Chimney Construction Question

This weekend I'll be working on my chimney install. I want it done by Monday. How many courses of block can be safely put up in a day? My guesstimate is the material should weigh about a ton. My concern is putting all of that weight on the bottom uncured mortar joint. It just occured to me that all of that weight might make that bottom uncured joint weak or push out. I'm already about 6 foot out of the ground with another 15 - 20 to go. Should I put half up one day and the rest the next day or can I go like hell until the job is done? I'm putting in 3 brick ties per block but those are meant to keep it from pulling away from the house, not counteract the downward pressure.

in our old house, I don' know they build my entire chimney (2 stories) about 25-30? blocks high in a day with a clay liner. They started at 8am and were gone when I got home at 4pm. I would within an hour or so the mortar should start setting up if you have it mixed correctly and the weight shouldn't push too much out. But, I am NO bricklayer, so I would do what you think would work the best in your situation.

A friend of mine who has been a mason for 30 + years always told me to not lay any more than ten feet a day . If this was an excuse to drink more beer, I do not know. I have heard others talk about placing small marbles or cement pieces in corners to support the weight if they were in a hurry.

They could have put pieces in to support the next block, I don't know? I didn't see them do it. Don't live there anymore and the chimney is still standing last time I looked.

Good question! I'm trying to remember when they built my chimney 4 or 5 yrs ago. It's 22 or 24 feet tall. Cement blocks until the roof line and brick showing outside. It seems they did just over half one day & the second day did the rest. 10 feet a day sounds like a good idea to me.

10 feet a day!

That's 4.5 days of work for me!

I think I'll go 10 feet a day. I should have it done by Sunday night. Better to be safe than sorry. I don't want my first chimney build to fall down. Right Freddy

I have a feeling that 10 feet a day will be a full day for us ol' farts!

It's always better to go slow and do it right the first time.

Well we got 10 feet of chimney installed, had lunch and now getting ready to head to the basement to work on the plumbing. This is the first time I ever worked off of scaffolding. Man is that sweet. Plenty of room for two people and equipment. It sure beats pump jacks. We should be finished tomorrow.

What no pictures Bill?

Here ya go Adam. My wife felt it necessary to go to my next door neighbor's and apologize for my brother in law and I. She said we get to rowdy when we work together. The old guy laughed and said we sound like Laurel and Hardy. I think I should be insulted.

billw wrote:Well we got 10 feet of chimney installed, had lunch and now getting ready to head to the basement to work on the plumbing. This is the first time I ever worked off of scaffolding. Man is that sweet. Plenty of room for two people and equipment. It sure beats pump jacks. We should be finished tomorrow.

I'm up here in Mont Rose. Come put mine up.

Hey Bill, Nice work! Looks like you will soon be putting in a cricket. Scott

Good looking job Bill! It looks like you're using the one piece cement blocks. How heavy are they? Was the cost more than using the horseshoe shaped half blocks? The half blocks are $5.50 around here.
Going to use lead sheet to transition through the roof?