Chimneys that have a large part of it external to the main building will always need Chimwrap to insulate the flue against the cold temperatures. If your chimney faces an ally or you are a detached property and the chimney is on the outside of the property, this will make lighting your stove or fireplace more difficult than a chimney that is in the middle of the property, or a terraced property. The reason for this is that because the chimney flue is effectively part insulated by the ambient temperature of the property. However, these chimneys can also have problems drawing due to the house being cold or the chimney stack above the tiles being susceptible to the cold temperatures outside.

A cold flue acts like a blockage in the flue, as cold temperatures want to sink and are “heavier”. Initial flue gases are cooler when lighting your stove and can struggle to pass through the brick chimney or flexible liner, resulting in smoke coming into the room, which poses a risk to carbon monoxide coming into the room. If this happens close the door of the stove and open all the doors and windows of the property and leave the room until all the smoke has cleared. To stop this very common problem we advise our customers to use Chimwrap with their installations of solid fuel, wood burning or multifuel stoves.

Chimwrap comes in 3 sizes 1m, 2m and 3m lengths. It is clipped round the flexible liner at regular intervals before being fitted into the chimney from the top of the property.

Chimwrap is by a better way of insulating the flue when compared to the using vermiculite, as this actually transfers moisture down the chimney if water finds its way into the chimney. This can happen when pointing comes away from the brick work, or if the flaunching on top of the chimney stack fails and starts to let water run down the chimney pot into the chimney. If vermiculite is used this will transfer the whole way down the chimney. If without vermiculite or with Chimwrap any water penetrating the chimney will be localised in an area, say for example in the top bedroom and will be obvious, alerting you to fix the issue. Plaster work would be a dark colour where any water was coming into the chimney. With vermiculite, the water staining would be the whole way through the stack before it came through the plaster work, this is why we prefer to use Chimwrap.

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If you have any questions feel free to call us on 020 8942 8881