Not So Minor Flue Problem

In fact the minor problem with the flue that I noted yesterday is worse than I thought. The preformed flue pieces are supposed to fit snugly into the space formed by 4 standard sized blocks. This is why the "legs" or columns either side of the chimey apperture are made one block wide. However, though supposedly a 200mm flue, the dimensions are actually 220mm internal/290mm external so they are bigger than expected. However, the big problem is the way the builders have placed the blocks. The problem is best illustrated by a pair of comparative pictures.

First, the way it has been done :

As you can see, it ain't going to fit. This is how it should be done :

So, the bottom line is that the columns that transport the flue up to the roof have to be wider. In theory this only needs to be on the ground and first floor (not the basement room), but the view was that the weight needs to be transmitted right to the bottom. That's why they started to do this :