Go to top of chimney and pull the liner up until the newly-attached vitreous pipe is “up the chimney a little, out of the way" so the closure plate can be fitted. This is an inflatable plastic bag that is inserted into the chimney just high enough to be out of sight, then inflated. The chimney balloon has a small hole to allow ventilation but not large enough to lose much heat. If you ever decide to reuse the fireplace for a real fire, simply deflate the balloon and the chimney is open again.

Without an air source (open flue plate) condensation can't happen in a chimney because there is not a source for water vapor if it is sealed at top and bottom. Condensation just doesn't happen - condensation is carried by circulating air.A closure plate does not need an access hatch for sweeping as the chimney can be swept either via the stove or through a removable sweeping plate on the stove pipe. This article continues as if the closure plate is being fitted last of the three boards but bear this in mind when thinking about your install. Do NOT use plasterboard of any kind inside the fireplace recess, even the pink fire-resistant stuff, as this is not allowed as plasterboard is not officially non-combustible (plasterboard okay on chimney breast though).

All manuals call in compliance to NFPA211, in which the latest code can be applied. I inspect according to the code at the time of installation, not when the manual was published By cutting out draughts, you can keep your home nice and cosy. You will also use less heating, which is a win win: reducing your bills and helping the planet. The climate is changing due to emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity, and heating buildings currently accounts for more than a third of the UK’s emissions.Before you start you will want to paint the surface of the inside walls of the recess and one side of the cement board with a PVA mix (3 water to 1 PVA). This is very important as without this stage the bond between wall and board may not be good.

It is essentially a cosmetic addition and can also reduce the loss of heat into a chimney that is lined with flexible flue liner. This plate must be made of a solid, non-combustible material. These are often referred to as a closure or register plate but there is a difference between the two. What is the height required between the top of the stove collar and the closure plate if two elbows are on top of each other? 30cm covers this but allow 50cm if one elbow has a soot door. Height above stove is rarely mentioned anywhere for some strange reason but I mention it in my article Heat Shields and Distance to Combustibles for Wood Stoves. Though of course, how much maintenance your setup requires depends on the type of fireplace you have.A fireplace can lose energy: The chimney exhausts heat from the fireplace. This carries air from inside your home outward, causing your home to lose energy (heat and A/C). Drafts drive up the cost of cooling and heating in your home. B. You can bust through the metal somewhere within the hole with an old screwdriver or chisel, and then use aviation snips