Timber Home Living – September 01, 2019

http://www.timberhomeliving.com 29

What are the pros and cons of an interior versus exterior chimney?

We’re working on a limited budget and need an option that won’t

break the bank — either with construction costs now or fuel bills later.

CHIMNEY: INSIDE OR OUT?

ALTHOUGH MANY HOMEOWNERS

PREFER to tack their chimney to the

outside of the house to maximize floor

space inside, a properly designed interior

chimney will almost always heat your

home more efficiently and will require

less maintenance than one that’s on the

exterior, according to the Chimney Safety

Institute of America.

It makes sense. If your chimney is

located inside, any heat lost from the

mass of the chimney itself stays within

the room. If your chimney is on the

outside of your home, you not only lose that

heat to the outdoors, cooler exterior temps

could penetrate your chimney. A fireplace

must maintain a very high temperature for

the fuel to combust completely, but exterior

chimneys exposed to cold weather and wind

tend to foster cooler burning temperatures.

As a result, creosote (a tarry buildup created

by incompletely combusted oils found in

wood and fossil fuels) can accumulate,

causing a fire hazard. A well-ventilated,

centrally located chimney is more likely to

burn cleanly, reducing your energy bills and

maintenance needs.

To maximize efficiency, position your

fireplace within the center of your home

and extend the chimney through the ridge

of the roof, ensuring it rises at least 3 feet

above the roofline and 2 feet above every-

thing within a 10-foot perimeter.

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