Treating oak beams

[babs]

Emm..............Pass! I know that the builder said it was heat treated thou??? Whats that mean?? And...........its been on every nite through the winter and not burnt away!

Oh god!!!!!!!! Will it be ok???

 

[Penners]

The substantial diameter of that metal pipe suggests to me that it's an insulated flue - ie: double skin with insulation in between. So the outer skin may not get very hot.

It's also the case that a hot metal pipe would have to be pretty close to a piece of wood for the radiant heat to affect the wood seriously.

 

[babs]

and on the subject of hours.....................the bathroom (started in March) is still not completed!

Currently sitting with half a kitchen, partly decorated livingroom (at least the fire is finished), installed bathroom - but partly tiled and mess everywhere!

Just how long does it go on for?? I mentioned last nite that i hope to be finished by Christmas - i just didnt say which bloody year!!!

 

[Penners]

babs - how hot does the pipe get, and how close to the lintel is it?

 

[Penners]

Just how long does it go on for??

You'd need Deep Thought, the mightiest supercomputer ever built, to answer that question. And it would take 10 million years to reach its conclusion (and you might not like it).

 

[babs]

The pipe is Class 'A' so supposedly can be touched when fire is blazing. It is hot enough that you wouldnt leave your hand on it! It is practially on the beam - and there is a small (very small) scorch mark at the back of the beam.

Im just concerned now that the wax ive used may make it flammable???

 

[Tom]

Just how long does it go on for??

Ah well, we started our project back in 1996, moving into a static caravan on site and hoping for it to be a one year thing....hmmm. Anyway, after realising it wasn't just a 'pretty it up' job, we set a date at the first day of the new millenium. Yeah well, that came and went. Now it's Christmas but, like you, we haven't said which year!!!

In fairness, we bought this place for the land and lived in the house for 18 months, as it was decorated, carpeted etc. It was only when people started saying we had the oldest house in the village that we did some exploratory work and, hey presto, here we are!!! Of course, we've hit some major problem on the way. Massive current DeathWatch Beetle infestation, lack of decent tradespeople, redundancy (hence lack of money) etc, etc. But we're plodding on and we're getting there....not quite sure *where* though but I can feel it's getting closer

Jaqy

 

[Nemesis]

Re the wood - if you can put something to insulate between it and the pipe I would.

It's a tiny risk but...

We stopped piling up logs next to our stove to dry after reading of someone whoh did that and then they caught fire when they were out.

They dried too well!

 

[Tom]

Yikes, Nem, I was going to do that with ours! :shock: Would they be OK as long as they don't actually touch the stove?

Jaqy

 

[Nemesis]

I'd leave a gap... we have had some char!

 

[CHRIS]

DO NOT STACK LOGS NEXT TO THE STOVE!!!!!

I can tell you this from experience as last winter I had some large logs with the bark flaking off piled up next to the stove drying them as they had got a bit wet, the next thing I know I saw smoke filling the room and as I pulled the smoldering one out it burst into flames and set my newspaper pile alight. I grabbed a large pot that was soaking in the sink full of nasty stew and cold water and chucked it all over the fire. All the time the smoke alarm was blazing along with dog barking (trained to as wife is hard of hearing) and getting under feet.

DWB they were at least 3 inches away

The place stunk of smoke and stew for days!!!!!!

I would use a piece of masterboard between the flue and beam to protect it, I did behind a bressumer beam and flue.

 

[Nemesis]

See - heed the warning!

How does that pipe enter the flue?

 

[Penners]

That's a good question. Dare we guess through a neatly trimmed hole in the wallpaper? :shock:

 

[Tom]

Blimey!!! :shock: :shock: I most certainly will NOT be drying my logs by the Rayburn!!! Thanks for the advice...another thumbs up for the forum!!

Jaqy

 

[Penners]

Well Jaqy, I think the problems have been with woodburning stoves. I can't imagine that logs would get very hot near a Rayburn.

 

[Nemesis]

Yes - the sides of our stove get hot!

 

[Tom]

Oh, OK, thanks Penners. Even so, I think I'll heed the warning and leave a good gap...just in case!

Jaqy

 

[babs]

ok - soooooooooo.......Have i a fire risk?? Even thou the flue is class A??

 

[Penners]

Babs - it's difficult for anyone here to give you a definitive answer on the basis of written messages. Only you can tell how hot the outer skin of the flue gets, how close it is to the wood and what the effect on the wood has already been.

However, if I understand it correctly, the flue gets too hot to touch and has already scorched the wood. On that basis, I think - if it were my house - I would be doing something to improve the situation. You've already had several suggestions above.

But also don't ignore Nemesis' question about the point where the flue enters the chimey breast. If there is wallpaper around the entry point, give some thought to how hot the flue is at that point, and how close to the paper.

 

[charlie-ia]

I know that the builder said it was heat treatedquote]

i know nothing, but after all that sanding and stripping, could you have worn the heat treatment away?