Damper parts are hard to find for a custom fireplace.
Stone Fireplace
Q: Dear Jason, I have a custom made wood burning cobblestone fireplace in my cabin upstate. The damper was made by the person that built the fireplace 35 years ago. I have looked all over to find damper parts for this damper because the handle has broken off and the damper is so rusty it cannot be opened or closed all the way anymore. My chimney sweep said he can have a metals shop custom make damper parts similar to the old one that he can install for me, but the quote was $975! I found the Chimney Balloon on-line as an alternative to a damper. Would there be any reason I cant use a Chimney Balloon instead of a damper? – TU
A: Dear TU, If you have a location in your fireplace flue either above or below the current damper that has roughly parallel walls and is 6″ in height and is not obstructed in other ways with damper hardware or other hardware than I do not see any reason why you couldn’t use a Chimney Balloon with this fireplace. Custom Chimney Dampers can be very expensive to have fabricated as you noted in your email. The Chimney Balloon will also give you a far tighter seal that results in heat and money saved. – Jason