Wind damage

sisterpine · #1 02/13/11, 12:11 PM

Had horrid wind and wind gusts last night. At about 0200 this morning I woke to a loud crash but couldn't find anything amiss. This morning I found the wood stove steel chimney on the front porch! All these weeks of feeling so anxious and fearful since DH left me were just beginning to lessen and now this. I was not sure what to do so I called the homeowners insurance company Cascade Farmers Mutual Insurance and left them a message and sent them an email. Their web site says to make temporary repairs as necessary to maintain safety.

What we have now is about 2 feet of triple wall pipe sticking out above the steel roof. At the moment the stove seems to be drawing fine but we have no rain nor a rain-cap nor an ash cap. Winter snow will save us there.

There is no way for anyone to drive to my house right no due to it being winter and huge drifts caused by this wind. Prior to this morning I could have at least driven to the bottom of the 300 foot driveway, but no longer. I am thinking that perm repairs are going to have to wait till spring opens the road in about three months. I think if needed I can get some steel pipe the thin single wall kind and place that in the pipe hole and screw it on and then put a simple rain cap on the thing. Would need the neighbors help to do this due to snow and such and ice on the roof. What a mess and to top it off I am sitting here crying and near panic which is so very unlike me. sisterpine

Harry Chickpea · #2 02/13/11, 01:46 PM

You should be fine. I never had a rain cap or screen for embers on the metalbestos chimney of my stove in Vermont, and that was an asphalt shingle roof. Rain caps on traditional fireplaces were rare in many areas. You may have some draw (draft) problems, especially on warmer days. Do NOT put up single wall on top of the existing remaining chimney. All it will do is collect creosote and create a fire hazard.

Windy in Kansas · #3 02/13/11, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sisterpine

What we have now is about 2 feet of triple wall pipe sticking out above the steel roof.

Is that above the roof itself or the tallest point of the roof?

Sorry for the problem.

I remember the double wall snapped together or twist locked together, but I've not been around triple wall. You might look at it to see if it simply locks into place once back in place on the other section of pipe.

Belfrybat · #4 02/13/11, 02:26 PM

Sorry to hear you lost your chimney. I echo the person who said not to put single stovepipe on top of the triple. Can the piece that blew off be reattached safely? If so, that might be your best bet. At least with a steel roof you won't have a fire hazard but might have a problem with it drawing correctly depending on how the wind is blowing.

There are times when life seems to gang up on us -- just hang in there. Yeah, I know, easier to say than to do.

watcher · #5 02/13/11, 03:10 PM

If its drawing I wouldn't worry about it until the snow was off the roof. Rain cap is mostly to keep birds out and to prevent the icky drippy (as we called it) on the wall when it did rain hard enough for enough water to get in the top and drip out on the wall.

IIRC, the first house I heated with wood the brick chinmmy was only about 2 foot and was only about 1 foot taller than the ridge of the house. Other than putting a bit of smoke in the house sometimes (ok a lot on some days) it worked fine.

sisterpine · #6 02/13/11, 03:11 PM

We did in fact have single wall on top of metalbestos and it did gather creosote badly. The chimney that is left is not above the roof top as it is a long tall roof and the chimney is in the lower half. Probably 6 feet from height of roof top. Stove seems to be drawing ok at the moment, actually better than it did with all that single wall and wind directional cap? It looks like I could get more metalbestos and lock that onto the already there piece for several hundred dollars that I don't have at the moment. Will have to look into that in the spring. Thank you for the input, I do feel a bit better knowing that most of our winds go up roof and not down roof if that makes any sense ...so the draw is working ok. I think I will need some type of support for the metal bestos when I do put it up as it will be 6-8 feet from the roof surface just standing there in the wind? sisterpine

fordy · #7 02/13/11, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sisterpine

Had horrid wind and wind gusts last night. At about 0200 this morning I woke to a loud crash but couldn't find anything amiss. This morning I found the wood stove steel chimney on the front porch! All these weeks of feeling so anxious and fearful since DH left me were just beginning to lessen and now this. I was not sure what to do so I called the homeowners insurance company Cascade Farmers Mutual Insurance and left them a message and sent them an email. Their web site says to make temporary repairs as necessary to maintain safety.

What we have now is about 2 feet of triple wall pipe sticking out above the steel roof. At the moment the stove seems to be drawing fine but we have no rain nor a rain-cap nor an ash cap. Winter snow will save us there.

There is no way for anyone to drive to my house right no due to it being winter and huge drifts caused by this wind. Prior to this morning I could have at least driven to the bottom of the 300 foot driveway, but no longer. I am thinking that perm repairs are going to have to wait till spring opens the road in about three months. I think if needed I can get some steel pipe the thin single wall kind and place that in the pipe hole and screw it on and then put a simple rain cap on the thing. Would need the neighbors help to do this due to snow and such and ice on the roof. What a mess and to top it off I am sitting here crying and near panic which is so very unlike me. sisterpine

.......................There was probably a Top hat at the top of the vent stack , If it wasn't destroyed during the fall , You might try too remove it and remount it on the top of the existing section of pipe ! This will keep snow and\or rain from entering the vent pipe until you can effect repairs . , fordy

sisterpine · #8 02/14/11, 09:32 AM

Thanks fordy, good idea, there was indeed a directional wind cap that i can try and mount once we see something besides snow and ice on the roof.

Pony · #9 02/14/11, 10:09 AM

I'm not necessarily handy at this sort of thing, and without being there to see it, I'm about worthless.

That said, Sisterpine, you are doing well. You're just feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, but you have what it takes to make it, and you will not just survive but THRIVE.

{hugs} and prayers for you!

rhaige9 · #10 02/14/11, 10:54 AM

I agree with Pony. I don't have any advise. I'm one of those stupid women who wouldn't have a clue how to function without a man to support me and fix things. And so I've been married four times. But do keep us updated on how you're doing and if you have any more problems. Even if I can't help, you cant vent it out of your system.

Pony · #11 02/14/11, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhaige9

I agree with Pony. I don't have any advise. I'm one of those stupid women who wouldn't have a clue how to function without a man to support me and fix things. And so I've been married four times. But do keep us updated on how you're doing and if you have any more problems. Even if I can't help, you cant vent it out of your system.

Now hold on thar a minnit. I didn't say I can't do ANYthing, just don't have advice in that area.

Srsly, I think that many of us women find that we are competent. Sadly, we have to learn the hard way.

Trials make us stronger. But there are times, especially when I see good people hurting, that I wish we could all be a little more comfy and coddled.

oregon woodsmok · #12 02/14/11, 06:32 PM

I wish you hadn't called the insurance company. They won't send anybody out to fix it and the repair is going to be so small that your deductible will mean the insurance company won't pay anything. But now you've got a claim against your insurance.

If the stovepipe that is off is not damaged, it just gets set back into place and the sections are held together with sheet metal screws (get self taping ones). Same with the cap. It slides on and is held by 2-3 sheet metal screws.

I don't go up on roofs so for stove pipes, I'd call my roofer. Or call a chimney sweep.

The repair you've got there is very very minor. My roofer would charge me less than $50 for it. Heck, he charges me $25 to sweep the chimneys, so he'd probably charge me $25 to bolt the pipe back together.

If the pipe is damaged, pound it back into shape. It bends easily and bolt it back together. Put it back into place and make do until you can get into town to buy a new section of pipe. Stove pipe is really basic stuff.

oregon woodsmok · #13 02/14/11, 06:44 PM

Another idea. Get out the yellow pages and call the places that sell wood stoves. They will have the names of contractors who install stovepipes.

You live in an area where it snows. Contractors in your area will have 4WD vehicles and the guys who work on wood stoves are used to working in bad weather.

If you have a metal roof, you aren't in any danger from sparks going up the chimney while your spark arrestor is laying on the front porch.

None of that delicate flower stuff allowed here on HT. Deal with it, and youcan deal with it.

horsepoor21 · #14 02/14/11, 08:22 PM

I'm so sorry this happened to you !The wind yesterday was just aweful ,wasn't it ? Thankfully we didn't have any damage here .

ronbre · #15 02/15/11, 10:20 AM

i would only be really concerned by a high sparking fire..so be cautious of your fire building to make sure you aren't sending up high sparking fires through a broken off chimney..2' is not enough to protect your home, even with a metal roof..so keep those fires well controlled until you can get other repairs done..might call a neighbor that is hand to climb up there for you?? might be able to just rescrew the fallen pieces back in place even if they are bent or dented

MN Gardener · #16 02/18/11, 09:20 PM

Sorry about your chimney.....I am not even going to try to give you any chimney advice. But you will make it through it and be stronger for it. The wind was so strong here the metal roof blew off a trailer house down the road from here. All that you could see is the wood frame and insulation hanging out. Poor people, probably scared the bejesus out of them.