Installing
a Metal Chimney Pipe

A chimney pipe is actually a metal chimney, as opposed to a brick or masonry chimney. These metal chimneys are relatively newer and cheaper than masonry chimneys. In addition, chimney pipes are not as labor intensive as brick chimneys. A masonry chimney requires a foundation, and may entail significant alteration to an existing house.

Laying the bricks and building the terra cotta chimney liner inside the masonry flue will require a lot of time, effort, and resources. It would obviously not be a job for the weekend do-it-yourselfer, and would represent a major investment. Because of these reasons, masonry chimneys are only found usually in houses that have provisions for them in their original blueprints. For people who wish to add a chimney to an existing house or structure, a metal chimney pipe would definitely be the way to go.

A metal chimney pipe has, then, the advantage of being much easier to install, with much less modification of the chimney site required. For instance, if you are thinking of adding a gas stove or fireplace to the inside of your house, then opting for a brick chimney would require extensive construction. But a metal chimney could even be installed yourself.

The basic flow of installing a metal chimney pipe can be outlined as follows. First off, if you can, plan the location of the chimney such that it lies between ceiling joists. Once this location has been determined, you can proceed to cut it out with a drywall saw or a saber saw.

Then, above the hole, framing should be placed for the metal chimney pipe, using 2 x stock. This framing around the hole should then be secured by going back below and attaching the frames to the ceiling. Then of course the ceiling bucket, or the part of the pipe that goes through the ceiling, can be placed and secured.

The same basic process applies to the roof. Plan the hole, cut it out, and then attach the necessary framing (metal framing, in this case). Once the framing is ready, the metal chimney pipe itself can be threaded through the hole, and into the interior of the house.

Chimney pipe installation can indeed be a rewarding weekend project for the do it yourselfer.