNEY RAIN CAP / RAIN COVER INSPECTION
- CHIMNEY RAIN CAP / RAIN COVER DIY
- CHIMNEY RAIN CAP VENT OPENING SIZE
- CHIMNEY POTS & DECORATIVE TOPS
- CHIMNEY SHROUDS
- CHIMNEY STAINS & LEAKS
- CHIMNEY TOP MASONRY DAMAGE
- FLUE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS
Suggested citation for this web page
CHIMNEY POTS & DECORATIVE TOPS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or see this
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to CHIMNEYS & FLUES
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
- [1] ...
- [2] ...
- [3] Wood Heating Alliance, "BUILDING INSPECTOR'S CHECKLIST FOR FACTORY BUILT FIREPLACES [PDF] ", appearing in Baird, David J., C.B.O., "Factory-built Chimney Chase Fires: A case for More Detailed Inspection", Building Standards, March-April 1991, pp. 14-17. Note: The Fireplace Institute (FI) and the Wood Energy Institute (WEI) united to form the Wood Heating Alliance in 1980. The name was then changed again in 1983 to the Hearth Products Association (HPA) a non-profit organization, in order to better reflect the diversity and range of products and services within the industry. The name was changed once more to, Hearth Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) in 2001. Pacific HPBA, 2304 Huntington Dr., Suite 218, San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 237-1200 or (888) 332-2472
Fax: (626) 237-0721- info@hpbapacific.org, Website: http://hpbapacific.org/
Fireplace Safety Tips - Barbecue Safety Tips from the HPBA - see http://hpbapacific.org/pdfs/safetytips.pdf - [4] Baird, David J., C.B.O., "Factory-built Chimney Chase Fires: A case for More Detailed Inspection", Building Standards, March-April 1991, pp. 14-17.
|
- Stephen Werner
General Manager
Chimney King, op cit, personal communication 3/26/2013 w/attachments:
- CHIMNEY KING INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHIMNEY CROWN, [PDF]
- Purdie, Roger K., "CHIMNEY FIRE SAFETY BULLETIN", Vista Fire Protection District, 2001, report of house fire related to the home's metal chimney. Contains advice for chimney * fire safety & sketches of approved and not-code-approved metal chimney tops, caps & crowns. [PDF]
- See also CHIMNEY SHROUD FIRE - technical article contribution by Mr. Werner
- [6] Residential Masonry Fireplace and Chimney Handbook, James E. Amrhein, S.E., MIA, Masonry Institute of America, 2d. Ed., 1995, ISBN 0-940116-29-4. The MIA is in Los Angeles, CA 213-388-0472. This manual reflects the 1994 Uniform Building Code, Energy Conservation Requirements of California, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - HUD. The complete UBC is available from the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), Whittier CA 310-699-0541.
- [7] NFPA 211 - Standards for Chimneys & Fireplaces, NFPA 211: Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, 2006 Edition (older editions and standards are found at the same bookstore)
- [8] NFPA 211 - Standards for Chimneys & Fireplaces, NFPA 211: Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, 2006 Edition (older editions and standards are found at the same bookstore), NFPA #211-3.1 1988 -
Specific to chimneys, fireplaces, vents and solid fuel burning appliances.
- NFPA 211 - 3-1.10 - Relining guide for chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-2 - Construction of Masonry Chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-3 - Termination Height for chimneys
- NFPA 211 - 3-4 - Clearance from Combustible Material
- NFPA 54 - 7-1 - Venting of Equipment into chimneys
- [9] NFPA # 54-7.1 1992 - Specific to venting of equipment with fan-assisted combustion systems.
- [10] GAMA - Gas Appliance Manufacturers' Association has prepared venting tables for Category I draft hood equipped central furnaces as well as fan-assisted combustion system central furnaces.
- [11] National Fuel Gas Code, an American National Standard, 4th ed. 1988 (newer edition is available) Secretariats, American Gas Association (AGA), 1515 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA22209, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Batterymarch Park, Quincy MA 02269. ANSI Z223.1-1988 - NFPA 54-1988. WARNING: be sure to check clearances and other safety guidelines in the latest edition of these standards.
- [12] Fire Inspector Guidebook, A Correlation of Fire Safety Requirements Contained in the 1987 BOCA National Codes, (newer edition available), Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), Country Club HIlls, IL 60478 312-799-2300 4th ed. Note: this document is reissued every four years. Be sure to obtain the latest edition.
- [13] Uniform Mechanical Code - UMC 1991, Sec 913 (a.) Masonry Chimneys, refers to Chapters 23, 29, and 37 of the Building Code.
- [14] New York 1984 Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, Article 10, Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Requirements
- New York 1979 Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code, The "requirement" for 8" of solid masonry OR for use of a flue liner was listed in the One and Two Family Dwelling Code for New York, in 1979, in Chapter 9, Chimneys and Fireplaces, New York 1979 Building and Fire Prevention Code:
- [15] "Top Ten Chimney (and related) Problems Encountered by One Chimney Sweep," Hudson Valley ASHI education seminar, 3 January 2000, contributed by Bob Hansen, ASHI
- [16] Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
- [17] "Rooftop View Turns to Darkness," Martine Costello, Josh Kovner, New Haven Register, 12 May 1992 p. 11: Catherine Murphy was sunning on a building roof when a chimney collapsed; she fell into and was trapped inside the chimney until rescued by emergency workers.
- [18] "Chimneys and Vents," Mark J. Reinmiller, P.E., ASHI Technical Journal, Vol. 1 No. 2 July 1991 p. 34-38.
- [19] "Chimney Inspection Procedures & Codes," Donald V. Cohen was to be published in the first volume of the 1994 ASHI Technical Journal by D. Friedman, then editor/publisher of that publication. The production of the ASHI Technical Journal and future editions was cancelled by ASHI President Patrick Porzio. Some of the content of Mr. Cohen's original submission has been included in this more complete chimney inspection article: CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR . Copies of earlier editions of the ASHI Technical Journal are available from ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
- [20] Natural Gas Weekly Update: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government
- [21] US Energy Administration: Electrical Energy Costs http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html
- [24] Ceramic Roofware, Hans Van Lemmen, Shire Library, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0747805694 - Brick chimneys, chimney-pots and roof and ridge tiles have been a feature of the roofs of a wide range of buildings since the late Middle Ages. In the first instance this ceramic roofware was functional - to make the roof weatherproof and to provide an outlet for smoke - but it could also be very decorative. The practical and ornamental aspects of ceramic roofware can still be seen throughout Britain, particularly on buildings of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Not only do these often have ornate chimneys and roof tiles but they may also feature ornamental sculptures or highly decorative gable ends. This book charts the history of ceramic roofware from the Middle Ages to the present day, highlighting both practical and decorative applications, and giving information about manufacturers and on the styles and techniques of production and decoration. Hans van Lemmen is an established author on the history of tiles and has lectured on the subject in Britain and elsewhere. He is founder member and presently publications editor of the British Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society.
- [25] Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
- [26] Chimney & Stack Inspection Guidelines, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2003 - These guidelines address the inspection of chimneys and stacks. Each guideline assists owners in determining what level of inspection is appropriate to a particular chimney and provides common criteria so that all parties involved have a clear understanding of the scope of the inspection and the end product required. Each chimney or stack is a unique structure, subject to both aggressive operating and natural environments, and degradation over time. Such degradation may be managed via a prudent inspection program followed by maintenance work on any equipment or structure determined to be in need of attention. Sample inspection report specifications, sample field inspection data forms, and an example of a developed plan of a concrete chimney are included in the guidelines. This book provides a valuable guidance tool for chimney and stack inspections and also offers a set of references for these particular inspections.
- [27] Fireplaces, a Practical Design Guide, Jane Gitlin
- [28] Fireplaces, Friend or Foe, Robert D. Mayo
- [29] Principles of Home Inspection: Chimneys & Wood Heating, in (Principles of Home Inspection), Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
- [30] U.S. vs. Canadian Unlined Masonry Chimney Flue Requirements & Case Study
- [31] Brick Institute of America - Flashing Chimneys
Brick Institute of America - Proper Chimney Crowns
Brick Institute of America - Moisture Resistance of Brick - [32] American Gas Association - New Vent Sizing Tables
- [33] Chimney Safety Institute of America - Chimney Fires: Causes, Effects, Evaluation
- [34] National Chimney Sweep Guild - Yellow Pages of Suppliers
- [35] "Building Codes that Regulate Decorative Chimney Shrouds", provided by Stephen Werner [5], [copy on file as Chimney_Decorative_Shroud_Regs.pdf] cites:
- International Mechanical Code IMC (2000), M74-98 806.6, ratified 9.98, model building code for the United States,
806.6 Decorative Shrouds. Decorative shrouds shall not be installed at the termination of factory-built chimneys, except where such shrouds are listed and labeled for use with the specific factory-built chimney system and are installed in accordance with section 304.1. Reason: Decorative shrouds have been the cause of roof and chase fires - International Residential Code (IRC) (2000), R1002.2 ratified 9/99, 1000.2 Decorative Shrouds. Decorative shrouds shall not be installed at the termination of factory-built chimneys, except where such shrouds are listed and labeled for use with the specific factory-built chimney system and are installed in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions. Reason: Decorative shrouds often allow for the creation of temperatures in excess of those permitted in UL 103 and UL 127. Decorative shrouds have been the cause of chase top fires ...
- International Fire Code (IFC) (2000), IFC 603.6.3, 603.6.3 Decorative Shrouds. Decorative shrouds installed at the termination of factory-built chimneys shall be removed, except where such shrouds are listed and labeled for use with the specific factory-built chimney system and are installed in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions. Reason: Decorative shrouds have been the cause of dozens of chase fires. As a non-listed part to a listed assembly, their use should not have been allowed in the first place.
- International Mechanical Code IMC (2000), M74-98 806.6, ratified 9.98, model building code for the United States,
- [36] International Residential Code IRC R100.11 - Fireplace Clearance:
International Residential Code was recently amended:-
R1001.11 Fireplace clearance. Combustible material shall have a clearance of not less than 2 inches (51 mm) from the front faces and sides of masonry fireplaces and not less than 4 inches (102 mm) from the back faces of masonry fireplaces. The air space shall not be filled, except to provide fire blocking in accordance with Section R1003.12.
Exceptions:1. Masonry fireplaces listed and labeled for use in contact with combustibles in accordance with UL 127, and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions, are permitted to have combustible material in contact with their exterior surfaces.
2. Combustible materials, including framing, wood siding, flooring and trim, shall be permitted to abut the sides and hearth extensions, but not the backs, of masonry fireplaces, in accordance with FIGURE R1003.12, provided such combustible materials are a minimum of 12 inches (306 mm) from the inside surface of the nearest firebox lining.
3. Exposed combustible mantels or trim may be placed directly on the masonry fireplace front surrounding the fireplace opening provided such combustible materials shall not be placed within 6 inches (153 mm) of a fireplace opening. Combustible material within 12 inches (305 mm) of the fireplace opening shall not project more than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) for each 1-inch (25 mm) distance from such opening.
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
- In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes and to use illustrations from The ILLUSTRATED HOME .
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.
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