how to make a fireplace draft cover

A chimney cap is an air-tight, removable cover used to seal the chimney flue opening. These types of fireplace draft stoppers also have the added benefit of preventing unwanted soot or wildlife from falling into the hearth. As a bonus, it also eliminates that big gaping black hole in the living room. Heath inserts are combustion systems that improve the energy efficiency of fireplaces. I could barely feel any draft coming through now so Im satisfied with the project and would say about 95-98% air is contained in the fireplace. Make Me Sustainable is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. For instance, that old barn door, plywood board, or stained glass window lying idly in your garage could work out just fine as a DIY hearth covering. You can ask a Lowes employee to cut down the rigid foam insulation for you so you can fit it in your car. Cut the foam bumper for the first side and press it onto the double-stick tape. Excess build-up can cause a chimney fire. This fire-resistant hearth blanket from Fireplace Blocker effectively prevents drafty airflow via the fireplace opening. The main consideration when choosing a cover for your fireplace opening is its ability to prevent air leaks. Once your lead anchors are in place, its now time to insulate the door to prevent smoke leaks. 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. Next, close the damper, insert insulation into the flue and secure it. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). A piece of wrapping paper works perfect to create a pattern. Once you find the measurements, make sure you buy a guard that is at least the size of the opening. It does not store any personal data. Learn to grow a creative business with Kim from Salvaged Living! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Do you leave logs in the fire even when you know youre not gonna burn them? Lay the rubber edge bumper onto the side of the frame/pegboard sandwich and measure the area for the rigid foam insulation. Keep a reminder card or tie something to the handle of the balloon so you dont forget its there. Decide the Size of Your Fireplace Hearth Cover. Meanwhile, some inserts feature blowers that drive warm air back into the house via the front vents. WOW! Step 4. Custom perfection. Do you know of another material I could use on the back of the pegboard to get the same result? Sand down smooth once dry. Try not to overspray or pool the liquid. As much as it bugs me to say, some chimneys cant be saved. Its the best! Sanded and stained in richer tones, the branches take on the look of freshly chopped logs.. ): I hope it inspires you to make a custom fireplace cover that is full of rusty heaven! I am saving this post in hopes I will try this some day! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you have a brick, wood-burning fireplace in your home, consider investing in a fireplace blanket. Its also energy efficient as it helps keep the warm air circulating in your house rather than going up the chimney. Even with the damper closed, there is a draft that escapes into the room. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. I really am in love with this project, you should absolutely rust something!!! You want to make sure you cut your wood pieces slightly smaller that the actual fireplace opening. What could I use besides rigid insulation? We promise not to over stuff your inbox! Larger sizes slightly more. Stand back and marvel at how realistic the stack of "logs" look, and how much style it instantly adds to your fireplace vignette! 2. When we bought a house with a built-in fireplace in the mid-1990s, we looked forward to using wood to reduce the cost of heating . The look is unbelievable, its like a rusty piece of tin that was made to be in my living room fireplace. Heat loss up a chimney can be as much as 73%. Wait till you see how to make a DIY rust fireplace cover out of simple materials. The only thing that will work is a fireplace cover with insulation. Another option would be to buy foam insulation and wrap it with fabric and batting and simply fit it in the fireplace opening. There could be a flue damper up towards the top of the flue. We can make any size to fit your needs. All you have to do to turn them on is push a button. Arrange varying sizes of log slices on the plywood until you have your desired pattern. Want more ways to save on energy bills and prepare for winter? Be sure to check and see if your base piece fits into your fireplace opening at this point and alter if necessary. Modern Masters Metal Effect Rust Kit You can get this kit in the following places (click to purchase online! Blocking a fireplace opening can either be a DIY job, or you can call in the professionals. 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. Make sure to vacuum again.- Shove the diaper-wrapped insulation board into the hole. My only regret is not making it sooner. A screen door or an insert may not be enough to fully prevent air leaks through your masonry firebox, as the vents on the lower and upper sections of the frame still allow for air to pass through. Measure 2 inches in from the side of the plywood and mark the point. 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. It measures 32-inches high and 42-inches wide, thus will effectively cover the opening of a standard-sized firebox. Gently slide the fireplace cover into the opening in your fireplace. Learn how your comment data is processed. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Fireplace Draft Stopper Cover 36\\ X 4\\ Fireplace Cover Fireplace Draft Stopper at the best online prices at eBay! I had put a lot of time and money into ensuring most of the house was as airtight as possible, not knowing it would adversely affect my fireplace. Apply the Metal Effect Primer to the entire surface of your fireplace cover using one of the paint brushes included in your kit. This can lead to high energy bills as you spend more energy to heat up your home. If you do, I suggest using tempered glass doors in front of the fireplace as an effective way of keeping the cold air draft out of your home. Check the fit of the cut pegboard with the edge bumper inside the fireplace opening. If you have an old wood-burning stover, or even one converted to gas logs, you likely know this old fireplace can be the source of cold air and drafts in the winter. 9 / 9 BWFolsom/Getty Images DIY Removable Cover Its one of the last options you should consider, but I need to mention it; sometimes, if all else has failed, the problem might be solved by investing a little money to build a new chimney. I promise you cant even tell this fireplace cover is made from new materials! To maximize the wood collected from the yard,he cut each into 2- to 3-inch-thick rounds using a bandsaw. if i gave you my messurments, [] build a fireplace insert draft stopper a lowes creator idea Fireplace Cover Plate Size: 640 X 427 | Source: http://www.prettyhandygirl.com [], [] build a fireplace insert draft stopper a lowes creator idea Diy Fireplace Cover Size: 640 X 427 | Source: http://www.prettyhandygirl.com [], [] of my door to fit on the side of our refrigerator cabinet. Stick it on the side of your refrigerator to keep the magnet smooth. 1. To maximize the wood collected from the yard, he cut each into 2- to 3-inch-thick rounds using a bandsaw. Seal your fireplace insert with the Metal Effects Sealer if you want to make sure you dont get rust on anything! "Your article is very informative and hopefully I'll find installing the balloon quite straightforward.". A fabric draft stopper is a rectangular tube that features pliable construction and is designed to close off gaps at the base of fireplace doors and screens. https://prettyhandygirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/fireplace-hearth-birch-logs-lit-leaves.jpg, https://prettyhandygirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PHG-logo-tagline-2020-1030x211-R.jpg, 11 Things You Should Always Do Before Hiring a Tree Service. It works to prevent drafty airflow when the chimney isnt in use. Again spray lightly and add more if needed. Doesn't have to be super secure, just pinning it in place til we stuff it in. For the curved area I used wood beads attached with a heavy row of construction adhesive. Easy DIY home decor and craft projects for budget home decor. Dry fit each piece and continue until youve filled the frame. (If you dont own a rip cut or track saw, you can make your own DIY Track Saw for your circular saw here!). Fireplace draft guard cover. Allow to dry 5 minutes or so and then lightly spray again. Give yourself at least an extra inch of fabric all the way around for the seams. Stir Metal Effect Oxidizing Iron Paint well with stir stick. Thank you! Measure and Cut Your Fabric Measure the body pillow length and width then double it. That being said, the best temporary cover for a fireplace opening is a screen door/glass door. Learn how I painted my fireplace back to brick without sand-blasting!). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Want to make sure you don't break the board with an errant karate chop.- Take some thin foam insulation tubing and stuff up any remaining small gaps. Now add houseplants, bookshelves or completely brick-over the space. Looking at your snug-fit test, I see the rubber fits very nicely on all corners but what prevents the air from seeping through the brick layers 1/8 inch gaps see the left and right side of the fireplace. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing. Will Cleaning My Chimney Help Stop Cold Drafts? All covers are made to your measurements. Installing a magnetic fireplace vent cover over those vents is a smart solution that stops cold air dead in its tracks. 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. See Disclaimer for details. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Thus, to completely keep cold air outside and hot air inside the house, we recommend covering these vents using a fireplace vent cover. The Fireplace Blocker features magnetic construction that allows it to easily adhere to your fireplace screen. Lay the pegboard on top of the excess foam insulation and set the saw blade depth just below the pegboard. Fireplace draft cover amazon. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 67,365 times. Start by measuring your fireplace opening. Using a decorative fitted fireplace cover. Measuring 28-inches high and 43.6-inches wide, this screen sheet does a great job at covering up your fireplace hole. Keep the guard over your fireplace whenever you arent using it. 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. A good quality fireplace blanket will effectively keep hot air in while simultaneously stopping downward cold drafts. Some options include the use of a fireplace draft cover, installing a damper device, the use of a fireplace draft stopper or a fireplace insert. Once air is accumulated inside the fireplace, air pressure will build-up and exits out through those gaps. Of course if your fireplace is all straight lines this will be a slightly easier process. Keep in mind that wood glue expands as it cures, so don't put any glue near the edges, or you'll risk having it ooze out of the sides of the logs. This type of hearth covering boasts fireproof construction and uses magnetic technology to attach to the metal screen of the fireplace. LESLIE: Yeah. You may need to sand it down in a few places if it's too snug to slide in and out of the opening. I seriously love a nice cozy fire, but down here in Texas its a small window of opportunity on the wood burning situation. It was surprising to find how much heat loss a drafty chimney can account for. I have lots of DIY home improvement videos. Basic steps here:- Buy thick insulation board.- Measure fireplace hole size.- Subtract between .5 inches and one inch from your measurement so you have room for error, since the hole probably isn't perfectly square, and to account for the blanket wrap. Fireplace Chimney . 5.9K views 5 years ago If you are looking to cover-up your fireplace area, then this is the video for you! While positioning the fireplace door against the hearth opening, mark out the spots where youll drill your screw holes for the floor brackets. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Cut the next side and notch out where there are any overlaps. As the hot air generated by a fire rises up the chimney it pulls more air behind it. Thereis no additional cost to you. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The steel/cast iron construction helps to prevent air from escaping. If you lit the fire and forgot to open the damper, use pliers or an oven mitt to pull the lever so you dont burn yourself. Meanwhile, the bifold doors allow for easy closure to prevent air leaks when the hearth is not in use. I opted to have my chimney swept, replace my chimney cap, and use a fireplace draft stopper when I am not using my fireplace. Plugging a drafty fireplace that we don't use. Meanwhile, custom-sized chimney caps are more expensive and are usually mounted outside the chimney to cover both the chimney crown and top. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e5\/Block-Draft-from-a-Fireplace-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Block-Draft-from-a-Fireplace-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e5\/Block-Draft-from-a-Fireplace-Step-1.jpg\/aid9985095-v4-728px-Block-Draft-from-a-Fireplace-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"