The chimney for a manufactured fireplace does not look much like a traditional chimney. In some neighborhoods, neighbors may object to the appearance of a prefab chimney. There are ways to make it look more traditional.
This is a high quality chimney venting one of the best manufactured fireplaces available. To make its appearance more appealing, we will put a chase around it.
After reinstalling the chimney pieces, the HardieBacker panels are glued and screwed into place. HardieBacker is a concrete board that is non-combustible and is impervious to moisture.
The IBD QuickChase is assembled and ready to have a veneer added to it. These chases can be finished with a variety of materials to suit any style or taste. We'll be applying thin brick to match the brick veneer of the house.
Metal lath to support the thin brick has been screwed to the chase. A stainless steel chase cover has been installed to keep water from the top of the chase. A storm collar and chimney cap complete the chimney installation.
Because the chase is over 30 inches wide, a cricket was built on the back side to divert water around the chase. Crickets keep water from piling up behind a chimney structure and can prevent water damage to the roof.
Base flashing has been applied all around the chase. Flashing keeps water out of the roof. At the front of the chase its easy to see that the roof is three inches lower on the right side.
Aluminum trimcoil is installed as counterflashing. This is not really necessary with a QuickChase, but was an easy way to hide the variations in the roof.
With a QuickChase installed, this chimney now looks better than any other chimney in the neigborhood.
Previous Image
Next Image
info heading
info content
Manufactured or prefab chimneys are just a pipe made of stainless or galvanized steel. This type of chimney is quite popular in newer construction with manufactured fireplaces, or when a free standing wood stove is installed.
While a manufactured chimney is perfectly functional without adornment, neighbors and homeowner’s associations can complain about a pipe sticking out of your roof.
To pacify those that dislike the looks of a bare manufactured chimney, install a chimney chase around it. A chimney chase is just a box built around a manufactured chimney. It can be sided with anything from vinyl siding to cultured stone. While a chase is primarily decorative, it can increase the efficiency of a manufactured chimney by insulating it from the cold.
A chimney chase is often built of lumber using traditional carpentry techniques. These chases vary in quality and are susceptible to deterioration if not completely watertight.
We recently installed a Quickchase from Innovative Backyard Designs. The Quickchase is made to custom specifications using galvanized or stainless steel studs and HardieBacker panels. The Quickchase can be finished with just about any type of veneer you can imagine. We used thin brick to give this chase the appearance of a brick chimney.
If you have a bare manufactured chimney sticking out of your roof, we can make it look nicer. Give us a call!
