Chimney cap help

[AureliaB]

Morning all,

We have, what looks like an old crappy chimney cap. You can feel alot of draft coming down it. As this isnt used (and possibly never will) whats the best method to close this? I know you still need some ventilation for air movement, but not a gail when its windy . Better chimney cap?

Thanks A

 

[montyjohn]

If you can, I would would add a vent outside and at the base of the flue and seal it up on the inside.
You may need to add some other form of ventilation for the room, but at least you can have some control over it.

 

[Cubist]

Better chimney cap?

Yes. If you have chimney pots then ventilated caps can be used. Here's an example.

Standard Disused Chimney Cap - 300mm

Free Insect Screen Included with every 300mm Disused Chimney Cap. In our experience this is the very best Chimney Cap available and confident you won't be disappointed. The Disused Chimney Cap (C-Cap) is designed to help minimise heat loss from disused chimney flues. It provides 100% protection...

www.chimneycowlproducts.co.uk

 

[AureliaB]

This is our current chimney. Guessing this is very old one

 

[stuart45]

If that's never going to be used I'd take it down and tile over it. I think @Cubist assumed you had a traditional brick chimney stack and clay chimney pots as I did.

 

[Lacan07]

As Stuart says whip it out and tile over if its not going to be used. Or as Monty says seal the opening, but if you want to keep the fireplace you can insulate the flue opening with some breathable material like sheeps wool or flexi wood fibre.

 

[AureliaB]

If you tile over it, wont that block up the ventilation?

 

[stuart45]

If you tile over it, wont that block up the ventilation?

Once a stack is dropped below the roof line there's less chance of moisture entering the flue. If there is a damp issue through lack of ventilation, you can vent externally from the base and at the top into the roof space. Having extra ventilation into a cold roof space can help with condensation prevention in that area as well.

 

[AureliaB]

Thank you

 

[Lacan07]

If you tile over it, wont that block up the ventilation?

knock an air brick into the stack at loft level