Our Process
Top damper installation in Gabriella, in detail
Fireplaces with a decorative gas appliance
A vented decorative gas appliance placed in a wood-burning fireplace changes the rules for the damper. One such appliance manual, written to ANSI Z21.60, comes with a damper clamp that has to stay permanently in place, holding a minimum opening so the damper can never shut completely, and it says the chimney damper must be fully opened while the appliance runs.
A damper built to close tightly at the top works against that requirement, and the Lyemance listing warns against using its top damper with such appliances because a damper left closed could let carbon monoxide back up into the home. If your Gabriella fireplace has one, our team explains the safe options before recommending any damper.
Knowing open from closed
With a throat damper, the lever near the opening usually shows whether it is open. With a top damper the lid is out of sight, so the handle and chain do that job. On the Lyemance design, the handle locked in its bracket holds the damper closed, and releasing it lets the lid open.
Our team walks you through the positions on the damper fitted in your Gabriella fireplace and writes them into the record of the work, so anyone using the fireplace can check before lighting it.
Top dampers and storm season
The chimney top takes the full force of any wind, and the Atlantic hurricane season brings plenty of it from June 1 to November 30. A top damper's hold on the flue depends on the adhesive and the surface beneath it, which is why a sound flue top and a full set time matter.
After a storm passes over your Gabriella home, look up at the chimney from the ground. A lid standing at an odd angle or a cable that suddenly feels loose is a reason to leave the fireplace unused and have our team check the damper.
Keeping insects and debris out of the flue
A closed top damper shuts the flue at the top, and the Lyemance listing names insects among what its gasketed seal keeps out. That helps between fires, when an open flue can collect nests, leaves and whatever the wind drops into it.
When the damper is open for a fire, the flue is open too unless a screened cap covers it. Our team clears debris from the top of your Gabriella chimney before the damper goes on and recommends a screened cap where the damper design leaves the flue uncovered.
