There is a 1” gap between my fireplace throat and my interior wall. Should this gap be filled in with mortar?

Please see attached picture

Thank you

cacioa - 07 December 2005 08:52 AM

There is a 1” gap between my fireplace throat and my interior wall. Should this gap be filled in with mortar?

Please see attached picture

Thank you

Based on your pic and description, yes.

In fact, it might be easier to stuff some stove gasket in there and then use fireplace mortar (buff - in caulk tubes) around it.

that looks just like my old heatilator fireplace.
to expand on what craig said…after you get the crack sealed cut a u shaped hole in the back of it for the flue liner and go get an insert to put in there!

I meant to answer your post earlier but yes you should be concerned very concerned.
Two towns away that space caused almost a total loss on a home. It was figured that, that space had a clear path to the combustiable wood header above A repeat use,  finally ignited the wood header The fire marshal figured it was smoldering inside that wall for some time before it broke ont in a full blown blaze.  This is another item on my mechanical check list to inspect. I will fail any firebx not properly sealed.  It must be sealed with a masoney product usually mortar

The X-mas stockings are also lovely, but please be careful and/or take them down if you get the fireplace fixed and use it. Hard to tell from the upside down shot, but they seem to be hanging pretty close to the firebox. Had a similar experience last year with a “lovely” X-mas candle that my wife thought would look good on the hearth. It looked great until a guest decided to shove it over closer to the fire so that he could sit on the edge of the hearth. The melted wax cost him a pair of pants, cost me a wax stain on my hearth and cost both of us a lot of grief from the wife for ruining her fancy dust collector. Of course, I tried as tactfully as possible to point out that she should not have placed it on the hearth in the first place. I am also to blame for not insisting it go someplace else, instead of thinking, “Oh well, it’s far enough away from the heat”.

The good news is that the wax didn’t flow back into the fireplace or it could have been much worse.

Willhound

To all,
This is extremely helpful.

Elkimmeg , you pointed out about the fire… two towns over, I just looked up in that crack and there is a wood header exposed. I think you all just saved me more than my smoke problem, but you may have also saved my home and family… This information is much appreciated.
As far as repairing, I want to make sure I do it correctly. Webmaster mentioned a gasket. After doing a google search for “fireplace gasket”, I came onto the Rutland website. It seems that the largest gasket (rope) is 1”. Unfortunately after remeasuring the gap its closer to 1 3/4”.  Can I potentially fill the gap in with regular fiberglass insualtion, then firepalce (Stovo) mortar over it?

Again, I can not thank you all enough for this extremely helpful information.

It really concerns me that after having 3 “professional” chimney and fireplace repair personnel to look at my fireplace, that not one mentioned this crack—even after I pointed it out to them. They assured me that by just rebuilding a crown on top of my chimney, waterproofing the bricks outside the chimney, and siliconing the gap between my home and chimney that this would all stop the smoke. $400 later it obviously didn’t stop the smoke.

That’s pretty scary.