How do I need to insulate sealed cimneys?

[Magaloo]

My house gets really cold and I really need to insulate the chimneys.

I haven't got a lot of cash, I don't mind hard work and having a go

I have two chimney breasts where the fire places have been removed and plastered over.

Both chimney breasts start downstairs go through the first floor, through the loft and then above the roof.

Each chimney breast has an air vent on the inside and outside of the house

Should I just knock a whole in each chimney on each floor and fill it with something and then patch it up?

Could I remove a few bricks in the chimney stacks in the loft and pour something into it?

Is there any danger of the stacks collapsing if I do either of these?

Should I do something about the vents?


Please Help

Any help would be gratefully received

 

[Burnerman]

Forgive me, but I don't think your cold house has much to do with chimneys and fireplaces that are covered over.....
More importantly, have you loft insulation, double glazing and draught excluders?
John

 

[Magaloo]

Thank you John for replying
I have double glazing, draft excluders and loft insulation.
The chimneys are a big part of the room and the room is so cold.
The Chimneys themselves are cold to touch and in one room we have a picture on a breast and its going mouldy on the back of the picture

 

[joe-90]

Do you have solid walls?

 

[Magaloo]

Yes, I'm planning to put up some insulating wallpaper soon.
I was hoping to insulate the chimneys rather than wallpaper them

 

[ree]

What is this "air vent on the outside of the house" - where are they located?

All redundant flues should be swept and ventilated at the fireplace and on the stack.

These vents are good for your health (thro ventilation) & for preventing damaging soot problems in the old flues.

FWIW: there's recently been masses of posts on here about this subject - or if you wanted to research my back posts on this you might find some of them helpful - just saying.

Just noticed your last post - read up on here about insulating solid walls: there's lots of information.

 

[Magaloo]

Thank you
I'll check them out

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

You have not said where or how big the air vents into the flues are. Unless there is something wrong with the water tightness of the stack you only need a trickle vent. Normally disused flues have a trickle vent in the old fire place and a small vent at the top of the stack. In the front bedroom of our last house I stuffed a big bag of glass fibre up the flue until it was level with the loft insulation. The fire place was "restored" (old iron work etc.) and the flue damper installed so to all intents and purposes is was sealed - but not very well. No damp or rot for over 25 years. The point was that the brickwork of the stack within the house was kept warm as there was no cold gale blowing through it.
Frank