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Housing - New Build: Chinmey pots: regular cowls vs spinning cowls

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    My new build project is re-instating a semi detached house that was bombed during the war. When the original house was pulled down in the 1940s the chimney breast was left in place (presumably as it structurally supported the party wall).

    There are twelve chimney pots on the roof, six for each house. The new house that we are building will effectively enclose the chimney on our side and we are planning to fill the chinmeys with verticulite up to loft level and then ventilate above there.

    The flaunching on the chimney pots has totally gone and I'm surprised they haven't already fallen off. While they are all being re-set the builder has asked whether we'd like regular (£50 a pop) or spinning cowls (£200 a pop) added to the pots.

    Two questions I'm hoping the forum can help me with:
    1. Do we need cowls (e.g. do building regs say I have to if I touch a chimney or is it just a good idea)?
    2. Assuming yes, do we need a regular or spinning cowl?

    Thanks
  2.  
    Hi,
    I stayed in a holiday cottage with a spinning cowl. It had a dodgy bearing - outside I could hear nothing. Inside there was a horrible graunching sound. It kept me awake all night. I would not even think of having spinning cowls. The farmer was excellent he took the cowl off straight away. It was there to stop birds nesting and blocking the chimney (otherwise when the first winter fire is lit the place would fill with smoke). I would not have them if they were free.

    Richard
  3.  
    Spinning cowls are to orientate the opening so it is always down-wind allowing maximum draw and dispersion of fumes because the opening is not facing the direction of the wind and so can be less optimised to prevent rain ingress. In short: no fire = not needed. Your builder should absolutely know that and so I wonder how much the spinning cowls would actually cost him.......
  4.  
    Thanks for both the comments.

    I had a second conversation with my builder after I posted the above on the forum and he did state that I only needed a regular cowl.

    We are unsure if the neighbour actively uses any of his chimneys and all of the chimney pots are going to be re-set while the work is ongoing. I understand, now, he was outlining the options more so I can present them to the neighbour as choices on what he'd like added.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 19th 2015
     
    Posted By: richardelliotWe are unsure if the neighbour actively uses any of his chimneys and all of the chimney pots are going to be re-set while the work is ongoing. I understand, now, he was outlining the options more so I can present them to the neighbour as choices on what he'd like added.

    Who's paying? ...
  6.  
    Half half hopefully!

    All the pots need re-setting and the labour and scaffold costs will be split. We'll pay for our own cowls.
  7.  
    Take the pots off, put cowls flaunched up into the top of the chimney and sell the pots (with flowers in the top) as patio decoration in a trendy market
  8.  
    That would be the best solution Peter, but unfortunately I'm in a conservation area and the pots can be seen from the street so it would probably require planning permission!
  9.  
    You only need to pay £20 - £30 for a cowl to actually use for an operating fire.

    If you only want to ventilate the chimney then you want a C-Cap for about £20 or £16.80 each if you buy a pack of 10 and do both houses. (Assuming you have round chimney pots, not square?)

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