Q: We own an older house in Los Gatos. It was built in 1930s. The fireplace was built without a damper. There is also a glass-door fire screen that can be closed. We get an odor of ashes even when ...

A chimney cap damper seals a fireplace from the top. This style of damper is very secure; some even come with a rubber seal. ...

So, having the smoke get by the damper is not unusual, but having it travel all that way down the chimney is. Here's where we get into some house mechanics. You need to think of your house as a ...

We also have a chimney cap. I read online that a damper at the top of the chimney with a pull chain might be a good idea, to keep any rain from coming into the fireplace and causing the smell.

Often we receive e-mail from readers about the columns we publish. Sometimes we get thanks and kudos and occasionally we get raspberries. Often we get suggestions on better ways to do a job, and a ...

Carpenter and contractor Rob Robillard gets to the bottom of questions on chimney caps, crows, and snow blocking basement windows. Skip to main content Sections ...