How to Fix Chimney Draft in the Attic

If you take the time to climb up in your attic you might be surprised to find light coming through the floor around the chimney where you can see down into the room below. This is often the case with older chimneys built on the interior of the home. During the winter, you may feel a draft coming from the attic at the openings between the chimney and the ceiling. By sealing up the draft, you save energy by stopping the heat loss that is escaping up into the attic.

Lighter
Aluminum flashing
Tin snips
High-temperature caulk
Caulk gun
Staples
Staple gun

Instructions

- 1
  Climb up into the attic and locate any air leaks around the edge of the chimney. Feel for heat rising or where you can actually see light from downstairs. Another way to check for airflow is to hold a lighter along the edge of the chimney to see how the flame leans. If the flame flickers or leans in one direction, you know there is air flow.
- 2
  Cut metal flashing with tin snips to cover the floor around the base of the chimney, where it comes up into the attic. Cut square sections for each side of the chimney that spread out at least 4 inches from the chimney. Overlap the edges by at least 1 inch.
- 3
  Set the flashing in place on a bed of high-temperature caulk. Run a caulk line along the joining edges with the high temperature caulk using a caulk gun. Staple the aluminum flashing to the floor with a staple gun.
- 4
  Caulk around the edge between the chimney and the flashing with the high temperature caulk. This stops the airflow without compromising the 2-inch space rule of the building code for any combustible materials, including insulation, around the chimney.

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