Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Creosote smell -- how to get rid of?
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08-02-01, 06:09 AM
Just bought a 12 year old house with a fireplace on the ground floor. There was a wood-burning insert (Sierra) which we removed. Even before removal there was a strong creosote smell throughout the house. After removal we had chimney sweeps clean the chimney. There were many "dripping" creosote stains on the back and side firebrick of the fireplace (inside). The sweeps said these could not really be removed. Looking up through the damper the lining of the chimney seems smooth (no flakey stuff) but very black. We used black stove paint to paint the interior fire brick of the fireplace.
We keep the damper closed, I put sheet plastic over the top of the chimney (under the metal cap), and we do not plan on using the fireplace at all. There is still a creosote smell around the fireplace, and it gets much stronger when the AC is on and the windows are closed.
I currently have a large piece of cardboard covering the fireplace opening and taped to the brick all the way around, but the creosote smell still persists.
The sweeps said that the dripping was cause by water seeping through the "shoulders" of the chimney outside and then draining down the inside of the chimney/fireplace and taking the creosote deposits with it. They recommended we use the original Thompson's water seal on the outside of the chimney (especially the shoulder area) to prevent this from continuing.
The creosote smell seems to come out of the brick/mortar surrounding the fireplace opening also.
Questions:
- can we get rid of the smell?
- how can I clean the smell from the bricks around the fireplace?
- would Thompson's water seal on the brick around the fireplace seal in the smell?
- why is the smell worse when the AC is on?
- will fireplace doors seal in the smell?
- is there some type of creosote-odor deodorizer?
- what is the best mothed to seal off the top of the chimney to help prevent downdrafts?
- would it cost a lot to have the fireplace, brick hearth, and whole interior chimney face removed and replaced by a normal interior wall?
Thanks!!!!
Dana
We keep the damper closed, I put sheet plastic over the top of the chimney (under the metal cap), and we do not plan on using the fireplace at all. There is still a creosote smell around the fireplace, and it gets much stronger when the AC is on and the windows are closed.
I currently have a large piece of cardboard covering the fireplace opening and taped to the brick all the way around, but the creosote smell still persists.
The sweeps said that the dripping was cause by water seeping through the "shoulders" of the chimney outside and then draining down the inside of the chimney/fireplace and taking the creosote deposits with it. They recommended we use the original Thompson's water seal on the outside of the chimney (especially the shoulder area) to prevent this from continuing.
The creosote smell seems to come out of the brick/mortar surrounding the fireplace opening also.
Questions:
- can we get rid of the smell?
- how can I clean the smell from the bricks around the fireplace?
- would Thompson's water seal on the brick around the fireplace seal in the smell?
- why is the smell worse when the AC is on?
- will fireplace doors seal in the smell?
- is there some type of creosote-odor deodorizer?
- what is the best mothed to seal off the top of the chimney to help prevent downdrafts?
- would it cost a lot to have the fireplace, brick hearth, and whole interior chimney face removed and replaced by a normal interior wall?
Thanks!!!!
Dana
some help
09-10-01, 09:49 PM
Hello
First yes you can get rid of the smell, get some hardwood to burn, start off with a small fire and bild it up to a nice fire and let it burn may take a few time depending on how long you let it burn......DO NOT USE PINE OR ANY SOFT WOOD....it could help if you find a wood you like to smell when burning....and add some nice glass doors seal the edges
and keep the damper open and do not block let the smell go out right now you are keeping it inside....wash every thing down with TSP one or two times..should not take all that long for it to go....Have the coils on the AC cleaned and change out all the fillters in the units. Just to remove the smell you do not want to thing about replacing all the brick just yet....Good Luck
First yes you can get rid of the smell, get some hardwood to burn, start off with a small fire and bild it up to a nice fire and let it burn may take a few time depending on how long you let it burn......DO NOT USE PINE OR ANY SOFT WOOD....it could help if you find a wood you like to smell when burning....and add some nice glass doors seal the edges
and keep the damper open and do not block let the smell go out right now you are keeping it inside....wash every thing down with TSP one or two times..should not take all that long for it to go....Have the coils on the AC cleaned and change out all the fillters in the units. Just to remove the smell you do not want to thing about replacing all the brick just yet....Good Luck
09-11-01, 12:04 AM
Well, what we ended up doing was:
1) sealed the top of the chimney (plywood with caulk, water-sealed the plywood) -- this reduced the smell coming into the house some
2) sealed (temporarily) the fireplace opening with cardboard -- this helped, but only temporarily as the smell soaked through the cardboard
3) sealed (permanently) the fireplace with 1/2" plywood. Water-sealed on the inside, painted flat black on the outside and caulked around the edge with a concrete compatible caulk -- this seems to have done the trick
Of course this means we cannot use the fireplace, but we have no great desire to anyway. Eventually we will probably put in a set of gas logs and some glass doors that seal *REAL* well!
Dana
1) sealed the top of the chimney (plywood with caulk, water-sealed the plywood) -- this reduced the smell coming into the house some
2) sealed (temporarily) the fireplace opening with cardboard -- this helped, but only temporarily as the smell soaked through the cardboard
3) sealed (permanently) the fireplace with 1/2" plywood. Water-sealed on the inside, painted flat black on the outside and caulked around the edge with a concrete compatible caulk -- this seems to have done the trick
Of course this means we cannot use the fireplace, but we have no great desire to anyway. Eventually we will probably put in a set of gas logs and some glass doors that seal *REAL* well!
Dana