Sealing AROUND a fireplace

morgi

I have a fireplace in my room, we are trying to seal it up around the edge of the fireplace because when we first lit it, the smoke came out from between the fireplace and the wall, whats the best way to do this does anybody know?


MODS - change to DIY/ PLUMBING & HEATING?

él statutorio

morgi wrote: »

I have a fireplace in my room, we are trying to seal it up around the edge of the fireplace because when we first lit it, the smoke came out from between the fireplace and the wall, whats the best way to do this does anybody know?

You need to remove the surround and find out which part of the insert is leaking. Sealing the surround is dangerous and won't fix the issue.

MariMel

be very careful and whatever you do....get it done properly and professionally.
CO2 can kill so you need to be absolutely sure that all smoke etc is not coming back into the room especially if you are sleeping in it especially as it is odourless and colourless. (You said room and not living room so I wasnt sure what type of room you meant)

morgi

Thanks for the advice, it's in the bedroom and has only been lit once briefly to test it recently. It used to be lit everyday, but it hasn't been used for a long time.

To clarify, it's a solid fuel fireplace with a timber surround. Our question is basically what substance do we use to seal up between the surround and the wall? And how would we do it? My dad said he would do it, but he's taking an age and gets arsey when I ask what to do. He said something about fire cement.

- morgi's OH

Victor

Moved from Accommodation & Property

---

Would you like to post a photo?

Poor Uncle Tom

An intumescent fire seal should be used to seal the joint. The best way is to carefully remove the fire front, clean down the mating surfaces, apply the seal and fit back.

By doing it this way you can see the smoke path between the wall and the fire front.

Latro

It does't have to be smoke leak from inside of the casing. It could be something small like sticker etc. touching or lying on the casing of the fireplace. Maybe giving it a good burn would fix the problem but make sure you have all windows open for the duration as carbon monoxide is a killer.

stock>

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

An intumescent fire seal should be used to seal the joint. The best way is to carefully remove the fire front, clean down the mating surfaces, apply the seal and fit back.

By doing it this way you can see the smoke path between the wall and the fire front.

Intumescent fire strip is used to seal a fire door or ope around pipes an ducts it requires fire to char and activate it.
http://www.ardseal.ie/firestrip.html


When exposed to flames and heat, Safire® Fire Strip undergoes controlled expansion or intumescence, reacting to form a carbonised foam. This char resists the passage of smoke and flames and helps to insulate the metal channel beneath.

A leaking fire can produce CO which is a chemical asphyxiant commonly referred to as the silent killer and should not be risked. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide
I would urge you to get a professional to look at it and resolve the issue.