Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The chimney bead is a stepped-out layer of stone that is purely
ornamental. It is a nice touch for a log cabin.
You'll need scaffolding when you get about to eye
level. It can be rented or borrowed, or built of 2≈4s as
you go up. Anything cross-braced and strong will do,
with planks laid across. A front loader is a delight to
work with; you can stack stone, mortar, tools (and
your feet) into its bucket as you work. They don't reach
very high, though, so you'll eventually need something
solid up in the sky. I usually rig a pulley and rope to
pull up buckets full of materials, off the secured scaf-
fold or from the ridge of the house.
You may, as I've said earlier, build the chimney and
fireplace before you build the cabin. This makes it easy
to get at, I'm sure, but I've never done it this way, and
I don't know that any of the early builders did it.
Again, I would be concerned about the logs settling as
they shrink.
Flashing is set into the stone of the chimney as it is built and bent
down over counter-flashing up from the roofing. We use copper.
Woodstove
Wood heating stoves are a great deal easier to install.
Even the modern Franklin variety requires only a hole
in the roof, a multi-wall thimble to insulate the pipe
where it goes through, a damper in the pipe, and some
flashing on top. Double- or triple-wall pipe is required
today in most locations to meet fire codes, at least
where it goes through ceilings and roof. Put a cap on
to keep rain out, and you're set. It is a good idea to get
one of those metal sheets or a piece of slate to put
under, to catch coals and sparks. Heating stoves are
nice to cook stew on, too, and to heat water.
You can even heat a small cabin with a wood cook-
stove, which is quite versatile. But its firebox won't
hold enough wood to burn through the night, and
your indoor plants will likely freeze before dawn.
Fire codes require double- or triple-
walled stovepipes and a set distance
from the wall. Codes also require a
fireproof hearth under the stove and
on the wall.
