"ap" wrote in message
ups.com...
hello all,
in the 1st floor we have a very drafty fireplace. The room that
contains this fireplace always remains colder than other rooms.
We don't ever use the fireplace.

We've tried to seal the face off with a board and duct tape, but
the cardboard came off.

Will it help to have a glass door installed? Or should we have the
flue replaced? The flue appears closed, but still leaks air.

there is draft all around it including where the fireplaces attaches
to the walls/flooring.

Any suggestions on who to hire and what to do to here?

I've been calling cos that install doors. it appears expensive.

There appear to be no cos that will insulate a fireplace due to
liability.

THANKS


We had a similar situation in a 1908 home. After trying both glass doors
and a top-mounted flue to augment the firebox flue, we decided to make a
compression-fit block for the flue and essentially decommission the
fireplace.

I took a lighweight block of styrofoam and wrapped it with bubblewrap to
about 2" wider than the dimensions of the flue. I added a rope-loop handle
to the "bottom" of the plug to allow for removal, and crammed it into
position about 12" above the firebox, where the flue starts to narrow.
Naturally you would never, ever have this in place if you expected to burn.
We did however have a couple of small candles in the firebox that we lit
occassionally for ambience ;-)

Can't speak to the leaks around the unit, as I am only familiar with
brickwork fireplaces - is this an insert?