Wood stove chimney in a TALL building?

[scgargoyle]

I'm in the process of finishing off a rustic great room in one end of my barn. I want to install a wood stove for heat and atmosphere, so I need to figure out the stove pipe. The barn is 27' tall. I don't have a ladder big enough, nor the intestinal fortitude to go up on the tin roof. Choices include- renting a man lift, hiring a stunt man to do the part where it goes through the roof, or go through the wall and up the outside of the building (would still have to rent a lift). All else being equal- Is it better to run the entire pipe inside the building? If I go outside the building with it, I can do that part now, and finish the outdoor portion later, when I actually install a stove. That could be a year or so down the road. If I go through the wall, is it better to do it lower, near the stove, or higher up? The interior ceiling is 21', so I could go up a ways before I turn and go outside. I have scaffolding to go that high. Or is there some clever way to install a roof collar and flashing magically from inside the roof?

[gasman1075]

I'm in the process of finishing off a rustic great room in one end of my barn. I want to install a wood stove for heat and atmosphere, so I need to figure out the stove pipe. The barn is 27' tall. I don't have a ladder big enough, nor the intestinal fortitude to go up on the tin roof. Choices include- renting a man lift, hiring a stunt man to do the part where it goes through the roof, or go through the wall and up the outside of the building (would still have to rent a lift). All else being equal- Is it better to run the entire pipe inside the building? If I go outside the building with it, I can do that part now, and finish the outdoor portion later, when I actually install a stove. That could be a year or so down the road. If I go through the wall, is it better to do it lower, near the stove, or higher up? The interior ceiling is 21', so I could go up a ways before I turn and go outside. I have scaffolding to go that high. Or is there some clever way to install a roof collar and flashing magically from inside the roof?

If it was here in New York or New England an indoor chimney always works better in a conditioned space vs. outdoors. Of course our winter design temp is colder ( I assume ) then North Carolina? I have installed wood stoves in big buildings before with tall chimneys and would make sure that at least 60% of the total chimney height was class A chimney and then single wall smoke pipe from the class A pipe to the appliance. A warm chimney always draws better than cold especially on start up. In my opinion. 

[scgargoyle]

I'm actually in South Carolina, but near the border. Winter design minimum is 20 F. We get single digits once in a while. The wood stove will probably only get used a few times a year. I think I'm going to see what a pro would charge to just install the upper part of the chimney through the roof, with the collar, flashing, cap, etc. so I can just hook up to it at a later date. I'm putting up a tin ceiling and insulation, so I'd rather have that part of the smoke pipe finished ahead of time. I have scaffolding, so doing the inside portion is relatively easy.

[Bruno of NH]

Keep the chimney inside
They work the best that way
I used to build masonry chimneys with my Dad when he was alive.
He was a mason and a good one at that.

[lxskllr]

How do you plan on cleaning it? That height issue won't go away after install. Just something to think about...

[scgargoyle]

I think an outside chimney would actually be easier to clean. Put a 'T' where it comes out of the wall and goes up, then brush upwards, adding extensions to the brush as you go up. If it goes straight up inside, it would be better to clean it from the roof, going down, but that would mean hiring someone every year. We'll probably only use the stove a few times a year, for a few hours at a time. Part of my problem is that I don't have the stove yet. An old-school stove that allows more heat to go up the chimney will stay cleaner than a newer, more efficient stove. Since it's a rustic room, and the stove is primarily for atmosphere, it will probably be an older stove. When I was growing up in CT, we had a stove in a similar setting, and used it for years without ever cleaning it.

[hedgerow]

I used to help a buddy clean a chimney in a three story house with a full attic every year that went straight up. The roof was 12/12 so we cleaned it from the inside. It was a 8 inch stainless chimney. we would just take the screws out of a section of pipe above the stove on the single wall and slide it up and take the section out use a brush and fiberglass poles and a plastic bag to catch the mess. It work good no need to get on the roof. I wouldn't set it up with a T. 

[Woodpecker52]

I have used a wood stove Fisher for over 35 years at my house before that an Ashley.  I have a brick front with mantle and  behind it a mineral board with air space and on the wall I had installed reflective foil, there are places along the brick for it to dissipate any heat.  There is a triple lined stove pipe through the wall making sure it does not touch any studs and is surrounded in the wall by fireproof insulation.  It goes to a T and goes up a double wall pipe along the side of the house and through the eve on the gable ends.  It is also enclosed by a 4x4 exterior siding unit all the way to the top etc.  My only problem is I have to climb to the top of the house peak and remove the cap and clean with a chimney sweep unit.  I say all this to note that my T is only about 3 feet off the foundation and that is not enough for the sweep units to fit to clean from the bottom..  The more height you have on the T and hence inside pipe before it goes out the better for cleaning and it will need to be cleaned each year. I would like to put a metal roof on but it is way to dangerous to go on it my roof pitch as it is is almost impossible to stand on as it is.  I live in Ms but with that said we still have about 1-2 months of cold weather.  Recently only about 4-6 weeks.  But I heat my entire house about 3,600 sq. feet. with this heater and only consume at most 1 to 1 1/2 cords each year.

[Raider Bill]

I used to help a buddy clean a chimney in a three story house with a full attic every year that went straight up. The roof was 12/12 so we cleaned it from the inside. It was a 8 inch stainless chimney. we would just take the screws out of a section of pipe above the stove on the single wall and slide it up and take the section out use a brush and fiberglass poles and a plastic bag to catch the mess. It work good no need to get on the roof. I wouldn't set it up with a T.

This is how I clean mine. Roofs pretty steep and metal so I'm not getting up there. Pop a section of pipe out and clean from below.
I don't really use it that much as I tend to stay away from the north when it's that cold but I do have to get the blue bird nests out every heating season.

[Mike W]

To state the obvious I am sure everyone is already aware of, if planning to clean from the bottom, make sure you use a soft bristle brush, one that you are able to reverse the bristles when pulling back down.  Being a general contractor, can't count how many really steep roofs we have replaced when the homeowner requests we (reinstall) the rain cap on the stove pipe as during cleaning from below, the brush was stuck and had to be pushed all the way out (knocking off the rain cap) to reverse the bristles to pull it back down.  On a really steep roof with the 1 to 1 ratio plus 2 feet for draft clearance, you could be on the roof at the base of where the stove pipe exists the roof and still have at least a single story of piping overhead with no way to reach it

[scgargoyle]

If all of the stove pipe is screwed together, how do you get enough play to pop out a section of pipe for cleaning?

[Don P]

Double wall telescoping pipe?

[hedgerow]

If all of the stove pipe is screwed together, how do you get enough play to pop out a section of pipe for cleaning?

Usually down in the living space you are going to have single wall with a slip joint in it so you can take out a couple screws and slide it up and out . 

[Raider Bill]

If all of the stove pipe is screwed together, how do you get enough play to pop out a section of pipe for cleaning?

Usually down in the living space you are going to have single wall with a slip joint in it so you can take out a couple screws and slide it up and out .

This is how I do it.

[Crusarius]

My last wood stove setup that I absolutely loved was one that had a rear exhaust. 

The wood stove was set on the hearth of the old fireplace. A steel insert was added going through the existing chimney. I put a T on the back of the wood stove. This left a straight shot from top to bottom. On the bottom of the T I put a 6" to 8" adapter and then a cap. all screwed on. This gave me the ability to brush the chimney from the roof with everything still screwed together. After sweeping I let the dust settle in the pipe than I went into the house and pulled the adapter off the T. All of the dust was contained in the adapter with the cap. So I was able to walk it outside dump it and screw it back on.

Super easy and not to much additional cleanup. Plus I feel with the chimney exiting the back side of the wood stove I had less heat going straight up the chimney. So it was much more efficient. The new house has the pipe coming out the top of the wood stove that is shoved into the old fireplace opening. This I know is no where near as efficient as the other.