Glen & Kris Denning → Home Improvement → Fireplace Chase < Previous Next >
Our house was originally built with a wood-burning fireplace. The metal chimney rose above the roof enclosed in a wooden chase. The chase is seen here on the right side of this (old) picture extending above the edge of the roof.
Unfortunately, the chase was not flashed with a cricket to divert water around the chase and down the roof. Despite this oversight, most of the water that ran down the roof and against the upslope edge of the chase would go around the chase and continue down the roof. But some of the water ran off the edge of the roof and down the face of the chase. This eventually caused some water damage to the exterior siding of the chase.
After we installed a direct-vent gas fireplace, most of the height of the chase was unused. The flue for the gas fireplace rises just three feet above the firebox, then exits the side of the chase. That meant the easiest way to repair the water-damaged chase was to remove the portion that extended above the roof, thus removing the damaged portion and the water source that caused the damage in the first place.
Next: Demolition begins.