How Do You Close an Old Chimney

Turn off the gas to the fireplace or wait for wood to burn out. … Put on work gloves to keep your hands free of soot. … Push the lever up slightly to disengage it from its support tab and then pull it away from the tab horizontally as the damper lowers into a closed position.

How do you close an unused chimney?

If you want to seal your fireplace off for good, the easiest way to do so in a hurry is to cut out a foam insulation plug, place it at the bottom of your chimney, and caulk or weatherstrip it in place.

Do unused chimneys need to be vented?

A chimney needs a vent, not just at the top (provided by the cap) but also at the bottom. … The air flow helps keep the chimney dry and ward off any condensation forming inside the stack. If there is no air flow, condensation will form inside the stack and will be soaked up by the old coal soot.