Our very old coop building has a fireplace in each of the six units. None has been used for a good many years.
They all have dampers, but these clearly do not prevent heat-loss up the chimney.
What's the best way to stop this heat loss? We would like to retain the option of using the fireplaces in the future if tenants wish to do so.
I would guess that we might stuff some insulation bats of fiber glass or rock wool in the openings. Does that make sense? If not, what does make sense?
Ray asked:
I would get some 2" thick Styrofoam and cut it to fit the opening. You could also glue on some of the reflective aluminum insulation. This could easily be removed if the fireplace was going to be used.
---MIKE---
My wife cut transparent plastic sheet to fit our fireplace openings and attached strips of closed cell weather stripping along the edges to seal them tight. This system has been in place for several years with excellent results. It reduces the 'chimney effect' that draws warm air up the chimney. T
If the damper doesn't seal effectively, there are dampers that go on the top of the chimney. They are like a spring loaded lid with a chain that hangs down into the fireplace. By pulling the chain you can then open or close the damper. Relatively easy to install.
I had luck using a rolled up piece of bubble wrap. Make it a couple of inches bigger than the flue, add a couple of wraps of tape for a handle, and cram it into place far enough up to be out of sight. I also added a decorative sculpture in the fireplace, mainly as a reminder to anyone who might be foolish enough to try to use the fireplace without checking with me first.
You could put insulation, rags, waded up newspaper, packing peanuts, etc. into a plastic bag. Fold or tie the top. Push it up against the damper with a plywood board or even thick chunk of cardboard covering the bottom, and prop it in place with a stick. The idea is to push the compressable mass over the whole damper assembly to block leaks. Also, make sure rain can't get into top of the chimney. with a cap of some sort.
Bob
We cut a piece of rigid styrofoam and adhered it to a made up piece of metal that fit as a cover over the opening. To come up with a quick removal for periodic fires she went around the perimeter of both the cover and the fireplace opening with magnetic tape. I was suprised how well it holds in place without any air leakage.
My parents cut a piece of wood paneling, slightly larger than the fireplace safety screen. Dad put a handle on the paneling, to make it easier to lift out. The piece of wood goes behind the safety screen while fireplace is not in use.
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