Nothing is nicer on a cold night that relaxing by a fire in the comfort of your own home. While you can have plenty of great experiences with your fireplace, it can be affected if you have a drafty fireplace. If you have a drafty fireplace, it will blow air downwards towards the opening of it. There are several reasons why having a drafty fireplace can be problematic, which can include various safety hazards. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can go about temporarily and permanently fixing a drafty fireplace.

 

Reasons to Fix a Drafty Fireplace

Generally, when most people speak of a drafty fireplace they are referring to wind and air that blows towards the bottom of the fireplace and into your home. The fireplace draft can be an inconvenience as it could make it harder for you to keep a fire warm and lit. Further, when the fire is out, the draft could blow ash and pieces of wood debris into your home, which can causing a cleaning nuisance. If there is a chimney draft, it also likely will affect your utility bills as cool air from the outside will be getting into your home. However, the most significant concern with a drafty fireplace is that the wind blown into your home will also blow sparks around. This could create a fire hazard in some situations.

 

How to Fix a Drafty Fireplace

If you do have a drafty fireplace, fixing it should be a top priority. There are several tips that can be followed that could help anyone to fix their fireplace draft.

 

Heat Interior of Chimney on Cold Days

One of the ways that you can help to prevent draft in your chimney is by priming and heating up the chimney before lighting the entire fire. On a very cold day, the difference in temperature between your home and the outside can be very significant. This air temperature could prevent smoke from moving up and can cause significant draft as well. To ensure that this is prevented, you should light some paper or other objects and hold them up into the chimney for a few seconds. This could help to regulate the interior temperature enough as to where the draft will not be able to form.

 

Have Chimney Inspected

If you are noticing a draft in your fireplace, you should have your chimney inspected as soon as you can. A draft could come from a variety of different places and it is important to identify what the issue is. The draft could be due to a faulty chimney damper or even small cracks in the masonry. The fireplace repair service will be able to identify that cause of the draft and figure out a plan for repair.

 

Masonry Repairs

If it is determined that there are cracks in your chimney or fireplace, it could cause the draft. In most cases, these cracks are minor and can be easily repaired with new mortar or some minor brick replacements. However, there are situations when you will need to have more significant masonry improvements including a full replacement of the chimney. It is important to have the brick work completed as soon as you can as delaying the service could result in the situation worsening. It could also allow for water to leak through, which could cause some significant structural and interior damage throughout your home.

 

Fix Chimney Flue and Damper

The chimney flue and damper are two very important parts of your overall fireplace as they are responsible for venting smoke out of your home. The flue is a pipe that will run up through your fireplace and lead to the outside of your home. The damper is then a part that sits inside the flue and will open and close through the use of a lever that is located inside the fireplace. In most situations, these parts will last for a long time. However, over time the damper could get out of position a bit or not open and close all the way. This could cause issues with air pressure within your home and could result in a draft. In most situations, when you want to replace the chimney damper, you will need to hire a professional. They will be able to identify whether your damper is to blame and could either repair or replace it based on your situation.

 

If your chimney damper has started to wear down, a good way to improve the sealant of it is through the use of a chimney plug or balloon. The device will be placed around the throat of your damper and is designed to seal any cracks around the damper, which will keep cold air from getting into your home. When installed properly, this could be an affordable way to fix your damper and reduce the likelihood of a draft continuing.

 

Add New Fireplace Glass Doors

If you are experiencing a draft of cold air into your fireplace, a great way to minimize the impact of it is by getting new fireplace doors. Fireplace doors are designed to sit in the front of your fireplace. They are typically clear for ambiance and are designed to protect your home from sparks, ash and other debris coming from a fire. These doors can also be a good solution to minimize the fireplace draft that you are experiencing.

 

When you are looking for new fireplace doors, glass doors are and ideal options. These can be custom designed to fit your fireplace, which can reduce cracks and prevent draft. They are also durable enough to withstand the high temperatures that are created by a typical fireplace, which can ensure your home will continue to stay protected.

 

Fireplace Blankets

If you do not want to invest in a customized fireplace door, another option that you have to help prevent drafts is a fireplace blanket. A modern fireplace blanket is durable blanket that is made out of carbon fiber and is placed on an apparatus to hold it upright. It is designed to sit directly in front of your fireplace opening. The material works well by blocking any cold air from getting out of your fireplace and keeping warm air inside your home. It is not transparent so you would not use it when the fireplace is in use. However, it is a great way to keep your energy bills low when the fireplace is not in use.

 

Consider a Fireplace Insert

Most people that have issues with fireplace draft will have a traditional wood-burning fireplace. However, there are other options to consider that can come with a reduced risk of fireplace draft. One great option to consider is a chimney insert. A fireplace and chimney insert is essentially a self-contained box that is able to create and store heat. These will sit inside your fireplace and can provide a significant amount of heat and ambience for the rest of your home. The inserts can be used for several fireplace options and can be powered by traditional wood burning logs, wood pellets or even gas. Even the wood log and pellet inserts are much more efficient and require much less air and wood to create the same output. The reduction in air needs can also help to minimize the impact of drafts. If you choose to purchase an insert, it would be wise to have it installed by a professional to ensure all ventilation is properly connected.

 

A drafty fireplace can be a frustrating issue to deal with. When your fireplace is drafty, it could make it harder to keep a fire and can cause some safety hazards as well. While it can be annoyance, there are a variety of tips and steps that you can follow that can help you to fix the draft in your fireplace.