Old Smokey's Fireplace & Chimney's Blog

We Fix Smokey Fireplaces!

A smoky fireplace is not only annoying, but it is also a fire hazard. Nobody wants smoke billowing into their living area. There are many different reasons why your fireplace could be smoky and it is important to try and pinpoint the reason before trying to remedy the situation. At Old Smokey’s we want to help keep your home smoke free. Our trained and certified chimney technicians can help pinpoint your smoke issues and re-mediate them for you.

Like we said earlier, there are many reasons that your fireplace may be smokey. Some common issues include:

Broken damper 

When you start a fire, are you sure that you opened your damper? If your damper is closed, smoke won’t be able to get up your chimney. Sometimes dampers get rusted or jammed in the closed position. When this happens it is often necessary for us to replace your damper. Usually, we suggest switching to a top-sealing damper, which is less likely to rust or jam shut.

Smoke chamber issues

Smoke needs a quick and easy route out of your chimney. Your smoke chamber, located just above your fireplace, is designed to gradually funnel smoke from your fireplace, into your chimney. However, if there are gouges, crumbled brickwork, or chipping in your smoke chamber, it can cause smoke to bounce around longer in the smoke chamber than it should, allowing it to back up and spill out of your fireplace. If this happens the technicians at Old Smokeys can perform a smoke chamber parge. Parging smooths down the inside of the smoke chamber, allowing smoke to be easily compressed into your chimney once again.

Airflow issues

If a fire isn’t burning hot enough, it tends to smoke more. If your fires aren’t burning hot enough, you may be experiencing airflow issues. Oftentimes, it takes a chimney professional to determine where the airflow issue originates. Sometimes, homes can be sealed too tightly, so all you really need to do is crack open a window. Other times, your chimney may be blocked. If your chimney is blocked by either creosote or debris, it needs to be cleared immediately. This is because, in addition to smoke issues, creosote and chimney debris are also a fire hazard.

Incorrect fireplace dimensions

Sometimes fireplaces get built incorrectly. If your fireplace doesn’t go back far enough, you are forced to build fires closer to the front of the fireplace. This can cause smoky fireplace issues as well. If this happens, you can try to raise your fire higher in the air using fire bricks or andirons. However, for a more permanent solution, one of our masons at Old Smokey’s would have to perform a fireplace rebuild. If this is the case, it may be a good time to remodel your fireplace since we’d be working on it anyway.

No matter what is causing your smoky fireplace issue, we can identify the cause and repair it for you. Call Old Smokey’s today at 800-876-6539 or schedule an appointment online to set up an inspection today. At Old Smokey’s, we guarantee you’ll be happy with our professional and high-quality service.

Let Old Smokey’s fix your Smoky Fireplace

Your fireplace offers you endless hours of enjoyment with its warmth and ambiance. However, if there are smoke entering your home with each fire, this can ruin your fireplace experience. At Old Smokey’s, we want you to enjoy your fireplace as long as possible. If you’re having issues with your fireplace, we can help! Let us help you discover what issues are causing your fireplace to smoke, and our experts can also offer the skills and experience to resolve it.

What causes smoky fireplaces?

Most smoky fireplace problems are from airflow issues. If your chimney or home’s airflow system isn’t working properly, you will have issues with your fires not burning hot enough and improper smoke ventilation.

Chimney blockages also have a detrimental effect on airflow. Your chimney is designed to quickly take smoke and gases out of your home. However, if there is a blockage in your chimney, smoke and gases start to back up to cause a smoky home. There are many things that can cause a chimney blockages. Creosote build up or build ups of organic material such as sticks, leaves, and animal nests or even a malfunctioning damper can all contribute to a chimney blockage. The best solution to prevent a chimney blockage is to get your chimney inspected by a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweep annually.

Another common issue with airflow is negative air pressure in your home. Sometimes, when a home is sealed too tightly, wind and temperature differences can cause the air pressure outside of your home to be greater than the inside of your home. This turns your home into a vacuum. Since air can’t get in through your windows and doors, it often gets sucked in through the fireplace. Negative air pressure can usually be solved by simply cracking a window until your chimney starts working again.

Other common issues

When smoke doesn’t have a smooth passage from your firebox to your chimney’s outlet, it bounces around your chimney and starts to cause smoke to build up and flow into your home. If there are missing parts in your chimney flue or smoke chamber, it will prevent smoke from venting properly. If this is the cause, it is a good time to have your chimney relined or your smoke chamber parged. These issues are sometimes complicated, and they should only be performed by an experienced, CSIA certified chimney technician.

You don’t have to put up with a smoky fireplace. Call Old Smokey’s today at 260-424-0009, or schedule an appointment online to have one of our CSIA chimney technicians fix your smoky fireplace today!