What's Included
How a top damper is installed in Heathrow
How a top sealing damper works
A top sealing damper is a lid that sits on the top of the flue, lined with a gasket and held open by a spring or lever. A stainless cable runs down the inside of the flue to the firebox. Pulling the cable closes the lid against the flue, and releasing it lets the damper open again.
Rockford Chimney Supply's listing for the Lyemance damper describes this layout, with a silicone gasket on the flap and a locking bracket inside the fireplace for the chain handle. On your Heathrow chimney our team explains which model we propose and how its lid, spring and cable work before it is installed.
The gasket that seals the flue
A throat damper closes metal against metal, which often leaves gaps once the plate has warped. A top damper's lid presses a heat-resistant gasket onto the top of the flue. Rockford Chimney Supply's product listing says the silicone gasket on the Lyemance flap makes a tight seal that prevents downdrafts, moisture and insects.
The gasket seals only if the flue top is flat and the cable pulls the lid down evenly. Our installers check the flue top on your Heathrow chimney, set the lid square and adjust the cable until the lid closes firmly, then show you how the handle tells you it has sealed.
A damper made for wood-burning fireplaces
Top sealing dampers are made for wood-burning masonry fireplaces, where the damper is opened for a fire and closed afterward. That open-and-close routine is what the gasket, spring and cable are built around.
A wood-burning Heathrow fireplace with a masonry flue in good condition is the kind a top damper suits. If it has been converted, holds a different appliance or vents something else through the same flue, our team works out the right closure for that setup instead.
Damper findings on a home inspection
A rusted, stuck or missing damper may show up in a home inspection report, but the note seldom says whether the throat damper can be repaired or whether a top damper is the better route.
Share the report with us. Our local specialists will look at the fireplace in your Heathrow home at no charge, explain the finding and give you a written price for the repair or the top damper, which you can use in the sale.
