fireplace air drafts

[ap]

hello all, in the 1st floor we have a very drafty fireplace. The room that contains this fireplace always remains colder than other rooms. We don't ever use the fireplace.

We've tried to seal the face off with a board and duct tape, but the cardboard came off.

Will it help to have a glass door installed? Or should we have the flue replaced? The flue appears closed, but still leaks air.

there is draft all around it including where the fireplaces attaches to the walls/flooring.

Any suggestions on who to hire and what to do to here?

I've been calling cos that install doors. it appears expensive.

There appear to be no cos that will insulate a fireplace due to liability.

THANKS

[ap]

hello all, in the 1st floor we have a very drafty fireplace. The room that contains this fireplace always remains colder than other rooms. We don't ever use the fireplace.

We've tried to seal the face off with a board and duct tape, but the cardboard came off.

Will it help to have a glass door installed? Or should we have the flue replaced? The flue appears closed, but still leaks air.

there is draft all around it including where the fireplaces attaches to the walls/flooring.

Any suggestions on who to hire and what to do to here?

I've been calling cos that install doors. it appears expensive.

There appear to be no cos that will insulate a fireplace due to liability.

THANKS

[Mamba]

We had a similar situation in a 1908 home. After trying both glass doors and a top-mounted flue to augment the firebox flue, we decided to make a compression-fit block for the flue and essentially decommission the fireplace.

I took a lighweight block of styrofoam and wrapped it with bubblewrap to about 2" wider than the dimensions of the flue. I added a rope-loop handle to the "bottom" of the plug to allow for removal, and crammed it into position about 12" above the firebox, where the flue starts to narrow. Naturally you would never, ever have this in place if you expected to burn. We did however have a couple of small candles in the firebox that we lit occassionally for ambience ;-)

Can't speak to the leaks around the unit, as I am only familiar with brickwork fireplaces - is this an insert?

[Frank]

I "decomissioned" one too. Wife did not like smoke and fireplace was out of code because of 90 degree bend. Already had glass door but these can leak too. I had chimney capped. Could have done it myself but my roof climbing days are over. I siliconed the damper shut and after cleaning fireplace we added a low cost electric insert which looks great and can give off a little heat.

Fireplace guy had recommended siliconing in a cut metal plate to block flue but damper handle was in the way.

Frank