Blocking a chimney

MAFERGAL

Hi everyone. There are a few threads on here about chimney balloons but I wanted some advice on an alternative.

We have a very old house with a lovely large unused open fireplace in a bedroom. The chimney stack is large, at the smallest point it is still 1.1m x 0.3m so I would struggle to get a chimney balloon that fit.

Being an old house we get lots of debris falling down, mainly lime from the chimney. It's messy and makes the room smell like a building site. We can't but anything on the hearth because it just gets covered in dust. There is also a nasty draught that comes down. I did make a wood frame and then block it with newspaper but it kept falling down with the chimney debris and it smelled damp.

I wanted to know if there was a more permanent alternative? Maybe a register plate type fitting with a vent for ventilation? I've tried searching on-line and putting the job on mybuilder.com and ratedpeople.com but have had no response... not really sure where else to go.

Any advice appreciated

southcoastrgi

rusty or mb will be along soon to answer your question

Gloomendoom

MAFERGAL wrote: »

Hi everyone. There are a few threads on here about chimney balloons but I wanted some advice on an alternative.

We have a very old house with a lovely large unused open fireplace in a bedroom. The chimney stack is large, at the smallest point it is still 1.1m x 0.3m so I would struggle to get a chimney balloon that fit.

Being an old house we get lots of debris falling down, mainly lime from the chimney. It's messy and makes the room smell like a building site. We can't but anything on the hearth because it just gets covered in dust. There is also a nasty draught that comes down. I did make a wood frame and then block it with newspaper but it kept falling down with the chimney debris and it smelled damp.

I wanted to know if there was a more permanent alternative? Maybe a register plate type fitting with a vent for ventilation? I've tried searching on-line and putting the job on mybuilder.com and ratedpeople.com but have had no response... not really sure where else to go.

Any advice appreciated

I had a similar problem with one of our fireplaces that is only really used in the winter. I welded up a rectangular frame out of 2" angle iron and fitted in the chimney about 7' up using iron spikes and mortar to seal. Then I just dropped a board (water resistant chipboard) into the frame. I drilled a few 1" holes in the board to allow a bit of ventilation.

Jonboy_1984

In-laws have stuffed a blanket up theirs. Other than retrieving a pigeon that fell down last year it has lasted 10 years so far without any issues....

System

isn't there some kind of balloon device that you can get for this .

malc_b

What about something simple? Piece of 22mm vent pipe to give some air flow then stuff the hole with a black bin bag full of rockwool or some such loft insulation.

If you don't want to use the chimney again then ideally cap the chimney to stop the rain coming in. I did this with old chimney. I made up a cone hat out of copper and the jublie clipped it to the chimney top. It keeps the rain about but allows air flow still. At the bottom I stuffed the opening with black bag full of loft insulation. My chimney had a soot door on the outside wall of the house so I took that off and replaced in with a vent plate to give airflow up the chimney to keep it dry.

I did the same on another chimney but as that didn't have a soot door so I had to drill though. That was a job and a half. About 18 in of solid wall.

cyclonebri1

Did 1 once by using a concrete paver cut to size and sat on rebar, whole lot then mortared in place, Chimney was capped off of course.

Have heard of them being vented through the external brick work of the stack when this is done, must admit I didn't, never had damp issues.

This is the biggest I can see,http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Large-Chimney-Balloon-Pillow-36-x-15-90cms-x-38cms-Plus-FREE-Inflation-Tube-/370579473471?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item564842043f

surely that would be big enough for you?

MAFERGAL

Thanks for your replies

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

This is the biggest I can see,http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Large-Chimney-Balloon-Pillow-36-x-15-90cms-x-38cms-Plus-FREE-Inflation-Tube-/370579473471?pt=UK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL&hash=item564842043f

surely that would be big enough for you?

My house is pre 1700 and the chimney is 1.2m wide so this would not be big enough. Would probably need one especially made to go down this route.

I'll try some of the other ideas suggested :money:

Thank you

cyclonebri1

I wouldn't block it up if it's that size, I rent it out:rotfl::rotfl:

I did think that you could open up the fireplace to gain more use from it, then as it narrows use the balloon or similar.
Our present bungalow had a stack running down to the dining run, but the dining room wall was flush. The bathroom which shares the same dividing wall had the stack protruding into it but no opening. I bricked up the dining room side and opened up the other to a good height. Beamed up and still gives a good representation of an inglenook fireplace.

BuildingFife

If the big problem is debris etc falling down the simple solution is to install a register plate just as you would when fitting a woodburning or multi fuel stove.

This covers the top of the fireplace & will catch any debris etc. that falls down, this is normally screwed up to the lintel & sat on angle bar at the back.

rustyboy21

Just block the hole up with a piece of marine plyboard.

You are only trying to stop the debris fall and cut the draught down.

Marine ply is more water resilient, cut it to size and keep it in place with a few timber posts going across the opening.

Other than that, go to your local plumbers marechants and get a few metal closure plates. Stick them together with some closure plate tape to make a decent size to fit and fit in place.

What you would be better doing, before you even attempt to cover the opening, is get a GOOD chimney sweep in. Get him to sweep it ( twice if need be ) and this will get a lot of the debris down straight away.

Cover the pot, if you can and just fit a small airvent into the plate you are using , to ventilate the chimney. No more draughts and a lot less debris.