Sunday, January 9, 2011

Chimney Scare Alleviated; Work Proceeds

With the structural remediation complete, Scott was anxious for me to see the improvements first-hand.  We visited noTTafarm on Thursday evening, noticing a minor leak in the small bedroom on the second floor.  Scott invesitigated in the attic and noticed that the chimney, which is the home of the furnace flue, was leaning about four inches and could be the source of the leak.  Did the structural work force the chimney to move?  Did the roof joists get pushed out of whack?  We spent the next 36 hours in fear that the chimney would collapse and crush the roof or, worse, we would be killed by carbon monoxide.  We worried that everything indeed had been progressing in a "too good to be true" state.

Saturday, we armed ourselves with newly-purchased CO detectors, determined to gather enough information to make an informed decision about next steps. 

In the light of a sunny but cold Saturday, with the CO detectors NOT detecting anything, Scott again investigated the chimney.  He realized that the chimney was constructed in 1920 with the four-inch lean so that it would miss the roof peak as it exited the attic.  The mortar joints are completely level and there is no sign of cracking or water damage.

What a relief!

Now - time to get busy.  

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