Firmly secure the bumper to the sides of the frame with a staple gun. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Most types of chimney balloon will allow a small amount of air to vent around them to keep a small amount of airflow. Thereis no additional cost to you. A fireplace draft stopper is an efficient way to prevent this from happening. Notes: I chose pegboard because it was slightly cheaper and weighed less than the masonite but was still rigid enough to hold the reclaimed wood. In my case I subtracted .5 inches but .75 or even one would have been a bit better.- Cut the insulation board on a cutting board of some kind, piece of plywood, etc.- Confirm the cut insulation board fits in the hole, sanity check on your measurements.- Clean up any insulation scraps with vacuum, get rid of cutting board.- Lay out blanket, ideally squarish, that is at least a few inches wider (in its shortest dimension) than the insulation board's diagonal.- Lay the insulation board shiny side down. With your protective gloves on, unroll the fiberglass insulation and stuff it into all three channels of the door to insulate it. There could be a mechanical damper right above the firebox. Its, therefore, crucial to seal/block a fireplace opening if its not currently in use. "Your article is very informative and hopefully I'll find installing the balloon quite straightforward.". Made of inflatable urethane or cut-to-size foam, they fit snugly up against your damper to lessen the chilling effect of a cold-air draft inside your home. Its also energy efficient as it helps keep the warm air circulating in your house rather than going up the chimney. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This is a necessary step because with repeated removal of the insert, the bumper will eventually come off. Therefore, blocking the opening with bricks is not an option. You want to make sure you cut your wood pieces slightly smaller that the actual fireplace opening. Any suggestions? The pegboard should be loose, but allow the edge bumper to compress against the sides for a snug fit. He informed me that using a chimney cap worked to keep cold drafts out of his fireplace. This worked perfect, I feel no air. No. Not only does the glass stop cold air from entering the room, but it also provides a safety barrier for children and pets. Apply the double-stick tape that came with the bumper to the sides of the frame. Meanwhile, custom-sized chimney caps are more expensive and are usually mounted outside the chimney to cover both the chimney crown and top. But asInstructables maker mikeasaurus demonstrates, there is a third option: shutting out the cold with a few fallen branches and some simplescrap wood. This continuous process of air moving up a chimney is known as the draft. To cover the fireplace, start by cleaning the chimney thoroughly and covering up the rooftop chimney cap. I am saving this post in hopes I will try this some day! If you have screen doors or an insert built into your fireplace, the vents along the top and/or bottom of the frame are known to leak up a storm. A chimney cap is an air-tight, removable cover used to seal the chimney flue opening. Our cover will slide up under a small upper awning if you choose to cover the top vent. Be sure to check and see if your base piece fits into your fireplace opening at this point and alter if necessary. They attach over the front of a fireplace usually with magnets. Thus, to completely keep cold air outside and hot air inside the house, we recommend covering these vents using a fireplace vent cover. The damper is a metal valve located within the chimney. Winter is coming, help a friend stop drafts too by pinning this image! Thats why it makes financial sense to block your fireplace opening if you dont intend to use the hearth for the foreseeable future. Again spray lightly and add more if needed. Once you have the right product you can make all new things look vintage and yummy! Once you've exposed the raw masonry, mix up a batch of thinset concrete and spread it over the surface of the brick using a broad, flat hand trowel. Seal your fireplace insert with the Metal Effects Sealer if you want to make sure you dont get rust on anything! Save on your electric bill plus keep bugs out. The problem is they arent very attractive to look at so might only be useful for a cabin. The process is super easy, but does take some time because of the dry time involved in the steps. Just follow these easy steps and you'll have one too. I have lots of DIY home improvement videos. These insulated fireplace covers are the easy affordable and attractive solution you have been looking for to stop the cold winter air and hot humid summer air from entering your home from outside and your expensive heated and cooled air escaping through the chimney. Here are some solutions I found:-. Few people know that when you upgrade your fireplace you may also need to upgrade your chimney or flue liner. As much as it bugs me to say, some chimneys cant be saved. Cut the foam bumper for the first side and press it onto the double-stick tape. For me having a wood-burning fireplace is a must for heating my home in the cold and dreary winter, but there are times when a storm is on the way or the days when its windy out that I can feel a cold draft wafting from my fireplace opening. Thanks for sharing this, Kim. Writing about practical steps we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment. Advertisement Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse Tip Watch the video till the end to see how I customize the look of my fireplace cover!R-Tech Rigid insulation 1x4x8 from Home DepotFoil Tape https://amzn.to/3GcMwu2Vinyl Tape https://amzn.to/3maME5eSelf Sticking Wallpaper (the one I used) https://amzn.to/3CeVDIfSelf Sticking Wallpaper (my favorite) https://amzn.to/2Zm60vdMy Electric Fireplace Stove https://amzn.to/3Ef6in2 00:00 DIY Fireplace Cover01:05 What can be done to stop losing heat thru chimney01:30 Making the Fireplace Cover02:20 My Electric Fireplace03:48 Making the handles for the Fireplace Cover04:34 Customizing the look of the Fireplace CoverThank you for visiting my channel and I hope you found the content useful! This process requires a free passageway for hot air and waste gases and smoke . How To Clean Reusable Straws The Easy Way, Most Energy Efficient Dishwasher Buyers Guide 2023. So, there's lots of different types of dampers. Leave the plywood laying flat on the floor as the glue dries overnight. Keep a reminder card or tie something to the handle of the balloon so you dont forget its there. Due to its black finish and transparent glazing, this hearth door is the best option if you have a fireplace with a modern, minimalist aesthetic and are looking for something that matches it. Firmly secure the bumper to the sides of the frame with a staple gun. BY PHONE: If you prefer, you can give us a call to order by phone - 215-817-8229. Modern Masters Metal Effect Rust Kit You can get this kit in the following places (click to purchase online! Join our FREE newsletter and get new projects, ideas and inspiration straight to your inbox! Make sure to vacuum again.- Shove the diaper-wrapped insulation board into the hole. You canreadmore about affiliate links here.). This kit comes with everything you need to rust anything! Carefully punch it in. The main consideration when choosing a cover for your fireplace opening is its ability to prevent air leaks. We may earn a commission from your purchases. Next, close the damper, insert insulation into the flue and secure it. ; Product Usage: The magnetic fireplace draft cover works to eliminate weather drafts Suitable season: The Magnetic Fireplace Draft Stopper is suitable for winter and summer.In winter, keep unwanted cold air out of your home to prevent heat loss.In summer, this fireplace vent cover can be used to keep hot and humid air out. Of course if your fireplace is all straight lines this will be a slightly easier process. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Chimney balloons can be reused as long as it holds air. It was surprising to find how much heat loss a drafty chimney can account for. All covers are made to your measurements. Enjoy! Mikes lookalike log insert eliminates costly drafts year-round while serving as a sneaky cover-up for a fixture thats hard to keep soot-free and spotless. We are almost literally burning our money in our fireplaces! Im a little bit of a fanatic when it comes to drafts. These include fiberglass insulation, a screwdriver, a power drill, a hammer, clamps, pliers, protective gloves, wrench tools, and sockets. Yayyyy thanks Vicki I will be rusting some other things soon because I am completely enamored with this process so stay tuned! Fireplaces add a lovely layer of warmth and coziness to your home. This is because a chimney will normally draw air up it. Reinflate the chimney balloon once the chimney is cold. Theres a wide range of unused materials around the house that you can use to create a fireplace cover by yourself. Place the balloon back into the chimney so it fits firmly. Here's how I made our fireplace draft stopper. This fireplace cover is very simple to make yet very effective to stop losing energy and stop draft coming in, which in turn saves a lot of money in our pocket How a fireplace insert. You can then place the blanket over the fire while it cools to prevent cold air from coming into the room. A chimney can act as a wind tunnel even when the damper is closed, sucking cold air down into your home through the fireplace opening. Fireplace Cover, Fireplace Draft Cover, Fireplace Blocker Blanket Stops Overnight Heat Loss, Fireplace Draft Stopper Guard Covers Screen Block Summer Cold Air Draft Leak&Winter Heat Loss(45" Wx34 H) 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (33) $24.99 $ 24. You can see that our bricks are faux painted in this picture. Even with the damper closed, there is a draft that escapes into the room. % of people told us that this article helped them. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Remember the time I weather-stripped my garage doors? This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Installing a fireplace cover/fireplace screen door on the fireplace opening helps prevent warm air from escaping out of the house. Here are 21 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Winter. Why? The open bottom hem will allow a 18 inch metal rod or wooden dowel to be inserted if desired for extra. Larger sizes slightly more. (If you dont own a rip cut or track saw, you can make your own DIY Track Saw for your circular saw here!).