Why do I smell smoke in upstairs rooms when the fireplace is lit?
Smoke smell upstairs usually means flue gases are escaping somewhere between the firebox and the top of the chimney, most often through a cracked or gapped liner, or are being drawn back into the house by poor draft. The smell shows up upstairs because warm air and smoke rise, and the chimney often runs through the upper floors inside a wall or chase.
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Stop using the fireplace until a chimney technician has inspected the flue. If anyone has a headache, dizziness or nausea, get outside into fresh air and call 911.
Why it happens
A chimney liner carries smoke and combustion gases up and out. When a liner is cracked, has open joints or has pieces missing, gases can seep through into the masonry and into the cavity around the chimney. From there they can reach wall spaces, upstairs rooms and the attic. A smell that is strongest on the chimney wall or near the ceiling points this way.
The second common cause is draft. Warm air leaves the top of the house and pulls replacement air in from below, and the fireplace opening can be one of the places it pulls from. Kitchen and bath fans, a dryer or a tightly sealed house can make this worse. A blocked or restricted flue, or a missing or damaged cap, can also push smoke back into the room, where it then rises upstairs.
The two causes can look alike, so the cause should be confirmed rather than guessed. A camera inspection of the flue shows whether the liner is damaged. A damaged liner lets heat and carbon monoxide reach the structure of the house, which is why the fireplace should stay out of use until the flue has been verified.
What you can check yourself
Test your carbon monoxide alarms
Check that there is a working alarm on every level, including upstairs near bedrooms. Replace dead batteries and test each one with its button.
Note where the smell is strongest
Walk the upstairs rooms. A smell concentrated along the chimney wall or ceiling suggests a leak in the chimney. A general smell across the house suggests draft or smoke spilling from the firebox.
Look at walls and ceilings near the chimney
Look for brown or yellow staining, bubbling paint or discoloured wallpaper. These can show gases or moisture passing through.
Check the damper handle
With the fireplace cold, make sure the damper handle moves and sits fully open. Do not reach up into the flue.
Notice what else is running
Make a note of whether the smell gets worse when exhaust fans or the dryer are on. A technician will want to know.
When to call a technician
Looking and sniffing can only narrow it down. Once you smell smoke away from the fireplace, the flue needs a proper look, and that means a camera inspection. The same goes if you have been told the liner is cracked, or if there has been a chimney fire. After a chimney fire the flue must be inspected before it is used again.
One Call Chimney arranges the visit with an independent sweep or mason. The estimate is free, the technician inspects the chimney and gives the price before any work starts, and you approve it first. If relining turns out to be needed, ask your local building department whether a permit applies to your address, as requirements vary by location.
What the technician will do
- Camera inspection firstA camera is run through the flue to find cracks, gaps or blockages. Ask to see the footage and have the findings explained.
- Line the flue if the liner is damagedThat may be a stainless steel liner sized to the appliance and insulated where required, or a cast-in-place lining where it suits the chimney.
- Match the appliance and flueThe size, material and termination of the flue are matched to the fireplace, insert or stove it serves.
- Address the cap and crownThe top of the chimney is dealt with at the same time, so rain, animals and downdrafts are not left as new problems.
Related questions
- Can a cracked liner let carbon monoxide into the house?
- Yes. A damaged liner can let carbon monoxide and heat pass into the structure around the chimney. Working carbon monoxide alarms and a verified flue are the protection.
- Will relining fix the smell?
- If the source is a damaged liner, a new liner sealing the flue normally resolves it. If the cause is draft or a blockage, the technician will address that instead, which is why the camera inspection comes first.
- What decides the cost of fixing this?
- The main factors are the height and access of the chimney, what the camera finds, the liner material and size needed, and whether the crown, cap or flashing also need work. The free estimate puts all of that into one agreed price before work starts.
- Can I just air out the house and keep using the fireplace?
- Airing out clears the smell but not the cause. Until the flue has been inspected, the source is unknown.
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One Call Chimney arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.