If Your Smoke Chamber Needs Parging, We’re the Team to Trust
Smoke chamber parging is a beneficial service that can greatly improve the function and efficiency of your fireplace, but many know very little about this service – or where their smoke chamber even is.
Your smoke chamber is the area located directly above the firebox. It’s shaped like an upside-down funnel and is designed to help guide the smoke from the fire into the chimney where it can safely exit your home. That said, many smoke chambers were built with a corbeled design (looking like an inverted staircase), which isn’t ideal in terms of efficiency. This design can actually slow the passage of smoke, leading to an increase in creosote and smoky fireside experiences.
Fortunately, smoke chamber parging can resolve these issues.
What Is Smoke Chamber Parging?
Smoke chamber parging is the process of smoothing out your smoke chamber with specially designed mortar that is known for its strength and reliability. When parged by a qualified technician, you can bet your smoothed smoke chamber will stand the test of time.
Why Is Smoke Chamber Parging Necessary?
So, why is a parged smoke chamber preferred over a corbeled one? Well, when there are bumps and ridges along the way, smoke gets caught up and doesn’t make a smooth exit out of your firebox. This leads to less efficiency overall, and it can make your fireplace experience less enjoyable.
Along with this, the more bends, cracks, and nooks there are, the more places there are for creosote to form. As smoke settles into these areas, more and more buildup will occur, and your chances of experiencing a chimney fire will increase.
Parging is also necessary when your smoke chamber walls are cracking and deteriorating. If there are holes, gaps, and other imperfections present in your system, parging provides an efficient way to resolve these problems, while improving the overall safety and performance of the fireplace as well.
Not to mention, most building codes and regulations require that a smoke chamber is parged. Getting it done will ensure no hiccups occur when it comes time to sell or renovate your home. This also helps guarantee that the insurance company doesn’t have any reason to deny your claim, should you experience a house or chimney fire.
What’s the Smoke Chamber Parging Process Like?
If you decide to have your smoke chamber parged smooth, what can you expect during this process?
First the area will be thoroughly cleaned. Then the mortar will be applied until the steps of the smoke chamber are sufficiently smoothed. Every nook and cranny will be filled, ensuring your system won’t be vulnerable to leaks, smoke resistance, or damage in the future. Once everything dries, your smoke chamber will be ready to go! All that’s left to do is enjoy the enhanced efficiency of your fireplace.
Not Sure the Condition of Your Smoke Chamber? Give Us a Call!
It’s hard to know where your smoke chamber stands if you aren’t a trained chimney professional. Not only is it hard to see up there, but it can be hard to tell whether you have dangerous levels of buildup, if any serious cracks or holes are present, or if more extensive repairs are needed.
Fortunately, the crew at 603 Chimney & Dryer Vent, LLC is here to help fireplace owners all throughout Southern New Hampshire by providing thorough inspections and expert smoke chamber parging services. Put yourself in the best hands possible by giving us a call at 603-892-1092 today!
Do you know if your chimney needs relining? Ask our chimney repairs and restorations experts for help today.