When it comes to maintaining your chimney, there is one component of your chimney system that is often overlooked – the smoke chamber. It is often overlooked because a lot of chimney technicians find it hard to work on and will ignore it when performing their inspections. The smoke chamber, however, is one component of your chimney system that we here at Tennessee Chimney and Home believe should never be overlooked when an inspection is taking place. We know why it is important to fix any issues associated with your smoke chamber.
Why are smoke chamber inspections important?
The smoke chamber is located above the firebox and below the flue in your chimney system. It is designed to be an area where the smoke produced in your firebox can be gently funneled into your flue and out of your house. If you are living in an older home, it is likely that your smokebox was built in a step-like pattern known as a corbelled design. Chimney’s with a corbelled design disrupt the airflow in your chamber and provide resistance, providing resistance to the smoke leaving the chamber. The smoke chamber is also a component of your fireplace that is exposed to a lot of heat. This heat, coupled with the corrosiveness of smoke can lead to cracks and holes inside your smoke chamber.
Once you have cracks and holes in your smoke chamber, your chimney not only becomes less efficient, but becomes a safety hazard. This is because the holes and cracks in your smoke chamber become collection points for creosote, a highly flammable substance created by smoke residue.
How do you repair a smoke chamber?
Smoke chambers are repaired using a technique called parging. To parge a smoke chamber, our chimney technicians will fill in any cracks or holes in the smoke chamber using a chamber repair sealant. They will then make sure that the corbelled part of the chamber is smoothed out and shaped correctly to assure that smoke will flow out of your chimney efficiently, minimizing creosote build up.
At Tennessee Chimney & Home we know that problems can arise from anywhere in your chimney system, so we don’t overlook any component of your chimney. If you live in an older house or are unsure if your chimney has a corbelled design, call us today at (865) 922-2262 to have one of our CSIA certified chimney technicians inspect your smoke chamber
