Hello. We have a house built in 58 with an extension from around 70-71. We get heat with a pellet burner in an old converted wood-burning stove that works perfectly. My question is regarding the chimney that goes up through the kitchen in the old part; I have removed the plaster from the chimney to expose the brick in the kitchen on two sides (the other two sides face out towards the hall and living room, which are still plastered and wallpapered). We installed a stove in the living room about 1/2 year ago, where the chimney sweep tested the pressure in the channel, and there were no problems at all. Question: Is it okay to remove the plaster from the chimney considering leakage, meaning, can it start to leak now that the plaster is gone there? Does the plaster have such a sealing function that it becomes a "requirement" for it to be tight?
One more question: It smells like mortar/lime (or something, not mold) that doesn't seem to go away... I have only washed the brick with a scrub brush and water and it looks really good. Do I need to apply some form of sealant/primer/oil or similar for the smell to disappear?
Thanks in advance!
One more question: It smells like mortar/lime (or something, not mold) that doesn't seem to go away... I have only washed the brick with a scrub brush and water and it looks really good. Do I need to apply some form of sealant/primer/oil or similar for the smell to disappear?
Thanks in advance!
You should have asked the chimney sweep before you removed the plaster. I am quite sure that chimney stacks used for burning need to be plastered for fire safety reasons. Maybe you can get an exception, but only your chimney sweep knows that.
No, there is no requirement for it to be plastered. Lining or an insert pipe is enough to make it airtight. However, if you remove the plaster from an existing approved chimney, you should probably contact the chimney sweep for pressure testing.Henningelvis said:
I asked the chimney sweep who did a pressure test on the chimney and he said there is no risk of leakage as long as the flues are good... and he said they were. He has also eased my worry that I might have done wrong, according to him there shouldn't be any problem. Perhaps I should mention that the plaster is removed on the two sides facing the kitchen, and the flues from the boiler and stove face the hallway and living room, and there the plaster remains.