Sealing off a chimney/fireplace

[Giuli]

Hello,

would anybody have an idea on what to do to seal off a chimney or a fireplace, so that animals(mice/rats/squirrels/birds cannot get into the flat?

I have no idea of what to do or who to ask to do the job, so any advice is very much appreciated.

Regards

G

[KidKruger]

chimney is a spout on the roof.

fireplace is the hole in the wallin a room where a fire goes.

seal off chimney with a clay cap that has vent holes.

seal fireplace with a piece of board cut to correct shape, glue it in with expanding foam then paint/tile to taste. or brcik it up and plaster/paint it.

[the-e-dealer]

KK is good!

[Penguin68]

seal fireplace with a piece of board cut to correct shape, glue it in with expanding foam then paint/tile to taste. or brcik it up and plaster/paint it.

I would strongly advise against sealing the fireplace unless you have ventillation bricks into the chimney (or out of the room) - not only may this encourage damp in the room, but if there are e.g. gas fires it will be extremely dangerous (and illegal).

The most effective way to keep out birds/ squirrels is to put some sort of mesh over the chimney pots - this secures but maintains ventilation.

[computedshorty]

If you are sealing the fire place completely and might be placing a cupboard or something in front, you can always put an air ventilater above over the picture rail.

If you are in a downstairs room the Flue will be central above the fireplace, but if updtairs it will be to one side of the chimney breast, or look up chimney to see where it goes.

A room that gets freash air into it is better than one that might have a dead bird fall down it to smell.

[KidKruger]

The specification was "seal off a chimney or a fireplace", not to seal off AND provide ventilation.

However, the solution I offered will provide a vent from chimney but seal room off, if you want a vent in room just drill holes through the board or fit a grill after cutting hole for it.

[computedshorty]

The thing to remember when sealing a fireplace opening, is that many older houses share a chimney stack to above the roof, and even with the other part of your semi detached home, in a four story house there can be as many as eight flues that share the individual unscreeded flues in the stack, if the house was war damaged it is quite possible that cracks are now in the stack, and any smoke or fumes can penetrate into your flue.

By placing a ventilator near the ceiling, you can benefit in two ways, should you get a gas leak from a gas fire or the gas stove in another of your rooms some could escape via your high ventilator as gas rises, and it is very unlikely that any fumes from other flues would come down your vent, as long as the chimney stack has not been capped.

[Giuli]

Many thanks to all who have contributed with advice.

I do realize that it is a bad idea to seal the air vent off. Maybe I should have expressed myself better, but I guess I didn't know whether the problem was best approached from the bottom (blocking the inside of fireplace, which is not working anyway) or from the top (putting some kind of mesh on top of the chimney). In the case of the chimney, I was really looking for a recommendation of somebody who would do the work, and general information about what is involved (i.e. would scaffolfding be needed?).

Thanks

giuli

[KidKruger]

No scaffolding necessary, small job to cap chimney - climb ladder place cap on chimney go down ladder and they'll fleece you ?100.

[Annette Curtain]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No scaffolding necessary, small job to cap chimney

> - climb ladder place cap on chimney go down ladder

> and they'll fleece you ?100.

I'm with you KK

But how many people will go up an extended ladder, then cross the gutter threshold onto a roof ridge ladder. And then cap their own chimney

All for ?100

Nah mate, not many

Nette

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