Cold Drafts From Fireplace


  #1  
Old 03-07-05, 09:29 AM
jerobi
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Cold Drafts From Fireplace

This is my first home with a fireplace that connects to an exterior wall, so I'm curious if my experience is average. Since it's often below freezing outside, it's been easy to notice some decent-sized drafts coming from my fireplace, even with the flue closed tightly. The draft does not appear to be coming from the flue area itself. I even have glass doors, and this draft is strong and freezing cold from the small spaces that they don't cover. I figure this can't be helping my heating costs.

The fireplace has a metal housing with three pieces of what appears to be 1/2" thick sheets of ceramic that are made to look like brick. I've noticed that these pieces are held in place to the metal housing a top bracket on each piece. Each piece is not flush with the metal, however. I thought that the small front-facing gaps were the source of the drafts, so I used some black heat-proof fireplace caulking to seal them up. After doing some more web searches, though, I wonder if this small air gap was intentional. There is a much larger gap between the metal housing and the rear ceramic sheet - so big that I can wedge my hand down it. The most cold air appears to be coming from this gap.

So, my questions:

1) Is it normal to have cold air draft from a fireplace that connects to an outside wall?

2) Is it wise to have these gaps between the ceramic tile and metal housing? I know smokey downdrafts can be caused by air flowing in the wrong direction, so shouldn't my fire be drawing air from inside the house? Or is it supposed to have access to some outside air?

3) Is there a product I should consider fillling that area with (maybe some kind of fireproof insulation like steel mesh? I don't really know my options)


Thanks for reading through this. Any suggestions would be great.
 
  #2  
Old 03-15-05, 01:05 PM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
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So many today have a fresh air intake from the out side . You sure that is not what is letting the cold air in???? if so can you plug them up when you dont use the fireplace. Be sure and open them when you use the fireplace.


ED
 
 

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