Large Concrete-Looking Blocks Fell Down My Chimney

Gamer Bhoy 89

What is that? It gave me such a fright. Should I be concerned??

I'm renting this property off of a letting agency, and the house has been relatively fine, from a structure standpoint. This is the first time something like this happened.

AngryHippie

notify the letting agency.
Don't light the fire.

spaceHopper

Yes you need to act straight way, it probably won't but what if the chimney caved in. Call the agency and send them photos of what came down.

kennethsmyth

As the two concrete pieces seem to have actual burn marks I get the feeling its part of the shelf just above the fire and the concrete has cracked due to heat. In other words I still wouldn't use the fire at the moment but the fix maybe a lot simpler than if its the chimney walls up higher.

king size mars bar

Looks like the cement placed on top of Fireback slopped towards fire. Ring landlord as advised above.

Gamer Bhoy 89

kennethsmyth wrote: »

As the two concrete pieces seem to have actual burn marks I get the feeling its part of the shelf just above the fire and the concrete has cracked due to heat. In other words I still wouldn't use the fire at the moment but the fix maybe a lot simpler than if its the chimney walls up higher.

This thing was stuck in the bottom of the "tube" that leads up the chimney itself. I had to poke it to make it come down to the ground.



Would anyone be able to tell me what it actually is? My letting agent is very ignorant and if I don't tell him exactly what it is he'll just brush it off as a bit of debris - "nothing to be worried about". Other comments, on other sites I've shared that photo on, say VERY different. Some people say it's creosote, others are saying it's a chunk of soot. I want to be sure I know what I'm talking about here.

na1

Santa?

Claw Hammer

na1 wrote: »

Santa?

Wrong time of the year!

Gamer Bhoy 89

A lad came out to look at it. He's a bricklayer that has built chimneys most of his life. He told me it was mortar, and that the chimney will need cleaned out pronto. He's took the blocks back to the office and told the agency that a chimney sweep needs sent out to the house as soon as possible. I've not to use the fire place until then. Couldn't be better timed as the weather outside has negated the need for it more and more lately.

I feel better now. No need to panic.