Smoke Chamber Repair and Parging Explained

Where it is and what it does

The smoke chamber sits above the damper and below the flue. It narrows the opening so smoke funnels upward. Its interior surfaces should be reasonably smooth and sealed so gases move through it without leaking out or being disrupted.

Common defects

• Gaps or open joints in the masonry
• Rough, stepped corbelled brick surfaces
• Cracked or deteriorated mortar or old parging
• Damage from heat or water

How repair is assessed

The inspector looks at the chamber’s condition, shape, and materials. Repair may involve sealing gaps, parging the surface with a high-heat product, or, where the conditions call for it, other methods. Whether one approach is enough depends on the damage and what the rest of the chimney looks like. Smoke problems can also come from elsewhere; see smoke problems and poor draft.

A real project

A Morristown homeowner had smoke backing up into the house. The inspection found gaps in the smoke chamber masonry. The team renewed the chamber and applied a high-heat cement coating across the interior to seal it. Read the Morristown case study. A smoke chamber also was repaired on a Hillsborough Township project.

Questions to ask

• What defects did you see in the smoke chamber?
• What is the repair method and material?
• Does anything else in the chimney need attention?

Our service

See our smoke chamber parging page, Chimney Parts Explained, and Our Work.