How to seal plug a chimney with no damper.

How to seal plug a chimney with no damper.

Mikes Chimney

Q: Jason, We are trying to measure our chimney interior, but it is definitely impossible for us to get an accurate measurement. I personally thought it was about 24″ x 15″, while my financée thinks it’s 16″ x 14″…

We need to guess because we cannot reach the part where it begins to shrink in size. Nor will be able to stand in the chimney to place the Chimney Balloon inside. Currently, the only option we have is to lay on our back and reach upwards…Any suggestions?

We just moved into this house last month, and have realized that there is no damper. I personally noticed this when we got an $1100 oil bill after only 3 weeks..so all our heat escapes straight out the chimney. Any suggestions?

Also, the shape of our chimney is not at all like any of the examples you have on your site. How do we get some help on sizing, and learn exactly where to place the chimney pillow. We would like to get this in place as soon as possible, as it’s REALLY cold this time of year! Would it help if I drew an approximation of what our chimney looks like, and sent that your way to help? An immediate response would be greatly appreciated. Thanks-OTCR

A: OTCR-That drawing was very helpful, thank you. I have a few more questions for you before I answer with the best location. Is the inside surface of the chimney a rough material like brick or is it metal lining? Down near the base (the bottom of your drawing) is that the hearth opening? Does the top of the hearth have parallel walls? Regarding the lip drawn at the bottom of the drawing, is that a ridge at the top of the hearth? – Jason

Q: Jason – The chimney is definitely brick. Here is a scanned copy of what my chimney looks like. the bottom drawing is the view when laying on one’s back and looking up. Does this help with deciding the size and location of the Chimney Balloon?

As for the hearth, or what I believe you’re asking, there is a lip and then it opens up again before it becomes narrow. it only looks to be parallel at the very top where the chimney levels off and goes straight up. The bottom picture is exactly what i/we see when I lay on my back and look directly up.

(my fiancée drew the picture!!). I would guess that the opening is almost parallel. – OTCR

A: OTCR- Great, that is the best of all situations for surface texture and location. The slant of the chimney walls will force the top side of the Chimney Balloon downward, and the lip will force the bottom of the Chimney Balloon upward, effectively sandwiching it into place. The texture of the brick will also help the Chimney Balloon grab and seal to the sides of the flue wall.

So, measure the length and depth (width) of the opening just above that lip. When you know what those dimensions are, you can email them to me and I will let you know the size you need. There is a high probability that this will require a standard size Chimney Balloon. But custom sizes are available up to 3 feet by 6 feet in dimension.

Q: Jason – Okay I did the best I could when measuring just above the lip… I got 24 inches (or JUST short of 2 feet) by 14-15, possibly even 16 inches… boy is it cold in there… it’s definitely wasting our heat and we just had a huge snow storm…OTCR

A: OK a custom 24×16 would be the best fit for your fireplace. Unfortunately, it is a custom size that will take 14 days to build but I will get a hurry-up on your order and see if we can get done earlier. I feel very bad for you with that $1100 heating bill. – jason