Is fireplace parging necessary?

The CSIA recommends that all smoke chambers have smooth walls, and most building codes require it. That means smoke can flow back into your home, and more heat transfer between your fireplace and the surrounding home structures. In the case of an uneven, or corbeled, smoke chambers, the CSIA recommends parging.

What is parging in a fireplace?

The most common repair to your chimney’s smoke chamber — which serves to funnel smoke from the fireplace opening into the flue — is parging. Parging is a coating of mortar applied to the brick to give the smoke chamber a smooth surface. During a chimney fire, the parging is often cracked and damaged.

How much does it cost to Parge a smoke chamber?

Cost to Parge Chimney Chimney parging coats the smoke chamber with mortar and costs $1,000 to $2,000. Parging smooths over the smoke chamber so that any residue that lies in uneven crevices doesn’t leak out or combust.

Why do people Parge smoke chambers?

When done correctly, parging offers several benefits: Improved safety of the chimney; Increased structural integrity of the smoke chamber area; Improved draft and fireplace performance, which lowers the amount of creosote that builds up within the chimney system.

How much does it cost to Parge a chimney?

The average cost to parge a chimney is between $1,000 and $2,000.

How do you fix a chimney that is separating from the house?

A common and cheaper temporary fix that could have been done to hold the chimney in place is to fill the gap between the leaning chimney and main house structure with mortar or some type of caulking or expanding foam insulation. The chimney could also be fastened into place with metal straps.

What can I replace my chimney with?

You can only remove a chimney if it isn’t being used and won’t be used in the future. Heating system and hot water can be replaced with Direct Vent unit(s), which can take in fresh air and exhaust combustion gasses through PVC tubing running out the side of the building. Or you can switch to electric heat.

What is the best parging mix?

Use SAKRETE Parging Mix, a cement mixture designed to create superior bonding, or to smooth concrete walls. Available in 25 KG bags. Go with SAKRETE, The Pros Choice since 1936. Parging Mix, 25 KG is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 33.

Why does Parging fall off?

A sudden drop in temperature is bad news for a freshly applied coat of parging. Water soaks into the parging, then expands as it freezes, cracking the surface and breaking off chunks. If the ambient temperature is too cold -the Parging freezes.

What is a parge on a chimney?

Parging is a coating of mortar applied to the brick to give the smoke chamber a smooth surface. Learning to parge is not part of the requirements of earning a certification from Chimney Safety Institute of America, but it is taught at CSIA’s National Chimney Sweep Training School.

What does it mean to PARG a smoke chamber?

Parging a smoke chamber: What’s involved. The most common repair to your chimney’s smoke chamber — which serves to funnel smoke from the fireplace opening into the flue — is parging. Parging is a coating of mortar applied to the brick to give the smoke chamber a smooth surface.

How do you repair a smoke chamber on a fireplace?

The most common repair to your chimney’s smoke chamber — which serves to funnel smoke from the fireplace opening into the flue — is parging. Parging is a coating of mortar applied to the brick to give the smoke chamber a smooth surface.

How do you parge a brick chimney?

Load a steel float or trowel with parge and, beginning at the base of the chimney, scrape parge into the mortar lines and across the brick in a thin coat. Fill any chinks or holes in bricks as you parge.