I recently purchased a home that is about 25 years old. The house has a prefabricated fireplace that sits inside a brick enclosure that is about 9x3 feet at the base. There is an alcove next to the fireplace that holds firewood. The top of the alcove opens, covered with plywood, and I can stand up in the brick enclosure and see the fireplace and flue all the way to the roof. About 5 years ago the cap, cement, and some of the bricks near the top of the fireplace needed maintenance. A metal hood was placed over the top. My problem is when I stand in the alcove I can hear and feel wind on windy days. It is enough to make it chilly around the fireplace in the winter and it sometimes smells smoky in the alcove and the room. I think smoke is coming into the house through the cap. I am planning on sealing the alcove better so there is less air infiltration. I can't remove the cap but I could use some caulk to seal it around the edges. Does this seem right or a good idea?
Chiney Cap
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jedebel said:
I'd stop standing in the alcove, you wont hear the wind that way! But I'm guessing the plywood covering the top of the wood cubby is not sealed. Sealing it would make sense. I would wonder why (aside from a down draft) you would be getting a smoke smell in there. You may want to make sure there isnt a breach between the working chimney and the wood cubby cavity
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