Lookng for suggestions....
Two fireplaces, one on main level in living room and the other in the basement below. Separate flues, shared brick exterior chimney. When we have a fire upstairs the basement gets smokey. We’ve taken the following steps so far:
1. My husband is crazy about fire safety so the chimney is cleaned at least twice a year (and we might have a dozen fires a year in the winter).
2. Based on reading about interior pressurization, we always crack a window in the living room when we light the fire. We do all the normal steps to warm the flue and get the draw rolling well.
3. Capped the flue for the basement fireplace as we never use it, and will eventually install a gas insert. Professional mason did it and repointed the full cap at the same time. Did this thinking the basement flue was acting as a downdraft to the basement.
4. Theres an ash dump in the bottom of the firebox but there isn’t a clean out outside or visible in the basement (basement was finished when we bought the house). We never used the dump and were concerned it might be a source of smoke to the basement so we had a steel plate made and used fireproof adhesive to cap the dump cover inside the fire box.
The only time we don’t seem to get a smokey basement is when there’s a good wind blowing outside. Sometimes there’s a light visible haze and sometimes just a strong smell, but it lingers for about a week. We have also been keeping a basement window open when we have a fire. The only other part of the house that consistently gets the smell is the powder room on the main floor that is located above the furnace room .
We love having fires but we’re at a loss!! Any wisdom that can be shared will be super appreciated
Two fireplaces, one on main level in living room and the other in the basement below. Separate flues, shared brick exterior chimney. When we have a fire upstairs the basement gets smokey. We’ve taken the following steps so far:
1. My husband is crazy about fire safety so the chimney is cleaned at least twice a year (and we might have a dozen fires a year in the winter).
2. Based on reading about interior pressurization, we always crack a window in the living room when we light the fire. We do all the normal steps to warm the flue and get the draw rolling well.
3. Capped the flue for the basement fireplace as we never use it, and will eventually install a gas insert. Professional mason did it and repointed the full cap at the same time. Did this thinking the basement flue was acting as a downdraft to the basement.
4. Theres an ash dump in the bottom of the firebox but there isn’t a clean out outside or visible in the basement (basement was finished when we bought the house). We never used the dump and were concerned it might be a source of smoke to the basement so we had a steel plate made and used fireproof adhesive to cap the dump cover inside the fire box.
The only time we don’t seem to get a smokey basement is when there’s a good wind blowing outside. Sometimes there’s a light visible haze and sometimes just a strong smell, but it lingers for about a week. We have also been keeping a basement window open when we have a fire. The only other part of the house that consistently gets the smell is the powder room on the main floor that is located above the furnace room .
We love having fires but we’re at a loss!! Any wisdom that can be shared will be super appreciated
