We Clean & Restore Smoke Chambers!

A chimney is much, much more than a tall, stately stack of bricks — it’s a complex, intricately designed system of working parts that allow it to stand up to fire and weather, and contain and expel the poisonous and flammable byproducts of combustion. The only way to really know a chimney system is to know how each of its parts work.

The Smoke Chamber

The smoke chamber is basically a funnel, located just above the chimney damper, that connects the large firebox to the smaller flue. In masonry chimneys, this area is connected with bricks and mortar. To achieve the shape of the funnel, the bricks are “corbelled” (door-stepped inward and upward). When the brick is laid in this way, the tiny holes in the brick are left hanging over the edge of the brick underneath it. This allows heat and sparks to escape and come into contact with surrounding combustibles.

It is very difficult to build a brick smoke chamber without leaving these gaps. This has caused many fires in many homes over the years, thus leading to the passing of a new rule by the “codes”. The rule states that after smoke chambers are built, they are required to be coated in a stucco-like coating of high-temperature mortar or parge coating. Coopertown worked relentlessly with Mr. Paul Borque (former NCSG president and representative to the SBCCI Codes) to document the need for required parged smoke chambers. After eight years, the new code requirement was passed in 1988.

In the chimney itself, the smoke chamber feels the most intense share of heat, but unfortunately, we frequently see smoke chambers that haven’t been properly designed or parged. This all-too-common scenario is the reason that chimney-related home fires also very commonly start with combustible studs or headers close to a poorly functioning smoke chamber.

Coopertown Services has decades of experience parging, repairing and redesigning smoke chambers to be efficient and, most importantly, safe parts of your chimney system.

If your smoke chamber doesn’t have a parge coat of refractory mortar, it’s highly recommended (and necessary in order to be compliant with codes) that you have parging work done. You’ll have a safer chimney, and a smoke chamber that will stand up to years and years of enjoyable fires.

A Clean Smoke Chamber Is A Safer Smoke Chamber, Too

As with all parts of the chimney system, regular maintenance is key to ensuring the longevity of a smoke chamber. Coopertown Services technicians are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), so when you hire us to sweep your chimney, you can expect a thorough job that follows the industry’s best practices, and leaves your smoke chamber clean, safe and efficient.

Coopertown Services can repair, redesign and parge any smoke chamber. Call us at 901-358-7777 or click here to schedule an appointment!

Have you ever heard of parging? Well, Coopertown certainly has and we know it’s important for your safety to see if your smoke chamber needs this particular chimney renovation. Ask us about parging today.