I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

thanks,
bill in forest va

You can also buy chimney caps that insert into the flue, as opposed to
fitting over the flue.

KB

"herr owen" wrote in message
om...
I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

thanks,
bill in forest va

"herr owen" wrote in message
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

No. Return them and get the type that has brackets that slide down into the
flue. Be sure to measure first, or course.
Ed

- herr owen -
I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

- Nehmo -
If you are set on using those spark & bird guard covers, make a tube of
sheet metal (galvanized steel would do) about a foot long and shaped to
fit inside the flue. Position your tube inside the flue with an inch or
so is above the top of the chimney. Use sufficently long sheet metal
screws or bolts & nuts (you may be able to use the screws that came with
the cap) to attach the cap to the tube.

Actually, once you've determined the tube size you need, you can
assemble the arrangement while on the ground. Then go up and insert.

--
*********************
* Nehmo Sergheyev *
*********************

herr owen wrote:

I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

thanks,
bill in forest va

The answer is no. NO. NO. Once you find out how much it costs to fix
the chimney cap so it doesn't leak you wouldn't even think of messing
with the mortar. Modify the metal screen so that it fit inside the
flue. Or just by another screen. Or make one out of aluminum for a
few bucks.

A question along similar lines: On a recent episode of "Ask This Old House"
they were extending a flue by gluing another flue pipe on the one already
there. The goal was to extend it up past the other flue so that you did not
use the same cap to cover both flues. This was to prevent smoke from going
up one pipe and down the other. I have a similar situation and I want to do
what they did but I can't find out what glue they used. There is no
reference to the glue on their web site. Is it just plain epoxy? It came in
a caulking tube.

A different question: my chimney cap is cracked with some large chunks
missing and water ingress. How do they repair something like that? Who do
you call?

"herr owen" wrote in message
om...
I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

thanks,
bill in forest va

- jmagerl -
On a recent episode of "Ask This Old House"
they were extending a flue by gluing another flue pipe on the one
already
there. The goal was to extend it up past the other flue so that you
did not
use the same cap to cover both flues. This was to prevent smoke from
going
up one pipe and down the other. I have a similar situation and I want
to do
what they did but I can't find out what glue they used. There is no
reference to the glue on their web site. Is it just plain epoxy? It
came in
a caulking tube.

A different question: my chimney cap is cracked with some large chunks
missing and water ingress. How do they repair something like that? Who
do
you call?

- Nehmo -
Epoxy comes in two parts that need to be mixed just before application.
You can get dual syringe applicators, but nothing that looks like a
caulking tube.

In any case, you can use epoxy to glue two fired-clay pipes together. It
doesn't matter what TOH used.


--
*********************
* Nehmo Sergheyev *
*********************

Thanks to all responders, for the sage advice!

Can't tell you about the glues, but they probably used high temp calk.

On the chimney cap, you call a brick layer (one that works on
chimneys) and tell him you want a repair estimate. If water has been
getting in for several seasons, you may need to replace some of the
bricks. They will remove the rest of the cap and then trowled on
mortar. Doing it yourself is possible but you have to mix it right
and need some expertise to make it look good.

jmagerl wrote:

A question along similar lines: On a recent episode of "Ask This Old House"
they were extending a flue by gluing another flue pipe on the one already
there. The goal was to extend it up past the other flue so that you did not
use the same cap to cover both flues. This was to prevent smoke from going
up one pipe and down the other. I have a similar situation and I want to do
what they did but I can't find out what glue they used. There is no
reference to the glue on their web site. Is it just plain epoxy? It came in
a caulking tube.

A different question: my chimney cap is cracked with some large chunks
missing and water ingress. How do they repair something like that? Who do
you call?

"herr owen" wrote in message
om...
I have two flues in my chimney. They are unprotected at the top.
Swallow type birds will arrive with spring, and resume nesting in the
chimney.
At the top, the flues are almost flush with the mortar chimney cap. I
purchased a couple of screened "chimney caps" at the home repair, but
they need an inch or so of exposed flue in order to mount correctly.
Should I break the mortar, exposing more of the flue, and then
remortar?

thanks,
bill in forest va