Any number of conditions can contribute to smoking problems in a wood-burning fireplace. In some cases, some relatively simple measures may improve conditions. In others, further evaluation and extensive repairs may be necessary.
The first step in most cases is to arrange for an inspection or cleaning of the chimney flue. A certified chimney sweep is usually the appropriate professional to contact for chimney cleaning or investigation of fireplace or chimney problems. Many sweeps now have equipment to take a video of the chimney flue so that you can see exactly what problems may lie within, as well as to confirm it was cleaned properly.
Here are some possible practical solutions to aggravating smoke problems:
1. Raise the hearth.
A fireplace opening that is too large compared to the opening of the chimney flue can lead to poor drafting (the movement of the gases that result from the burning wood up the chimney). By building up the base of the fireplace, the opening will be decreased. To experiment with this approach, a sheet metal hearth can be supported on bricks placed on the existing hearth. If this change improves the draft, the hearth can be raised using firebrick masonry. The hearth extension can also be built up to the same level.
2. Add a canopy hood.
An experimental model of a canopy hood can be made of sheet metal and temporarily attached over the top of the fireplace opening. Try various designs and sizes. If the hood works well, a permanent metal hood can be installed.
3. Extend the chimney.
The higher the chimney, the better the draft. A good draft is usually provided by a chimney which is 20 feet or more higher than the hearth. If the existing chimney is short a good draft may just not be able to develop. One or more metal chimney sections can be temporarily installed on top of an existing chimney to test whether the draft is improved before a more permanent (and expensive) fix is tried.
4. Trim surrounding trees.
Wavering smoke patterns above the chimney may indicate that tall trees are causing a downdraft (air forced down the chimney by the wind). The surrounding trees should be trimmed and/or the chimney flue height extended to prevent this condition.
5. Add a chimney cap or flueguard.
If a downdraft appears to affect the exhaust gases, adding a chimney cap or flueguard of metal or stone may help deflect the air before it entering the chimney.
These suggestions for correcting smoking fireplace conditions may be only the first step in some situations. If there are major fireplace deficiencies or the chimney is deteriorated, more drastic measures will be needed. The only practical options in severe cases may be to rebuild the fireplace and/or chimney. A less expensive option would be to retrofit a masonry fireplace or chimney with a gas-fired fireplace coupled with a new metal flue inside the defective chimney – or to use an electric fireplace and seal off the old chimney. Simply maintaining a small fire may help as well.
Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at www.housemaster.com.
For what the typical family wastes every year on air leaks--about $350--you can plug energy-robbing gaps, start saving money, and enjoy a more comfortable home.
A typical family spends about a third of its annual heating and cooling budget-roughly $350-on air that leaks into or out of the house through unintended gaps and cracks. With the money you waste in just one year, you can plug many of those leaks yourself. It's among the most cost-effective things you can do to conserve energy and increase comfort, according to Energy Star. Start in the attic, since that's where you'll find some of the biggest energy drains. Then tackle the basement, to prevent cold air that enters there from being sucked into upstairs rooms. Finally, seal air leaks in the rest of the house. Here are eight places to start.
1. INSULATE AROUND RECESSED LIGHTS
Most recessed lights have vents that open into the attic, a direct route for heated or cooled air to escape. When you consider that many homes have 30 or 40 of these fixtures, it's easy to see why researchers at the Pennsylvania Housing Research/Resource Center pinpointed them as a leading cause of household air leaks. Lights labeled ICAT, for "insulation contact and air tight," are already sealed; look for the label next to the bulb. If you don't see it, assume yours leaks. An airtight baffle ($8-$30 at the home center) is a quick fix. Remove the bulb, push the baffle up into the housing, then replace the bulb.
2. PLUG OPEN STUD CAVITIES
Most of your house probably has an inner skin of drywall or plaster between living space and unheated areas. But builders in the past often skipped this cover behind knee walls (partial-height walls where the roof angles down into the top floor), above dropped ceilings or soffits, and above angled ceilings over stairs.
Up in the attic, you may need to push insulation away to see if the stud cavities are open. If they are, seal them with unfaced fiberglass insulation ($1.30 a square foot) stuffed into plastic garbage bags; the bag is key to blocking air flow. Close large gaps with scraps of drywall or pieces of reflective foil insulation ($2 a square foot). Once you've covered the openings, smooth the insulation back into place. To see these repairs in action, consult Energy Star's DIY guide to air sealing(http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/publications/pubdocs/DIY_Guide_May_2008.pdf).
3. CLOSE GAPS AROUND FLUES AND CHIMNEYS
Building codes require that wood framing be kept at least one inch from metal flues and two inches from brick chimneys. But that creates gaps where air can flow through. Cover the gaps with aluminum flashing ($12) cut to fit and sealed into place with high-temperature silicone caulk ($20). To keep insulation away from the hot flue pipe, form a barrier by wrapping a cylinder of flashing around the flue, leaving a one-inch space in between. To maintain the spacing, cut and bend a series of inch-deep tabs in the cylinder's top and bottom edges.
4. WEATHERSTRIP THE ATTIC ACCESS DOOR
A quarter-inch gap around pull-down attic stairs or an attic hatch lets through the same amount of air as a bedroom heating duct. Seal it by caulking between the stair frame and the rough opening, or by installing foam weatherstripping around the perimeter of the hatch opening. Or you can buy a pre-insulated hatch cover kit, such as the Energy Guardian from ESS Energy Products ($150).
5. SQUIRT FOAM IN THE MEDIUM-SIZE GAPS
Once the biggest attic gaps are plugged, move on to the medium-size ones. Low-expansion polyurethane foam in a can is great for plugging openings 1/4-inch to three inches wide, such as those around plumbing pipes and vents. A standard 12-ounce can ($5) is good for 250 feet of bead about half an inch thick. The plastic straw applicator seals shut within two hours of the first use, so to get the most mileage out of a can, squirt a lubricant such as WD-40 onto a pipe cleaner and stuff that into the applicator tube between uses.
6. CAULK THE SKINNY GAPS
Caulk makes the best gap-filler for openings less than 1/4-inch wide, such as those cut around electrical boxes. Silicone costs the most ($8 a tube) but works better next to nonporous materials, such as metal flashing, or where there are temperature extremes, as in attics. Acrylic latex caulk ($2 a tube) is less messy to work with and cleans up with water.
7. PLUG GAPS IN THE BASEMENT
Gaps low on a foundation wall matter if you're trying to fix a wet basement, but only those above the outside soil level let air in. Seal those with the same materials you'd use in an attic: caulk for gaps up to 1/4-inch wide and spray foam for wider ones. Use high-temperature caulk around vent pipes that get hot, such as those for the furnace or water heater. Shoot foam around wider holes for wires, pipes, and ducts that pass through basement walls to the outside.
In most older houses with basements, air seeps in where the house framing sits on the foundation. Spread a bead of caulk between the foundation and the sill plate (the wood immediately above the foundation), and along the top and bottom edges of the rim joist (the piece that sits atop the sill plate).
8. TIGHTEN UP AROUND WINDOWS AND DOORS
In the main living areas of your home, the most significant drafts tend to occur around windows and doors. If you have old windows, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up. Bronze weatherstripping ($12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install, while some self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don't last very long. Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber ($8 for 10 feet) is a good compromise, rated to last at least 10 years. Nifty gadgets called pulley seals ($9 a pair) block air from streaming though the holes where cords disappear into the frames.
Weatherstripping also works wonders on doors. If a draft comes in at the bottom, install a new door sweep ($9).
BEFORE WORKING IN THE ATTIC, TAKE SOME PRECAUTIONS
Try to do attic work on a cool day. Wear protective gear: disposable clothes, gloves, and a double-elastic mask or half-face respirator. Bring along a droplight with a fluorescent bulb, plus at least two pieces of plywood big enough to span two or three joists to support you as you work. To save trips up and down a ladder, try to move up all of the materials you need before you get started. One warning: If you find vermiculite insulation, hold off until you've had it checked for asbestos; your health department or air-quality agency can recommend a lab.
Jeanne Huber writes a home-repair column for the Washington Post and has commissioned three new roofs on various houses over the years.
By: Jeanne Huber
Reprinted from HouseLogic (houselogic.com) with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (R).
If you're wondering what to do this October or what is going on in the Portland Metro area, here are a couple ideas for you and your family!
Get Your Finances in Order: To-Do List
1. Develop a household budget. Instead of creating a budget of what you’d like to spend, use receipts to create a budget that reflects your actual spending habits over the last several months. This approach will factor in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, as well as predictable costs such as rent, utility bills, and groceries.
2. Reduce your debt. Lenders generally look for a total debt load of no more than 36 percent of income. This figure includes your mortgage, which typically ranges between 25 and 28 percent of your net household income. So you need to get monthly payments on the rest of your installment debt — car loans, student loans, and revolving balances on credit cards — down to between 8 and 10 percent of your net monthly income.
3. Look for ways to save. You probably know how much you spend on rent and utilities, but little expenses add up, too. Try writing down everything you spend for one month. You’ll probably spot some great ways to save, whether it’s cutting out that morning trip to Starbucks or eating dinner at home more often.
4. Increase your income. Now’s the time to ask for a raise! If that’s not an option, you may want to consider taking on a second job to get your income at a level high enough to qualify for the home you want.
5. Save for a down payment. Designate a certain amount of money each month to put away in your savings account. Although it’s possible to get a mortgage with only 5 percent down, or even less, you can usually get a better rate if you put down a larger percentage of the total purchase. Aim for a 20 percent down payment.
6. Keep your job. While you don’t need to be in the same job forever to qualify for a home loan, having a job for less than two years may mean you have to pay a higher interest rate.
7. Establish a good credit history. Get a credit card and make payments by the due date. Do the same for all your other bills, too. Pay off the entire balance promptly.
For a FREE Home Buyer's Guide Book contact Molly!
I've had some great success with this program, wanted to let everyone know to know it does exist!!!
What is a Key Community Mortgage?
What Does It take to Qualify?
Do you qualify? Is now the time to buy your first home?
This is a terrific program offered through KeyBank Mortgage. For more information on this or other Homebuyer programs please contact me!
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