How can I insulate my fireplace when it's not in use?

Question

I have a wood burning fireplace insert, that is not currently being used.

Now that it's cold in my area (27F), I've noticed that there is quite a draft coming from the fireplace. How can I cover/insulate the fireplace to stop the draft?

Rules:

Must be wife approved (so not too ugly).
Must stop the draft.
Must be easily removable.
Must be safe when fireplace is in use.

I've seen solutions where a sewn blanket is hung over the fireplace, using hook and loop tape. I have my fears that the hook and loop tape would not fair so well while a fire is burning, but I'm not sure how hot the face of the fire box gets (since we've not had a fire yet).

mohlsen · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-19T15:17:58.467

Similar to @BMitch's answer, I used a magnetic cover to cover the vent below my fireplace. We found this was the primary cool air leak for our fireplace and I bet it is yours too. It works great, and is very simple to remove before starting a fire. Since it is black like the fireplace, it is not even noticed. I bought one from this site selling the exact size I needed and in black.

With magnet on magnet removed and sitting in front

Here is my fireplace with it on and removed.

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 04 '13 at 16:22

3

You may have solved this already but an alternative is a Chimney Balloon.

enter image description here

It is easy to install, and you don't see it. If you accidentally leave it in then it will melt and deflate and is not going to go ablaze in the fireplace. You'll need to pick the correct size though,

edited Dec 04 '13 at 16:22

Tester101

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answered Dec 04 '13 at 11:23

john12

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 04 '13 at 14:36

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If the worst part of the draft is coming from the vents above and below your insert, you can block the draft with some magnetic vent covers:

enter image description here

Test the your insert first with a magnet to make sure these covers will stick.

answered Dec 04 '13 at 14:36

BMitch

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 13 '13 at 14:52

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That should work, provided the wife approves of the appearance. The face of the fireplace shouldn't get hot enough to burn your hand, otherwise it'd be a safety hazard. The tape should do just fine.

Is the chimney damper closed?

answered Nov 13 '13 at 14:52

Andrew Bonnell

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score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Jan 07 '15 at 14:53

I have this fireplace cover, but I find that it only helps so much. I am thinking of building a supplemental heat barrier, with the following layers (from closest to furthest from fire):

radiant foil barrier
fiberglass insulation (no vapor retardants)
plywood

I would cut the fiberglass to the size of the plywood, then take a slightly larger piece of foil and wrap it around, then tack and tape it in place. I would place this over the fire retardant fireplace cover that I already have. This is ugly, of course, but I think it would keep the cold out.

How can I insulate my fireplace when it's not in use?

Rules:

5 Answers5