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You may not hear as much about the smoke chamber of your chimney as you do its other components, such as the chimney cap or the liner; however, it plays an important role in the entire operation of your chimney and fireplace system. Located directly above the firebox, the smoke chamber is where smoke, gases, and the other byproducts of combustion are funneled into the flue from the fireplace so that they can be exhausted from your home. When the walls of the smoke chamber become cracked and damaged, it can cause problems, including ones that can be potentially dangerous such as carbon monoxide leaks. If you suspect that your smoke chamber is not in good condition, you should contact us at All American Chimney Service. Since 2006, we have been known as the superior chimney company in the Louisville area, and we are always here for any of your professional chimney needs. We would like to tell you more about why it is so important to have your smoke chamber professionally parged.

What exactly is parging?

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA),pargingis the most common repair done to a smoke chamber. This area of your chimney system needs to have smooth walls, and parging is simply a coating of mortar that is applied to the bricks and mortar joints. Parging is also used to solve other smoke chamber issues.

What other smoke chamber issues can parging help to solve?

In order to work at its best, it is important for the smoke chamber to be designed properly. If it is too deep, too tall, or too wide, you will likely have draft problems. Since the smoke chamber plays such a big role in chimney draft, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has made design recommendations. When All American Chimney Service constructs a new chimney or parges an existing smoke chamber, we follow these recommendations and make sure it is not taller or deeper than the fireplace opening. We also ensure that the walls of the smoke chamber do not have an incline angle that is more than 45 degrees from vertical.

What are the benefits of having my smoke chamber parged?

Of course, having the walls of the smoke chamber parged gives them the smooth surface that is needed for optimum chimney draft. If you have ever had problems with getting a fire started, you know that this is a fantastic benefit. Another advantage of parging is that it adds insulation to your chimney, which is another way of improving draft.

Make sure your chimney will function at its highest levels this winter.Contact ustoday at All American Chimney Service to schedule an appointment for a chimney inspection to see if your smoke chamber needs parging.