wood burner chimney-through roof or through wall

Anonymous-0 · Dec 9, 2009

going to put my wood furnace in my pole construction shop so we can finish insulating and putting steel on the ceiling, I was going to go through the wall and up, friend says go up through the roof, I have some double wall stainless to do it and realize it would draw better but don't want to mess with roof leaks, what have you guys had the best luck doing?walls and roof are steel.

ChrisinMO · Dec 9, 2009

I've got one going through the roof in my shop, which is why I lean toward going through the wall. Leaks in the roof is the main thing.

Christopher

PopinJohn · Dec 9, 2009

What my shop has is through the wall with a thimble in the wall. An six inch pipe 14 ft tall is outside with the flue from the stove inside teed into it about 8 ft up from the floor. The outside tube is well vented at the bottom so that the upward draft effect works good. The top of the outside pipe is just above the roof line of my shop and has another tee on top to keep out rain. All the materials are the galvanized kind of stovepipe. I've seen the outside pipe made out of 10 inch steel culverts and other similar pipes. Years ago, I had a stovepipe through the roof at my other place and it always leaked rainwater even though it had a collar on it.

37 chief · Dec 9, 2009

I have a wood burning stove in my house. I go through the wall into my garage and up' Don't have a bit of trouble with draw. My stove is going most all winter. I still go through a roof, though. I did't want the chimney in my attic. It is double wall SS probably like you have. You should be ok. Stan

UncleTom · Dec 10, 2009

I saw a shop that had it go through the wall and into an 8 or 10 inch auger tube for a chimney that went up on the outside of the shop.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 10, 2009

Wall. You loose the benefit of the heat that would come off the pipe on the way up, but what's a leaky roof worth. Much easier to clean and lass messy also.

Dave

oliver power · Dec 10, 2009

Chimneys are better off going through the roof. The gasses don't cool as fast. The chimney is warmer. Mine goes through the roof.

Don c · Dec 10, 2009

30 years through the roof and no leaks

VaTom · Dec 10, 2009

I've got one of each, roof and wall exit. Doesn't seem to make any difference but I did go out of my way to have as much black pipe inside as possible. That maximizes heat inside, minimizes the amount of outside stainless needed.

BTW, you don't have to restrict yourself to vertical and horizontal. In my shop I ran the pipe angled to get close to the peak (cathedral ceiling). Much less stainless that way, and never a leak. I left a chicken ladder up there for cleaning. Needs it every couple of years.

Zachary Hoyt · Dec 10, 2009

You generally need a bigger pipe to go through the wall and still draw versus going through the roof. Flashing is not that hard to put in and will keep it from leaking if done right. I would definitely go through the roof.
Zach

Anonymous-0 · Dec 10, 2009

Outside chimneys run cold and plug easy.A friend who cleaned chimney for a living found them plugged with ice.He used a gun type oil burner to melt the ice out of them.People do stupid things when it comes to chimneys.I went on a chimney fire call on an outside block chimney that had no cleanout door.We had to pull the pipe from the furnace to get the crud out.That filled the cellar with smoke.If you really want to plug a chimney burn green sugar maple.A masonary chimney will run cleaner if it is not covered up inside a building.A properly flashed chimney will not leak water.Chimneys should go through the peak of the roof or just to one side of the peak.

JD2ACWD · Dec 10, 2009

call your insurance agent,I wanted to put one through the wall but the agent said they would not insure it that way, had to be through the roof.

IH2444 · Dec 10, 2009

Thru the roof. Much easier to keep cleaned out and draws better.

ann Budzinski · Dec 10, 2009

Our pole barn is 45 X 30. We put a wood burner in and vented it through the roof. Also insulated the walls and ceiling and installed steel siding on the ceiling and walls. To me the advantage of going through the side would be as you say to eliminate any worries of roof leakage. We haven't had any leaks yet. The only reason we went straight up was to eliminate any bends that would decrease the draft. If I did it over again I would go through the side.

Dave Sherburne NY · Dec 10, 2009

I would put it through the wall. You say it is double wall stainless, that sounds like insulated
pipe to me. The insulation keeps the smoke warm and
helps it go up the pipe with little condensation.
No leaky roof if you go through the wall. Weather
you go through the wall or roof, remember aluminum
flashing and steel roofing don't mix.

440roadrunner · Dec 10, 2009

The best way, for heat recovery from the stack and draft, is through the roof. However, depending on how your shop is built, etc, if you can run a long indoor vertical run, and elbow out "up high" you will still have some benefit of the heat from the stack, as well as keeping it warm and avoiding soot. ESPECIALLY with high temp stacks like wood and oil, keeping the stack warm is essential to avoiding sooting.

Make sure you get it high enough above the roofline, and protect from sliding/ falling snow.

RandyB(MI) · Dec 10, 2009

Through the roof!!! Mine uses double wall / stainless liner and filled in between with 2" of spun ceramic. Installed in my shop in 1990 and havn't ever had to clean it and done right , never leaks. Flame goes straight up when start up and keeps chimney cleaned out. No place for anything to collect at all. The chimney is not designed to "heat your shop". A cool or cold chimney is trouble. Smoke / heat / creasote etc and "horozontal" are NOT good bead partners!

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2009

Bends do not decrease the draft.Draft happens because of the difference in inside and outside temperatures.It takes a movment of air to make smoke rise.Dirty chimneys cause reduced draft.Going thru the side makes a much colder chimney.

440roadrunner · Dec 11, 2009

(quoted from post at 04:44:11 12/11/09) Bends do not decrease the draft.Draft happens because of the difference in inside and outside temperatures.It takes a movment of air to make smoke rise.Dirty chimneys cause reduced draft.Going thru the side makes a much colder chimney.

Bends most certainly DO decrease draft. It's called friction, and bends, elbows, etc, effect flow in just about ANY fluid system, whether natural draft, forced air, or liquid or air piping. As for a "much colder chimmney" going through the side, it just depends on how high up you "go through the side." If you go out up near the roofline, it won't be much or any colder than if you went through the roof.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2009

Ive spent 70 of my 72 years in a house with wood heat.I built masonary chimneys ,sold and installed stainless chimneys.Sold 250 wood stoves in the phoney oil crisis.A chimney handles gases.The driest firewoos contains 20% water and you have to keep a chimney hot enough so the moisture does not condense on the inside of the pipe or masonary chimney.Low fires will plug a chimney fast.My shop has a short masonary chimney,about 13 feet.When I use it I run a hot fire and let it go out when I leave the shop.I have looked down in this chimney and see no buildup.I have studied chimneys for years.The shop chimney has a strong draft in spite of it short length.My cook stove has many bends and it has a good draft as long as I keep the passages clean.

wood burner chimney-through roof or through wall

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