I have a house that was built back in the 1930's. I have a fireplace on the main floor that has an independent chimney on it. The damper is pretty much completely rusted out, I can open it or close it and get the same amount of air flow. How hard would that be to replace? The chimney is brick and only brick all the way up, there is no 'flue' going up through it.

Secondly, in a separate chimney, I used to have a wood stove hooked up in the basement that had a blower to supplement the household heat. When I had a new furnace installed they had to put in a new flue liner for it and said I could not use the wood stove any longer because it would melt the aluminum flue liner now being used for the furnace.

I would like to use the wood furnace because it puts off alot of good heat, but I have no where to vent it now. Any suggestions? I had even thought of framing in a basement window and using a lined pipe to go out through it and up the back side of the house, but I'm not sure if that is safe, smart, or even how to secure it as you go up.

Any advise would be appreciated.

 

Main floor chimney: This chimney is highly unsafe to use until you line it with a new flue, and probably a chain-controlled "damper on top of that chimney. The chain would be in the fireplace.
Basement wood stove chimney: Now dedicated to the furnace only. You cannot use it for a wood stove, as told. Investigate a zero-clearance, triple-walled chimney installed form the basement wood stove to the exterior.
Before you do anything, contact your local Building Inspection Department for code and guidance, and go from there.
You can do it, but it will cost some $$ to do it right and safely, but the added wood heat will eventually pay for the total chimney remodeling project.
Good Luck!

 

What is the danger with the main floor chimney? It runs outside the house and is complete brick inside and out. It has been like that since the 1930's when it was built. Redoing it and the damper are probably something that I will not attempt on my own, any ideas on a cost estimate to have someone come in and do it? Nothing in stone, just don't know if I'm looking at a couple of hundred bucks or thousands. Thanks again.