Fireplaces can emit terrible odors at times depending on the time of year, weather conditions and condition of the chimney. Sometimes it is very slight and other times you can smell a fireplace when you come in the front door. There are several causes and some cures.

Most odors around a fireplace occur during the hot humid summer months and others during the fireplace season when the system is heavily used.

During the summer months the humidity comes in contact with soot in the chimney and creates a fireplace or burnt wood smell. It can easily fill the room the fireplace is in or at times the whole house.

Other problems with fireplace smell is when moisture or rainwater comes in contact with the soot or ashes in the firebox. This may indicate a leak in or around the fireplace system that allows water to penetrate or come directly in contact with the soot or ashes.

The air return in the home in combination with the open fireplace damper may aggravate this situation.

Things for the homeowner to try:

• Before you call a chimney sweep remove any leftover burnt logs from the firebox along with the fireplace grate.
• Second, sweep up the ashes (be careful if you choose to use a vacuum since very few have a filtrations system good enough to prevent the ash/soot dust from getting into the room). A small broom, dustpan, and metal bucket will do just fine.
• Third, make sure the damper is in the closed position and that the damper is closed tightly to prevent downdrafts that may help bring the odor into the home. This cuts off the airflow between the inside and outside of your home.

If these things do not work the chimney may need to be swept, and more importantly inspected, by a certified professional chimney sweep to help reduce the soot in the system that may reduce the odor. The flue, smoke chamber and walls of the fireplace will be swept and in order to clean out debris behind the damper the lid may need to be removed. In some cases a deodorizer may need to be used in the firebox and smoke chamber areas.