How to parge a smoke chamber for a safer fireplace
Learning how to parge a smoke chamber isn't exactly the most glamorous home improvement project, but it's one of the most important things you can do for your chimney's health. If you've ever looked up past your fireplace damper and noticed the bricks look like a series of jagged, upside-down steps, you're looking at an unparged smoke chamber. While that "corbelled" brickwork was standard for a long time, we now know that those little ledges are basically magnets for soot, creosote, and heat turbulence. ...