Thinking about how to deal with the chimney mess...
Internally, some channels have collapsed. I think I can vacuum them out and get the ventilation working, but the outside needs to be fixed.
I'm in the process of redoing the roof, so I think I'll make sure to fix this at the same time.
Should I fill the mortar between the stones or plaster the entire chimney? Or maybe clad it in metal?
I'd like to keep the original design, but I don't want to have the same problem again in a few years...
And maybe I should put in a proper chimney cap at the same time...
Should one fill the joints between the stones or plaster the entire chimney? Or cover it with metal?
Alternatively, take it down completely and build it up anew. It looks like it needs it.
Now that you're redoing the roof, you have the opportunity to build a good work platform.
It's very difficult to say via pictures on a forum, but as long as it isn't leaning or has cracked stones, I believe that re-grouting it and putting on a hood should suffice. Then it will likely last another 10-15 years.
Rebuilding it completely after the roof renovation isn't a problem. You remove the ridge tiles, screw together 2x4" that you place in a V-shape over the ridge so that they rest on the tiles.
I would probably look at it from an economic perspective. If you can include it in the budget without a problem (20-30000:-?), then rebuild it. Then you'll know the roof is top-notch.
If the budget is tight, then re-grout it and make sure it's sealed around the fitting/metal.
Preferably want to avoid it because there is a stainless steel pipe and heating kulit in one of the channels..
And it's a bit tight on time otherwise I would have done it as it looks good under the ridge..
What do you think a bricklayer would charge for such a job if you were to hire one?
We do burn quite a bit and a hood I should fix. But the rest, wouldn't it almost be easier to plaster the whole thing? It doesn't need to be perfect aesthetically since the roof is so high that you can't see much of the chimney..
The question is about the condition in terms of functionality. I've only been involved once in rebuilding a chimney, but in that case, there was only mold left of the mortar all the way in. Just had to take everything down by hand without effort. And it looked much better on the surface than your picture.
The chimney sweep thought the chimney looked good under the ridge and believed that the flues could be cleared enough with a vacuum cleaner.
Of course, the optimal solution would have been to rebuild it, but I don't really have the time for that, at least not as things stand currently, and hiring someone for 50k+ doesn't feel very relevant either, but we'll see what happens, maybe if we can save the flue with the smoke pipe in it.
100kg of dry mortar was used
I have been bit by bit re-masonry what was bad, which was most of it. Now I'm going to cover it in metal and then slip cast the channels in a few years, that should be enough to make it last my lifetime...
