coal fireplace leaking smoke at the top

3 years ago

I have an old house and an equally old fireplace, although I suspect the fire surround is not original. the wall, and the fire surround are not flush, and a little smoke escapes at the top corners under the mantle piece. is there anything that I can do to funnel the smoke into the flue. I had thought of sealing the inside surround to the wall with fire cement, but ideal id like to stuff the cracks first. I see fire retarded foam, but im scared that isn't to use with direct heat. all help appreciated

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Jonathan
3 years ago
Sounds like you don’t have enough draw and a chimney sweep could be what you need
Thomas Walker thanked Jonathan
Thomas Walker
Original Author
3 years ago
Its not that, the chimney, if anything, has too much draw, its like a crazy inferno. Its because the fire place isn't flush with the wall. so as the smoke goes up, it sort of pools at the sides, then gradual escapes. my gut is that if I could find a suitable material to stuff in the back of the fireplace, between it and the wall, this would stop this, but im unsure what to use. But thanks for the reply
Related Discussions
Is Magnolia paint bland or beautiful?
Q
Comments (96)
@colourhappy I totally agree. Like everyone else I can’t help being influenced by trends but I really try to choose things that are not too ‘of the moment’. Like those enormous wall clocks someone else mentioned. They look fab but they are definitely a trend that will define this period. Eventually there will be a lot of them in landfill. Our trusty magnolia paint saw us through 10 years of family life in our old house with 3 young children. It was super easy to slap a bit more on if it ever got dirty - who am I kidding, I mean WHEN it got dirty. It didn’t clash with the wood effect floors which I think many of the currently popular grey or yellow colours would have. I suppose I’m also lucky that I’ve not spent much time as a renter so I don’t have the frustration of having magnolia forced on me. I don’t remember it being a thing in the 80s either. I DO remember the Dulux ‘hints’ range from then though: Apple white, orchid white etc. My Mum loved those.
...See More
Hands up if you have a wood-burning stove!
Q
Comments (64)
The log burner is in the heart of our home, in a open plan living / dining / cooking space, the warmth reflects on the floorboards and i can drag a chair in front of it to curl up and cosy. I would love to ask any advice on the best type of slow burning logs to buy?
...See More
Our little downstairs loo needs help
Q
Comments (302)
Hello folks! I haven't disappeared, just had whooping cough (yes, seriously!) with a garnish of gastric flu and torn muscles from coughing fits. So that has severely impeded our efforts (hubby's had it too, and it lasts around 3mths so we're not out of the woods yet!) with our new house (which I now describe as semi-derelict before we bought it) and so had no time/mental energy to properly get updated on what's been happening with you guys. Truth be told, I've started reading a few times & either got interrupted (mummy-ness) or fallen asleep, without finishing. I've missed this, but u guys, esp Monica & RoRo have been in my thoughts. Where to start?! I think I've taken in all that's happened in this thread since I went AWOL but might have missed some finer points. Monica, I'm so sorry to hear what u'v been through, with the RTA & the cowboy tiling / wallpapering on top! (& work always picks worst times to intensify - I just started on a Task Force this week, when shd really still be on sick leave). I mean, a marker?! Seriously?! Isn't it common knowledge / common sense to use a lightly applied pencil? Sounds like u r doing best thing by looking at it as a learning experience. Still, he deserves an honest review somewhere. Anyway, onwards and upwards, I'll look at the lounge link when I've finished this post. BTW I LOVE your artwork. Vivacious, bright and deep - is there an insight there? ;-) And RoRo, wow you've got a lot on your plate! We've been so frustrated with being held back on our projects by health, but u have taken on a bigger scale of project altogether, sounds like it's verging on municipal! U guys inspire me. :-) Thinking of starting a thread on our living room, it's the most 'civilised' room of the house so far, but I didn't take the north-facing position into account when I decided on a colour scheme of turquoise, grey and lime. (Doh!) So far I've made some headway on a concept I'm excited by, but it needs some tweaking so it doesn't feel 'cold' with the blue tone of the natural light. Are you up for sharing some of your thoughts on this??? Hope so. :-)
...See More
colour dilemma-paint fireplace or wall??
Q
Comments (17)
Such an interesting room full of gorgeous pictures and books. I love books! Now colours that I think would look lovely with your blue curtains are the soft pastels - green, pink and pale yellow, but you want a deep cosy colour so let’s move on! I’m a little bit obsessed with dirty pinks at the moment, a world away from Barbie pink so don’t panic. Colours like F&B Setting Plaster or Little Greene’s Dorchester Pink, or Blush which is much darker and cosier. I also like deep stone colours such as LG Roman Plaster, or if you wanot to go even darker, Silt looks nice, very organic tones. I’ll try and find some pics. I’ve no idea how to photoshop, but I’m sure someone will!
...See More
Sarah U-S
3 years ago
How big are the cracks?? You can buy fireproof sealant or even sealant marketed for use with flues - costs less than £10 and can get from big DIY places or Screwfix.

coal fireplace leaking smoke at the top

Comments (3)

Jonathan

Thomas Walker
Original Author

Related Discussions

Sarah U-S

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

coal fireplace leaking smoke at the top

Comments (3)

Jonathan

Thomas WalkerOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Sarah U-S

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Thomas Walker
Original Author