Fireplaces and how to seal them

Fireplaces may warm our bodies but they dry up our pockets as well. There is a great deal of air leakage in the whole chimney when it is not in use. Even when it is in use, the fire sucks up the heated room air and cold air is drawn in from outside, replacing the heated air that went out through the chimney.

What can be done to prevent this? The solution is simple. Use an airtight wood-burning stove or another type of controlled combustion unit instead of the fireplace. 

If you have to maintain the fireplace, use a removable flue plug which properly seals off the chimney when there is no fire. The damper should also close well. If air leakage is detected around the chimney or its framing, use heat-resistant sealants to seal them. You can also use fiberglass batting or mineral wool.

Do not waste your money putting in glass fireplace doors unless you like the aesthetics or are concerned about flying sparks. Most of these fireplace doors are of poor quality and do not provide good sealing capability.

Attic Hatch

The attic hatch should be sealed in the same way as typical exterior doorway trims. Hook and eye screws can be used to make sure that the hatch fits snugly and prevent weather stripping effects. With larger-scale renovations, improvements can be made to entire areas of air and vapor barrier. First, let’s review the function of each piece of equipment before handling major upgrades.

The house’s exterior under the siding material is normally covered by a spun-bonded olefin layer . This material goes by the name Tyvek®. It prevents wind from entering insulated areas while repelling rainwater. Another use for Tyyek® is to allow moisture to evaporate from insulated areas. Since Tyvek® is permeable to water vapor, it allows the release of trapped moisture from insulated gaps and helps prevent rotting.

There is a layer of vapor barrier on the insulation’s warmer side. Newer homes usually affix a 0.06" (6-mil) polyethylene barrier sheet to the wall studs, with a tight seal. It’s like wrapped food, but better.

The polyethylene wrap functions as another wind barrier and stills any trapped air in the insulation. It also prevents warm and moist air in the home from getting into the insulation. (This happens as heat flows toward areas that are colder.) If moist air comes into contact with insulation that is cold or the exterior wood siding insulation, it will quickly condense into water. This trapped water, when left over time, causes structural rot as well as mold problems. Many houses have experienced serious damage from high interior humidity paired with insufficient vapor barrier. 

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