How Long for a Chimney to Be Built?

Chimney Type

• The chimney system you install significantly influences how long it takes to build. In this respect, chimney system refers to exactly how your chimney rises from your fireplace or stove and how you must install it. Some chimneys rise through the walls of your home, meaning you need to open those walls and build within them, which can take weeks. According to Mr. Chimney Services, it takes a professional crew five to 10 work days to rebuild such a chimney. Complete construction of a new chimney takes even longer. If you build a chimney on an outside wall or as a connection to vents or ducts already in your house, the process takes a lot less time. Large chimney systems require site inspections and building permits as per local building codes, which can draw out the building process.

Experience

• Experienced builders know all the ins and outs of the building process and can work smoothly and quickly without making mistakes. If you possess little or no experience in building, it may take you a long time to build a chimney, particularly a masonry chimney. Masonry chimneys require the construction of multiple layers of material, brick laying, concrete pouring, cement mixing and more. Doing this on your own, without experience, can take you months. Working with experienced builders can help you complete the project in a few weeks.

Crew Size

• A large crew of builders can finish a chimney much more quickly than a small crew. The larger your budget, the more builders you can hire and the more quickly the job can be completed. If you take on a building project on your own, expect to spend significantly more time on it than you would if working with a crew. An experienced professional crew can complete small jobs in a few days or a week. A similar small job may take you, working on your own, a number of weeks to complete. In addition to having fewer workers, you have less time than a professional crew, and you need to give yourself more breaks to prevent exhaustion and injury. Enlisting friends or family members can reduce the construction time.

Material Considerations

• The materials you use make a big difference when it comes to building a chimney. If you erect a metal pipe chimney for a stove, for instance, you can purchase all the materials for your chimney and assemble them using fasteners and sealant. This process can take less than a day, plus whatever time you need to install the unit, for a small chimney, and a few days for a large one. A masonry chimney, however, takes significantly more time. You must build these units from the ground up, using mortar to adhere each layer of bricks to the next. Mortar needs time to dry, as does the concrete and clay used for things such as the cap and flue liner, respectively.

Professional vs. DIY

• The difference between professional and do-it-yourself jobs when it comes to chimneys includes not just time, but quality and adherence to building codes. Professional builders know building codes inside and out, and they can build your chimney to specification without fretting. It may take you a week just to figure out how you need to build your chimney. You should never attempt to open up your walls or cut holes in them if you don’t know anything about building, because you can harm yourself and your home. It’s possible to make your own chimney, but you should always take every precaution necessary and defer to professionals if you encounter walls.