Smoke Chamber Parging For Your Chimney System
The smoke chamber is one of the parts of a chimney system that doesn’t get talked about much, but it’s a very important part that you should know a little about. Problems with smoke chambers lead to many chimney and house fires every year.
Oliver Twist Chimney & Fireplace of Huntington Beach, CA, has provided expert smoke chamber parging (relining and repair) for our customers since 1987. We’re the fireplace professionals you can always trust to handle your chimney problems correctly the first time.
What Is a Smoke Chamber?
A smoke chamber is the area just above the fireplace damper and below the flue. It’s usually built to gradually narrow as it nears the flue in order to efficiently funnel smoke upwards.
The National Fire Protection Association has determined that smoke chambers should be eight inches thick if not lined with special firebrick, and six inches thick if properly lined.
Hiring the Right Chimney Company
If you live in Los Angeles County or Orange County, Oliver Twist can help you with smoke chamber issues as well as any other problems with your chimney or fireplace.
- Make sure the company is licensed to do business in your city or town.
- Confirm that the company carries full liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
- Read the company’s website to see what kinds of services they offer and how long they’ve been around.
- Check out online reviews of the company.
- Ask a company rep for references and follow up by speaking with the customers.
- Get several estimates for all chimney work. (After you have worked with a company several times and had good outcomes, you may not need to take this step.)
How Smoke Chamber Problems Start
The majority of smoke chamber problems happen because of improper construction, namely, leaving the chamber unlined. Standard masonry bricks absorb and radiate a large amount of heat, which can spread to nearby walls and framing and cause a fire. Excessive heat will ignite combustible materials just as easily as actual flames.
Another common smoke chamber problem is sluggish drafting because of cracks and uneven surfaces that keep smoke from moving smoothly through the chamber. Jagged edges affect air flow; they also attract buildups of creosote. Many smoke chamber fires and related house fires begin because of ignited creosote, a highly flammable substance that forms when wood fires burn.
How Smoke Chamber Parging Works
Parging a smoke chamber is a fairly straightforward job – for an experienced chimney technician. It’s not a do-it-yourself job for homeowners.
Smoke chamber parging involves using a specialized material to seal and coat the inner surfaces of the chamber.
This process effectively fills gaps and holes and creates a smooth finish across which smoke can flow efficiently.
Call Your Southern California Smoke Chamber Experts Today
If you don’t know the condition of your smoke chamber or suspect there may be problems, call the fireplace repair experts at Oliver Twist today at (714) 843-9944. You can also reach us with our handy contact form.
We offer smoke chamber parging and all other chimney services in Huntington Beach CA, Long Beach CA, Torrance CA, Anaheim CA, Santa Ana CA, Fountain Valley CA, Seal Beach CA, Garden Grove CA, Irvine CA, and many more SoCal communities.