Is Your Smoke Chamber Adversely Affecting Your Chimney’s Performance?
Chimney systems have changed greatly over the years, mostly for the better. Our industry has put a lot of brain and muscle power into research and development, coming up with design and installation improvements that make chimney systems more efficient, safer and longer lasting.
Improvements in regards to the chimney’s smoke chamber are part of that step forward in safety, efficiency and durability.
What Is The Smoke Chamber And Why Did It Need Improvement?
Your fire starts in your firebox, and then the byproducts of that combustion are shuttled up into the smoke chamber, which funnels smoke and gases into the narrower flue. In most older chimneys, the narrowing effect of the smoke chamber is accomplished through somewhat jagged, corbeled masonry steps that bear a heavy brunt of the fire’s heat without any further protection.
As you’ve probably assumed, that doesn’t add up to an ideal design. The flat and abrupt drops of those corbeled steps impede flow, which has a negative effect on the chimney’s draft. And without added protection, all that heat can begin to erode and damage masonry joints and bricks, weakening the chimney and contributing to leaks and potential fire hazards.
That’s why we’ve developed improvements to smoke chamber construction over the years, and why smoke chamber restoration and improvement is highly recommended.
Parging: Restoring And Improving Your Smoke Chamber
Pristine Sweeps can restore and/or improve your smoke chamber by parging it smooth. Parging involves the application of refractory cement, which smooths out the corbeled steps to encourage better flow and draft, and provides a strong layer of heat protection.
Parging can:
- return a smoke chamber with damaged mortar joints or eroded brick work to its proper function
- improve the safety and efficiency levels of your whole system
- extend the chimney’s service life
In that sense, smoke chamber restoration work isn’t just returning your chimney system to its pre-damage state – it’s making the system better and stronger than ever.
Smoktite: A Great Smoke Chamber Restoration Product
Pristine Sweeps also recommends and installs Smoktite, a spray-in ceramic product used to seal, insulate and improve smoke chambers. Smoktite can be applied quickly and efficiently, and can be a really cost-effective option. Our technicians can tell you all about Smoktite and advise you on whether or not it might be a good choice for your chimney system.
If you live in Seattle, WA or the surrounding areas and your smoke chamber needs to be restored, call Pristine Sweeps — our experienced technicians are ready to help! Call 206-574-8414 or click here, today!
At Pristine Sweeps, we can improve or repair a traditional fireplace throat to correct drafting issues. Leave all your masonry hearth system problems to our skilled and trained experts.