Seal Off Air Intake Solving Drafting Problems Fireplaces




Seal Off Air Intake Solving Drafting Problems Fireplaces. Window Seal Masonry Chimney Insulation
Solving drafting problems is usually a trial and error procedure. In many cases, 8” x 12” flue tiles were used by the mason constructing the fireplace instead of 13” x 13” flue tiles which are now the minimum size required by building codes.

Fireplaces that have this problem have smoke stains above the fireplace opening from the smoke escaping at the top edge of the fireplace opening. Ultimately, if all the procedures listed below are tried and nothing solves the drafting problem, a fireplace fan placed at the top of the chimney is the “last resort”.

Only in extreme cases does this fan need to be used. Around the pipes under sinks and washing machines. Attic vents and crawl space vents. Exterior cladding over the brick facade isn’t at the top of my (wife’s) wish list, and tearing out the original plaster isn’t at the top of mine.

The interior finish is 1×2″ furring strips fastened to the mortar of the clay tile, then traditional lath (1/4″?) and about approx. Also there seems to be a lot of airflow in any framed-out interior void, such as this archway pictured below. The greatest air leakage is from floors, walls and ceiling, at 31%. Save money and block out intruders by applying proper sealant around the vent. The connection is often covered with flashing or caulking to seal air gaps. This caulking is flexible and fills cracks or gaps up to one-quarter inch wide. But really, there are many places where air can get in and out. Modern furnaces are so energy-efficient that much of the heat that was once vented up through a chimney is recaptured and used to heat the house.

Use silicone caulk to seal gaps up to about 1/4 inch; foam sealant will take care of anything larger than that. Some caulk guns have built-in tube cutters that work like a scissors on the handle. With some inexpensive materials and a day’s labor, you can save lots of money on heating every year by sealing these holes. Fitting rigid material requires more precise measuring, but the result is the same. You may even be able to locate bypasses visually by looking for insulation being blown about. I was considering using a standard masonry mortar, mixed rather stiff and apply this to fill the gaps between the doors and fireplace.

I think would be easier to apply as a trowel will be difficult to get the mortar deep between the frame and the fireplace surround.

I use a non flexible material (like mortar) will it crack?

As the fire burns down and out, heated room air continues to be drawn up the chimney. In the heating season, with the flue damper closed, some of your valuable warm heated air is escaping up the chimney. In between the higher and lower pressure zones there is a “neutral” pressure zone. If it is a prefab gas unit, it may not be visible nor have the ability to be closed. Seal around the insert using neoprene backer rod insulation. If it is a gas unit, make sure the gas has been turned off prior to sealing the opening. Place the candle near the potential leak, if the light dances around slightly, you have a small leak. Turn off the furnace and close all of the windows and exterior doors. Walk around your house with a lit stick of incense. If the smoke is blown into the house or sucked out, then you have a leak. Cost to seal air leaks in a house varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). Get free estimates from crack filling and sealing service providers in your city. A tall column of cold air in the flue will tend to sink, causing air to move down the chimney and into the house.

During cold or windy weather, too much air may enter the house. Cover your kitchen exhaust fan to stop air leaks when not in use. I also have noticed a small metal door on the outside of the brick chimney that appears to go to an open place behind the hearth.

Make sure you have a damper in the top of the firebox and that it closes fully. Open the hatch in the floor, and drop the cooled embers into your ash hole. The area where the brick facing meets the ceiling also is notorious for losing heat and can be sealed.


Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough explains and demonstrates the benefits of waterproofing concrete brick. Click here …Air sealing a 1928 Brick on block masonry home – Seal Off Masonry Air Intake

Seal Off Air Intake Solving Drafting Problems Fireplaces. Window Seal Masonry Chimney Insulation

Use of flue pipe elbows reduces the draft. For fireplaces with glass doors, the opening should be measured inside the metal frame, not the entire outside dimensions of the metal frame. In measuring nominal flue sizes, the dimension listed is the outside of the flue. If the flue opening is too small, the fireplace opening must be reduced, or the flue size must be increased, so that the proper ratio (“old rule” is 10 to 1) is maintained.

It is very important that a high temperature sealant be used to seal around the smoke guard so that no smoke can escape along the top or sides of the smoke guard.

Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a half dollar!

Around floor vents and dryer vents. Between the floor and wall juncture. Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable, and gas lines. Use lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix large holes. Fix gaps in trailer skirtings and use flashing around the base of the house. Outbuildings and garages should also be sealed to prevent the entrance of rodents. But, the information here should help you make informed decisions on what type of remedy is needed, and may assist you in evaluating proposals from contractors.

Getting a second opinion from another contractor or from one of your state’s radiological health officials can help you decide if a proposal is reasonable.

I get major air leakage anywhere the interior finish has a discontinuity. I know there should be an air gap for the masonry to dry to the inside – is this the air gap between the two courses of brick/block?

See my diagram for a cross section view of the wall (my best guess at least). But this ventilation channel should have exterior air inlets at the bottom of the wall, and exterior air outlets at the top of the wall — the ventilation channel shouldn’t connect to the interior air.

Your basic task is to seal, seal, seal. Is there any product that would help air permeability of the brick exterior?

Tight sealing and increased insulation levels, however, can also create problems with condensation and indoor air quality. Gaps in insulation and thermal bridging are also a substantial source of heat loss and can cause both draughts and condensation. At the base of the house, this includes gaps between walls or floors and skirting boards, gaps between floorboards, and gaps where pipes penetrate walls.

Other than that, the heat loss associated with the furnace vent is small and unavoidable. Collect and organize your projects all in one place!

Learn how to find and seal air leaks inside to conserve energy and lower your utility bills. Using a candle is ideal because you can use its flame as well as blow it out and watch how the resulting smoke moves to determine if there is a leak.

Note that this will only work for larger leaks. This causes the outside air pressure to flow in through cracks and openings revealing leaks. Use sheet-metal screws to secure loose flashing. Another method is packing stainless-steel wool in the hole and caulking over the wool for a smooth finish. Between my halitosis, burping and farting, you start to get an idea of the joys of living in a ziplock bag. The caps are usually held on by a plastic zip tie that is pulled off. The homeowner can control both the volume of air and direction of air with these unique products. The fireplace surround is natural stone and not brick and because of this a simple gasket isn’t going to seal the door assembly to the fireplace surround.

The door frame is steel which will contract and expand with the heat of the fireplace. Start with the mortar to reduce the gaps all around the glass door frame to about 1/4″, then use the masonry caulk to finish sealing.

A note on the vent being on the back of the firebox. That is to protect you from deadly carbon monoxide, but it also allows even more heated air to escape up the chimney. Warm air in your house rises drawing cold air inside through cracks around windows, doors, vents and other places. Near the top of the chimney the pressure is higher, near the bottom it is lower, and in between is the “neutral” zone. You closed all windows and doors to make the system work better and save energy. Or you can (2) make one yourself. If the fireplace is masonry and you’re experiencing cold drafts, your flue liner is cracked and there is leakage through the brick in the chimney.

If you are conducting the test on a warm day, turn off your central air conditioning. If there are no leaks the light will not change. These openings may range from large, conspicuous holes to tiny, almost invisible cracks. You can’t see the hole because it’s the sum of many smaller openings. When you turn the fan on high, the house will be pressurized, like an inflated balloon. Apply a bead of latex caulk around the opening. Soffits may be filled with insulation or covered with cardboard or fiberglass batts. But you won’t gain much, if anything, by closing it partially, and you might gain a house full of smoke!

Open that damper, and leave it open until the fire is out. But a cap’s important, so make necessary corrections and re-install it promptly. I have noticed some cracks in the mortar between the bricks outside the house. Top-mounted dampers, operated by a cable, can be added fairly simply to the chimney top if it has a lined flue. If you have no plans to use the fireplace for a long time, you can fashion a piece of foam to fit into the top of the firebox.

Make sure a rain-diverting flue cover is installed before adding a foam block, as this will tend to promote moisture absorption in the masonry (your lost heat keeps it drier).

Masonry fireplaces will feel cold even when all these things are done, which is one reason new homes don’t have them (money and environmental reasons are the others).

Our kitchen hardwoods have buckled between the refrigerator and the stove. Secondly, in the dining room against the wall that separates it from the kitchen (the refrigerator is on the other side of this wall, so the same general location as above), a weird stain has appeared on the carpet that looks like some kind of brown mold.

Pull the refrigerator back, and you will find a puddle on the hardwood. The pad might need to be replaced. Air leakage also contributes to moisture problems that can affect occupants’ health and the structure’s durability. Inspect dirty spots in your insulation for air leaks and mold. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Keep the fireplace flue damper tightly closed when not in use. Fireplace flues are made from metal, and over time repeated heating and cooling can cause the metal to warp or break, creating a channel for air loss.

Inflatable chimney balloons fit beneath your fireplace flue when not in use, are made from durable plastic, and can be removed easily and reused hundreds of times.

A reasonably capable do-it-yourselfer can create an inexpensive, reusable fireplace flue plug by filling a plastic trash bag with fiberglass batt scraps and jamming it into the flue.



Tyvec™ house wrap and good air-tight windows also do not allow adequate make-up air to enter the house as the fireplace is being used. Painting the house or installing new air-tight windows are examples. It is important that when the door or window is opened, air should be blowing into the house. This fresh air intake device is actually a “valve” which can be opened or closed to the fireplace to allow adequate make-up air to enter directly into the firebox.

If the temperature outside is relatively warm or the air is damp and “heavy”, the fireplace will not draw as well as with colder temperatures.

As different experiments are used (i.e. If the temporary extension seems to solve the problem, the chimney can be permanently increased in height at a later date. At least 1” of insulation needs to surround the stainless steel liner tube. If the fireplace is too deep as referenced in the attached chart, simply construct a new back wall of the firebox by dry stacking refractory brick to test the effect of reducing the firebox depth.

This “miniature chimney” will allow smoke to be drawn from the fireplace to escape into the room. Some trees grow very quickly and can therefore create a new problem as the new growth interferes with the draft. The two holes are through 8.5″ of brick and mortar. A sealant will not crack but we’d only apply it at the thinnest joint we could access inside and outside on each penetration – most of the 8.5″ gap (most interior to the seal and some exterior to it) would not be sealed or insulated.

At the irregular areas near the surface where the face of the brick broke off, the spray foam may span from the surface of the tube(s) penetrating the brick out two to three inches until it meets the plane of the inside or outside wall.

But then, are you saying to put a thin layer of silicone caulk covering all the exposed foam (and bonding to a 1/4 inch or so of brick) from the pipe(s) to the normal brick surface – sort of like a cap over a few inches of material than a bead between two surfaces?

Again no rush on this answer, and thanks again. In homes with a fireplace, the chimney is one of the biggest air leakage sources in the entire structure, regardless of whether the fireplace is lit or not.

In addition, the steel pipe expands and contracts with temperature variations. Saver installed an air tight chimney cap to stop the air leakage. If your basement is finished, you most likely have insulated stud walls and little air leakage. You can use expanding foam sealant into gaps that are larger than ¼” to about 3”. After sealing the rim joist area, you can then add insulation to the area for even better efficiency. Repeat until you have insulated the entire perimeter of the rim joist. This will be where both interior and exterior walls meet the attic floor. Pull back the insulation to look underneath. The leaking air passes through the insulation, making the insulation act like a filter, leaving the dust and dirt behind. If you find it, you can seal it by using silicone caulk or expanding foam sealant, depending on the size of the leak. You can do this with expanding foam sealant. You can spray expanding foam between the drywall and framing. If so, seal any holes around the boxes with caulk or foam sealant. Wear safety goggles and a dust mask while working in your attic to avoid nose and throat irritation due to dust and debris from insulation and attic surfaces.

Most attic “floors” are just the joists with insulation between them and it would not be difficult to accidentally step between the joists and push your foot through the ceiling below.

The amount given off will increase as the temperature of the water increases and as the surface area exposed to air increases. Some natural ventilation occurs in every house as air is drawn through tiny cracks and openings by temperature and pressure differences between indoor and outdoor air.

American house, outside air equal in volume to the inside air infiltrates about once every hour. Newer houses, which are generally “tighter” may have air exchange rates as low as 0.1 ach (one-tenth that of the average house). High reductions result because natural ventilation both reduces the flow of soil gas into the house, by neutralizing the pressure difference between indoor and out, and dilutes any radon in the indoor air with outdoor air.

As noted earlier, radon is drawn into your house when the air pressure in the basement or lowest level is less than the air pressure in the surrounding soil.

To guard against this, be certain to open vents or windows equally on all sides of the house. When ventilating unheated areas, be sure to take precautions to prevent pipes from freezing. Alternatively, fans could blow air into the house through protected intakes through the sides of the house, or could be mounted in windows. In many homes, blowing air in through an existing central furnace is quite practical. Reductions will vary throughout the house, depending on ducting configurations. It is crucial that the flow-rates in the fresh air intake duct and the radon-laden air exhaust duct be balanced. Be sure the balancing is done with no pressure difference between indoors and outdoors, since the unit will tend to maintain any pressure difference that exists when it is balanced.

At other times, the same amount of ventilation and radon removal can be achieved by simply opening windows. Since radon can seep through any small opening, the degree of radon reduction achieved by sealing any particular area cannot be predicted. In houses with marginal radon problems, covering exposed earth, along with sealing cracks and openings, may be a sufficient remedy. All joints must be carefully sealed. A crawl space connected to a basement an be covered, ventilated, and/or sealed off from the basement. For houses with marginal radon problems, sealing alone may be sufficient. These include: the top of block walls, the space between block walls and exterior brick veneer, and openings concealed by masonry fireplaces and chimneys.

Putting traps in drains and covering sumps can be low to moderate in cost. Sealing is required for block-wall ventilation and some sub-slab suction systems to work effectively. It is very difficult to find all the cracks and openings in your house. Furthermore, settling of the house and other stresses may create more cracks as time passes. As a house settles and reacts to external and internal stresses, old seals can deteriorate and new cracks can appear. Therefore, checking and maintenance are required at least yearly. If possible, the holes in the top row of concrete blocks in the basement walls should be sealed with mortar or urethane foam. Water traps allow water that collects on basement floors to drain away but greatly reduce or entirely eliminate entry of soil gas, including radon.

If these drain tiles form a partial or continuous loop around the house, they may be used to pull radon from the surrounding soil and vent it away from the house.

If some portion of the perimeter footing does not have drain tiles beside it or if the tiles are damaged or blocked, that portion of the perimeter might fail to be effectively treated.

Water collected by drain tiles normally flows though a pipe to a drainage area away from the house or into a sump. To prevent outside air from being drawn from the end of the collection pipe, a water-filled trap should be installed in the pipe beyond the point where the fan is attached.

Installation of a sub-slab suction systems can reduce indoor radon levels by 80 to 99 percent. When permeability under the slab is not so good, sub-slab suction will often be applicable. Radon from the soil-which enters the wall through joints or tiny pores and cracks-can travel through these connected spaces and enter the basement through similar openings on the interior side or through the openings in the top row of block.

Very effective (up to 99 percent radon reduction) in houses with good closure and sealing of all major wall openings. Noticeable cracks and openings should be sealed. Exhaust pipes must be installed in all such walls. There are two basic approaches to block-wall ventilation. The other approach involved the installation of a sheet metal “baseboard” duct around the perimeter of the basement. The second approach produces more uniform ventilation and may be more pleasing in appearance. For either wall-ventilation approach to work, all major holes (especially the tops of the blocks) must be sealed. Pipes should exhaust at roof level away from windows and vents that could permit the gas to re-house. If exhaust fans must be used, slightly open windows near the fans. Doing so will facilitate the flow of make-up air from outdoors. Close air-flow bypasses (openings through the floor between stories) to inhibit air movement up through the house. In this case, directing outdoor air to a point near the furnace or enclosing the furnace in a room that is vented outdoors are appropriate measures.

Some causes of depressurization can be eliminated by the homeowner with little cost. Because each situation is different, it is impossible to predict the reduction in radon levels that can be expected as a result of reducing sources of depressurization in a house.

A manual or automatic damper should be placed in such ductwork to prevent entry of cold air when the stove or furnace is not in operation.

Varies depending upon the work required to tighten the basement shell. Initial results from a few basement pressurization application indicate that radon reductions of 70 to 90 percent are possible. Structural effects and reliability are not well known. Tighten shell between the basement or crawl space and the upstairs and between the basement or crawl space and the outdoors. If openings must be made in the upstairs floor, the openings should have a reasonable cross-section to avoid suffering a severe energy penalty. It is likely that reductions in your house will not be as great as those shown. Use this same technique for masonry chimneys. Wear disposable gloves and eye protection. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and freezing as it hits the cold attic air.

If you pressurize the house with a window fan, you may be able to feel the leaks with your hand as the air finds its way into the attic.

New cans are relatively inexpensive, and can usually be installed in a few hours each. Apply self-adhesive foam weatherstrip tape to the top edge of the stop. When you’re done sealing your attic bypasses, push the insulation back into place with an old broom handle or stick as you back out of the attic.

Crawling around on joists gets painful. Buy a rough-service light bulb and a clamp-on light, both available at hardware stores. Minimize trips in and out of the attic by collecting all of your tools and supplies and placing them in the attic before you go up.

You must walk on ceiling joists or truss chords and carry a small piece of plywood to work from. You’ll also need disposable coveralls, a clamp-on light, work gloves and a cap. Blower door tests are used to measure the air tightness of the building and thermal imaging cameras locate the leaks. A pressure-sensing device measures the air pressure created by the fan. By recording both flow and pressure in each direction, the system is able to provide highly detailed information about building air tightness. Traditional quads and timber moldings do not, unless joints are filled with sealant before fixing. In cooler climates, the use of openable windows for ventilation is increasingly under review. In warmer climates openable windows with good air seals are the preferred option. In cavity wall construction, internal sealing is more effective. Provide airlocks at all external openings. Seal wood storage areas if wood heating is used. Seal gaps between the window and door frames and the structural building frame before fitting architraves. Various insulating sheet and roll membranes are available and simply installed. Do not block vents or wall cavities. Choose well made windows and doors with tight air seals. Fit retractable draught seals at the bottom of hinged doors. Self-adhesive neoprene pillow or foam strip seals are effective on hinged doors and casement and awning windows. They include four different shapes of stopper that can be fitted to the door cavity, with varied surfaces. Two varieties are bristled; one with a roller that has bristles attached, another with bristles that hang down parallel to the door. Avoid or replace open-vented downlights that penetrate ceiling insulation. Lighting that emits high levels of heat (e.g. Flexible, sealed downlight covers are available. The distance between the top of the lamp and the roof cavity is 200 mm. The distance between the lamp and bulk thermal insulation is 50 mm. Sealing around switches and power points can help but this makes them difficult to remove for maintenance. Wraps should also be breathable to avoid dew-point formation. Where this is unachievable, a qualified electrician may be able to fit self-adhesive seals to the back of plates or seal problematic outlets with spray foam injected into the air space.

Seal Up

Seal Off Masonry Air Intake
Do not use permanently ventilated skylights. Use a diffuser at ceiling level and a separate ducted exhaust fan with self-closing baffles. Use windows and doors or heat recovery systems for ventilation as required by climate. Unflued gas heaters require fixed ventilation to prevent the build-up of toxic gas. Water vapour generated by household activities (e.g. Detailed solutions to each are outlined below. Water vapour in the air (humidity) condenses to its liquid state when cooled to a particular temperature — the dew-point temperature. Mould is likely behind furniture, in areas of poor air flow and insulated material. Mould is likely around poorly insulated window frames and glass. Interstitial condensation — results from the movement of water vapour through permeable building materials via diffusion, conduction and air movement, travelling from the high vapour pressure to the low vapour pressure side until it is either released by evaporation or condenses on a surface with a temperature below the dew-point.

Water vapour condenses on any surface with a temperature below the dew-point. Limit water vapour entry by using vapour barriers on the source side. To achieve this, we need to predict which way the water vapour is travelling. In hot humid climates movement is generally from outside to inside (except where night sky cooling of the roofing creates a dew-point). Building membranes — vapour barriers and breathable linings — are essential and are of three main types:
vapour barriers that restrict the transmission of water vapour (e.g.

Breathable membranes should be placed on the cold side of insulation to allow vapour to escape before encountering a dew-point. Correctly placed reflective vapour barriers prevent water vapour from reaching a dew-point surface. Vapour barriers on the lower side of the roofing material are also useful if they can be kept above dew-point. In cold climates, an additional vapour barrier or layer of reflective foil insulation should be placed just above the ceiling. Zones 7 and 8 where high levels of air sealing are most beneficial, water vapour usually moves outward because outside temperatures are generally lower than inside.

In temperate climates lower internal−external temperature and humidity differentials often reduce condensation risk but do not eliminate it. Water vapour movement can be in either direction depending on seasonal and diurnal fluctuations. A cross-section diagram of an interior wall shows that studs conduct heat from the interior to the exterior of the wall. There are many types of heating, ventilation and cooling systems offering various levels of dehumidification, filtering, heat recovery and choice of fresh air source.

Do household lifestyles create high levels of water vapour and can these be exhausted clear of the roof space? Is the roof space contaminated with toxic materials, dust or particles (e.g. More advanced systems offer options to draw air from a range of sources (e.g. Heat recovery and humidity control can also be added. Some provide an option to draw warmer fresh air from the roof space in winter and filter it to remove pollutants before recirculating it. Effects of air leakage of residential buildings in mixed and cold climates. If it is cold outside, turn off your central heating system before conducting this test. Turn off the furnace and close all of the windows and exterior doors. Pass the incense over the edges of doors, windows, vents and other areas in your house where you suspect air leaks. For example, if you have drafty rooms, it may be because of poor air sealing in your attic or the walls. These air currents may also transfer moisture. Air leaks around plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring through walls and ceilings can be sealed with caulk. You can also install house flashing 8 if required. Make sure the flue 2 damper is tightly closed when you are not using the fireplace. To qualify, you will mostly have to hire a qualified contractor who is certified to conduct an air leakage test. In the ideal situation, gaskets should be placed under the bottom plates when the walls are built and all penetrations through the building envelope should be sealed for air leaks as work progresses.

Caulk holes around plumbing, electrical wiring in walls, and ducting. The attic hatch, behind and under knee walls, dropped soffits 10, the furnace flue are all air sealing trouble spots. Bigger openings up to three inches wide can be sealed with low-expansion polyurethane foam. Cost to seal air leaks in a house varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). Cost to seal air leaks in a house varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). Get free estimates from crack filling and sealing service providers in your city. They want to install a back-up woodstove for emergencies, in the basement, where it will keep the pipes from freezing if the power goes out.

They have a handyman friend help them install the liner from the roof. This being a basement, their outside air is up at ground level, but easily accessed through the existing light-wells. They take out one cracked window pane, and replace it with a little fitting for this nifty flexible tube, like a dryer vent. Cinch down the fittings, and she’s ready for inspection. and later that winter, the power goes out. It has been doing what masonry chimneys often do when unused: serving as an invisible cold-air intake into the house, to balance the warm air leaking from the roof vents, upstairs bathroom fan, etc.

A little smoke trickles out as he struggles with damp kindling; he piles in more newspaper, and finally the fire takes. Luckily, from the fire’s perspective, the unwitting owners already provided a secondary escape route: a convenient upward tube, leading to the window well!

It’s like a quick-heating, secondary chimney! If we are lucky, all that will happen is some unsightly smoke marks on the exterior wall, around the ‘air intake’/stove outlet, and then the masonry chimney will warm up enough to draft and draw air in the right direction.

The masonry chimney is much taller, after all, and its new metal liner may heat up fairly quickly. But if we are unlucky, the storm conditions may draw not just smoke but flames through the ‘air intake’ tube. Its material might melt, or expand and break loose from its fittings; or heat up enough to char its mountings. At the miserable tail of the statistical bell curve, the inexperienced owner has shut the stove door and gone upstairs to ‘let the thing sort itself out’, leaving all this to happen unobserved, and the next thing they know will be the sound of sirens.

Just knowing about the possibility is enough that most people can take steps not to re-create it. Ensure the outside air intake does not lead upward from the fire. A separate air intake can open into the room, rather than the stove itself. Better the occasional puff of indoor smoke, than a house fire. There are good reasons to add more ventilation to a house. This is simply dangerous in basements, where many appliances go. So the air collects some of the waste heat that tends to circulate up near the roof, before entering the house. So it gets pre-warmed by what would otherwise be wasted heat making its way through the outside wall of the house. If it brings in warm air in summer, you could always shut it off. The barrel will be inside of existing fireplace so that it can be hidden if we feel that is necessary, as well. Unfortunately, it causes more problems than it solves. Who wants that hot barrel towering overhead?

In the end, it turns out that it’s not such a good idea after all. and smoky wood-boilers that pollute worse than woodstoves, which are bad enough; anything that makes it easy to ignore a dirty fire, makes it easy to use a dirty fire instead of a clean one.

What if you had a system that actually minimized the mess, instead of trying to hide it outside? External air infiltration is avoided at all costs. Oven’ to heat the main living area – a tile covered heat sink on the back side of an enclosed wood stove. Please, can somebody explain why it would be bad to use an outside air source?

I see your point, but in minergie standard houses the air handling equipment already exists and is pretty much standard. Most ‘zero-energy’ homes ( in cold climates, that is) are incredibly tightly sealed, and use ground source heat pumps as a thermal energy supply.

No meaningful insulation on the inside. We’re about to install a wood stove in the fireplace. This pipe will not be leading to a hole in the outer wall of the house, but to the basement. So when the stove is burning, it will be sucking the air out of the basement, and outside air will refill the basement. The stove will “only” consume 20 cubic meters of air per hour, or one sixth of the volume of the room in which the stove is situated.

If we don’t leave the trap door open in winter, then on our first arrival in spring we will find a white mold covering lots of surfaces (including wood) in the basement.


How To Use Ultra Clear To Seal Draughty Wall Vents | By Ecomaster

www.ecomaster.com.au Transcript: “We’re looking at lots of different places where you can use Ultra Clear to seal up gaps …

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