Definitely OT, a bit rambly - fun in an old house
Bill Houghton, in cold, rainy Sebastopol, CA
>For 34 years, we've lived with a chimney taking up space in one of our kitchen cabinets. Sheathed by what appears to be sheet metal (I'll find out soon; we're beginning the teardown for our kitchen remodel), it rests on the wall* at about 6 feet from the floor and originally extended up through the roof (about 30 years ago, realizing that the mortar had left the bricks and it was just waiting either to fall down or to help start a house fire, I took it down as far as the attic floor and vented the heater and water heater through B vent metal instead). In the kitchen cabinet, one hole into the chimney, clearly for the woodburning stove in the original kitchen, was capped by a "pie plate" stovepipe cover (picture below). These were once commonly used to cap off a stovepipe hole not in use when the heating stoves weren't needed.
As I mentioned, we're beginning the teardown. One of my first steps was to climb up in the attic and continue removing brick, so I could get far enough below the false ceiling in the kitchen to finish up from below. About a foot down - thus, about 18-24" above the hole filled by the "pie plate" - the chimney was filled with bits of mortar, brick, and general junk, which I diligently vacuumed out. I decided, to keep dust out of the kitchen, I should probably make sure the pie plate was firmly in place. Well, no, it wasn't, so the hole is now covered with plastic and shipping tape, and I've cleared things out down to the level of the hole.
*I used to know the term for a brick chimney that rests on short studs in a wall, rather than directly on the foundation. Alas, my brain threw the information out long ago, and Google doesn't know of what I speak. This chimney type customarily is laid up with the bottom tapering toward the wall, to transfer all the weight to where it rests on the wall. If folks are interested and if I get a chance, I'll take photos as I disassemble it. If someone knows the term, I wouldn't mind trying to file it in my brain again.
