I've just taken out a gas fire and surround (it was connected to a brick chimney). I'm now planning to brick it in as we don't need a fire in this room.
Somebody told me that I need to vent the enclosure. Is this true? I hate plastic vents so I'm really trying to avoid going down that route...
Cheers, adam.
You do need to take some precautions against damp. Venting is one way, capping is another that some use. You could vent from outside, assuming the wall is an outside wall.
Brian
Thanks Brian. Unfortunately outside venting is not an option as it is the adjoining wall to my neighbours.
By capping I assume you are talking about putting a "hat" on top of the chimney. With this in place is it therefore ok to completely seal-in the fireplace without a vent.
Cheers, adam.
Well it should be, yes - although he's not just talking about a 'hat', he means properly sealing the opening, eg with a mortared paving stone or similar. Not sure I'd trust that myself as there's plenty of chance of damp getting through the exposed chimney stack and into the now-sealed off chimney, especially in an old property. Personally, I think that unless the chimney stack has been removed and tiled over, I'd still want the vent at fireplace level. But that's maybe just me.
David
Absolutely not. The flue needs to be vented top and bottom in order to remain dry.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.