Larry Caldwell
Super Member
Minimum code is the chimney should be 3' higher than the highest point of the roof within 10' of the chimney, but that is minimum. Yours is obviously not high enough to keep the smoke out of the house. Supporting it will probably involve guy wires, a tricky operation in the middle of the winter.
Your energy efficiency sounds horrible. A few years back I replaced all my windows with U.36 low-e vinyl, the old wood entry door with a fiberglass insulated door, and the big slider onto the deck with Pella French doors with the mini-blinds in between the two panes of glass. I also added another foot of attic insulation and insulated the subfloor. Keeping the house warm is no longer a problem. Keeping it cool in the summer got a lot easier too.
As a stopgap, they sell latex foam insulation that will fill pretty big holes. Urethane foam will also fill big holes, but expands as it cures, and will jam doors and windows from the pressure. Both come in aerosol cans. The latex will freeze, so pick a warm day.
Insulation - the gift that keeps on giving.
Your energy efficiency sounds horrible. A few years back I replaced all my windows with U.36 low-e vinyl, the old wood entry door with a fiberglass insulated door, and the big slider onto the deck with Pella French doors with the mini-blinds in between the two panes of glass. I also added another foot of attic insulation and insulated the subfloor. Keeping the house warm is no longer a problem. Keeping it cool in the summer got a lot easier too.
As a stopgap, they sell latex foam insulation that will fill pretty big holes. Urethane foam will also fill big holes, but expands as it cures, and will jam doors and windows from the pressure. Both come in aerosol cans. The latex will freeze, so pick a warm day.
Insulation - the gift that keeps on giving.