Extend Your Brick Masonry Chimney with Class A Pipe

You may have recently purchased a home with a chimney that has stood dormant for decades and perhaps you want to use it to install your new wood burning stove. The chimney is far from functional with cracked flue tiles and spalling brick. So what do you do? More and more homeowners are now tearing their chimney down just below the roof line and using the Rock-Vent Transition Plate to transition to the Class A chimney pipe which can penetrate the roof.

Brick chimneys require maintenance. They need water proofing every other year, new tuck pointing, and masonry crowns that constantly crack. Most times, when there is a leak near the chimney it is likely coming from a cracked chimney crown. If the crown is not done perfectly, it will likely leak in the next couple of months. This can all come to an end if the masonry chimney transitions to Class A chimney pipe. 

Start by tearing down the deteriorated chimney to the point where the bricks are in good condition. Typically, that is going to be just below the roof line. The bricks that are just below the roof line are often in much better condition than the bricks above the roof. Decades of rain, snow and wind deteriorate the bricks much more quickly than the bricks that lie below the roof.

Once the chimney is torn down, you can then install the stainless steel chimney liner inside your remaining chimney to connect directly to the connector or stove pipe of your appliance. Make sure to install the correct size chimney liner for the appliance, or the appliance will not function properly and could cause a wood stove to expel smoke. To properly size the chimney liner, please see our Chimney Liner Sizing Guide.

Now that the stainless steel flue liner is connected to the appliance, you can now attach the liner to the Transition Plate. The Transition Plate is the part which makes this all possible. The Transition Plate has a collar of the bottom end to connect to the stainless steel chimney liner and has a collar on the top of the plate to connect to the Rock-Vent Class A chimney pipe. The Transition Plate will need to be secured on a solid surface so you are able to anchor it to the top of the chimney and bear the weight of the heavy duty Class A chimney pipe.

Depending on the size of the chimney you took down, you may have to do some repairs of the roof so you are able to properly shingle around the flashing that is required to make this system watertight. Once the flashing has been properly installed and quality silicone is used, this system should be watertight for many years. Next, simply install and seal the storm collar and chimney cap and you're done! If the chimney is above the roof line more than four feet, it is recommended to install a roof brace kit to steady the flue pipe.

Rock-Vent Class A chimney pipe is one of the only brands of Class A chimney pipe that has an approved connection from a flexible chimney liner to a Class A chimney pipe. Having an approved U.L. listed connection is very important for the safety and functionality of any chimney system.

If you have questions about your particular installation, please feel free to give us a call and we will be happy to help you.