Blocking up a chimney ?

[Adrian]

HI All

When they designed our nice new house, they put a chimney at each end of the roof - make it look sort of 'cottagey', I suppose.

The downstairs sitting room, kitchen, dining area is all open-plan. The chimney in the sitting room has a little woodburner sitting on the bottom of it - so we can sit & watch the flames .

The other one is sort of halfway between the dining area and the kitchen, and is neither use nor ornament. It's never been used - and only seems to serve as a place for cold air to get into the house, or warm air to escape. Currently it's got a bin-bag full of those little air-bags that they use for packaging stuffed up the bottom end of it ... (temporary measure, 18 months ago).

Given that it's never been used, and so has no soot or other 'stuff' up the flue - what's the possibility of getting 'a man' to come and block the chimney off at the top, thus eliminating another source of cold drafts...

I've seen references to a baloon that you stuff up the flue and then inflate - but 18 quid plus postage seems a bit on the steep side ..?

Thanks in advance Adrian

[Steve Walker]

If you think that's pricy, wait till you see the quote for capping it at the top.

[Frank Erskine]

On Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:54:00 +0000, Adrian had this to say:

I think you might find that you'd have to involve the LA if you're altering ventilation in the building.

It might be better to deflect draughts rather than cut them off altogether.

[Adrian]

I did see reference to a device

looks like a good idea, in that it fits into the existing chimney pot, and is easily openable from inside the house, if required.

I've emailed them - waiting for a quote.......

From your comments, I guess you've had experience of having a chimney capped - mind if I ask how much it cost ?

I'd do it myself - (and would have done at the last 'residence' - which was a bungalow with a nice shallow roof pich) - but the current place is a 'one-and-a-half-storey' house - and it's a long way down from the ridge. Need roof ladders as well, which I don't have....

....and I'm not good on heights

Whatever we do on the top of the pot needs to be very sturdy, as we're fairly open to the south-west and the wind comes straight in off the Atlantic....

Adrian

[Adrian]

Mmm - possibly... but this is rural south-west Ireland, and I doubt that they'd be all that interested...

What were you thinking ? Something placed in front of the redundant fireplace, maybe ? I had visions of a semi-bodge solution involving a sturdy plastic bag and some expanding foam - but maybe that's a bit ott ??

Adrian

[Steve Walker]

No, just guessing.

Rental costs for a workman, his van and two big ladders. and his essential ladder-holder mate. Plus £10-20 for a stainless capping device. £100 would be a bargain, I reckon.