By Paul Bianchina
Q: Can you tell me something we could do or buy to get rid of the
smell from our wood-burning fireplace? It often smells like old, stale ashes, even after being cleaned by a chimney sweep. -HDK
A: This is one area where my expertise falls a little short, so I contacted fireplace expert Glenn Strom of Custom Fireplace Shops
in Sacramento, Calif., for some advice. Here are his comments:
"This is an age old problem to say the least. What tends to happen is that creosote in the chimney - even after a chimney cleaning - can capture moisture from the air, which reactivates that smoke smell. Creosote is an unburned fuel deposit left by wood smoke, and here are some different things you can try for dealing with it:
- Installing an insert would be the best way to eliminate the problem. This would completely close off the fireplace from any drafts and from negative air pressure in the house, which is probably the main problem.
- If the heating system is turned on and this increases the problem, cracking a window to alleviate the negative pressure may help.
- Burning a really hot fire can sometimes burn the problem away. Be sure to monitor the fire carefully, and don't let it burn too long.
- A chimney cleaning can help, as long as the chimney sweep vacuums up completely. If they sweep everything on to the smoke shelf and then don't clean it up, it can create the problem.
- There is a product called Creosote Destroyer, offered by various manufacturers, that you sprinkle on a low burning fire. It crystallizes the creosote deposits, making it easier to clean and possibly helping with that odor. Along with Creosote Destroyer, there are chimney sweep logs and also a spray that works similarly.
- A last resort is a smoke eliminator deodorizer, which can be sprayed up the damper/smoke shelf area."
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