A chimney top damper fitted properly in Whisper Walk
We fit the handle where you can reach it and anchor the bracket without cracking the firebrick.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
What a failing damper looks like in Whisper Walk
- Air moving down an idle fireplace
- Rain reaching the firebox floor
- Birds or insects coming down the flue
- Stiff pull on the damper chain
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Planning a top sealing damper in Whisper Walk
Cleaning the flue before the damper goes on
The damper frame bonds to the tile top, and the flue beneath it is about to be closed off at the top. It makes sense to clean the flue first. One damper maker recommends having the chimney cleaned when the damper is installed, to help make sure the flue is in good working condition.
Cleaning is priced on its own, apart from the damper, and you can take it or leave it. We tell you what we saw in the flue and whether cleaning is needed before bonding the frame. We will not seal a dirty tile top and hope it holds.
Lever handles with several positions
Most cable dampers are simply open or closed. Some models use a lever handle with several set positions, so the lid can be held part-way open. The maker describes that as a way to control the amount of draft.
A part-open position is useful only if you understand when to use it. We explain the positions at handover and when the lid must be fully open. If a simple open-and-closed handle would suit you better, say so. We would rather fit a control you will use correctly than one with features you do not need.
Close it once the fire is fully out
The second rule is to close the damper only when the fire is fully out. Embers can smolder long after the flames have gone, and closing the lid too soon can send smoke back into the room.
The maker's instructions give the same order: open before lighting, close after the fire is fully out. Once you close it, the flue is sealed against weather and outside air until the next fire. We go through both steps with you before we leave.
Questions to put to any damper proposal
A few questions sort out a damper proposal quickly. Ask which make and model it is, what the lid and frame are made of and whether it acts as a cap. Ask how it is fixed to the flue and where the handle will go.
Then ask about limits. Which fireplaces is the product not allowed on, and has that been checked against yours? What happens to the old throat damper? A clear proposal answers all of that in writing. Ours should, and if it does not, tell us what is missing.
Top damper details we record in Whisper Walk
- Cable route down the flue
- Seal checked from the roof
- Set time before the next fire
- Flue top covered if work pauses overnight
Your top sealing damper questions answered
Can you fit a top damper on a round or lined flue?
Often, yes. Makers offer adapters for round flue tiles, stainless liners and some factory-built chimneys. We confirm that the adapter and damper suit your flue, and that the chimney's own instructions allow it, before quoting.
What does the free inspection look at for a damper?
The fireplace and its current damper, the smoke shelf, the flue and its tile top, the crown and any cap. We also ask how you use the fireplace. You then receive a free written estimate with the options.
Should I repair the throat damper instead of adding one on top?
Sometimes that is the simpler route. A throat damper that only needs freeing or a new handle may be worth repairing. One that is warped, rusted through or missing parts may point to a top damper instead, and we price both.
We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo