Foundation on old camp in Sebago Lake Region? (Castine: water heater, law)

[Moxie]

We are looking to re-jack our turn of the century camp or dig down and put in a foundation.
Any recommendations in the Sebago Lake Region?

[cheryljoy]

Hi Moxie,
Did you ever do the work on your camp in Maine? I am looking into putting a foundation for a camp from 1950. Did you find anyone to do the work, and were you satisfied?
Cheryl Joy.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

State law says you can put a full foundation under your camp. If it is in an area where your camp can increase in value, I highly recommend it.

[Moxie]

No, we haven't it's been an evolution. But we have contracted with Clayton Copp of Cumberland. Love all those Cs! We'll do 2 stages. We are going to jack the camp (just the piers that need it) now and do what we have to to keep it from falling down. Once my dad is no longer able to come we can do a major reno. I have the fireplace/chimney guy coming this morning to see what he thinks.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

If your chimney is questionable you can have it lined with a poured liner. It's much cheaper than replacing the chimney and it should last 40 years.

[Moxie]

Thanks NMLM. We are looking at a doing metal liner. My husband thinks he can do it himself but the fire hazard of doing it wrong makes me a little nervous. Any thoughts on poured vs metal?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Metalbest has stainless UL rated stovepipes, sometimes called chimneys. They are very safe and reliable. Some can be put inside existing chimneys. That said, Not all chimneys are straight. some zig zag on the way up to avoid structural members in your building. Put a bright light at the bottom and look down from the top before ordering any materials.

http://www.selkirkcorp.com/products/chimney.aspx

[Moxie]

thanks!

[Zymer]

Timely topic- I need to find someone to do some chimbley work here, who is also comfortable with doing it on a metal roof. I considered the idea of doing it myself (I'm quite confident that I could teach myself to do it) but the metal roof puts me off- I'm getting older and don't heal as quickly and trying to do it two stories up on a slippy metal roof gives me the willies.

This past January the top part of my center chimney collapsed. This chimney serves my [unused] oil furnace, my oil-fired water heater, and my primary woodstove. Apparently, the dummy that built it didn't put the liner all the way to the top and the mortared fieldstone crumbled and collapsed inward and blocked the flue, which rendered it unusable. Fortunately, I have another chimney at the end of the house, which serves 'Old Smokey' (a 100-plus year old Glenwood 'Oak' parlor stove), and between that and the pellet stove we stayed fairly comfortable.

However, I really would like to get the main chimney serviceable again before Winter so we can put the F500 back into use.

Anybody know someone around here who can do it at a reasonable cost? (If I was comfortable with losing an arm or a leg I'd just go ahead and do it myself.)

[Moxie]

Zymer, look for my chimney mason thread. The guy goes all over Maine. He was in Castine the day before he came to me.