Expert: James Ball - 1/18/2009

Question
QUESTION: Every time our neighbors have a fire our sunroom and in side our home smells like smoke.  Looking at the outside of their chimney it looks as though there is some type of junk oozing out of each side.  I also see cracks in some of the bricks.  Our neighbor is a widow and not the friendliest of people.  However, I cannot stand the smoke smell much longer.  HELP what can be and should be done

ANSWER: Hello Mary, do you have a fireplace? is it in the sun room? if so then what is happening is you are getting Negative Pressure in your home (house stack effect) that is hot air raising in your home (and getting out through the attic vents, doors, lights) your house is a better chimney than your chimney. Also kitchen/bathroom exhaust fans, cloths dryers and the boiler/furnace all take house air out of the house (mechanical negative pressure) your house needs make up air, perhaps an open window in the basement? Or stop the air from getting out the attic and other area’s. Maybe a top mount dampert will stop the air and smoke from coning in?
I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep (www.csia.org, there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have.
James


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi James:

Sorry I did not explain the entire situation well..I will try again.

Thank you for the quick response. We have a fireplace in our family room.  However, last year we converted to a gas log fire place and no longer burn wood. Our sun room is attached to our family room (no fireplace)and faces the neighbor's house with what I feel is a faulty chimney.  Thus my complaint is about my neighbors' chimney

Is it possible with the cracks that I see in the bricks on the outside of their chimney along with the junk oozing out of each side, that smoke is leaking from these areas.  Thus, is it possible that rather than all of the smoke going completely up the chimney and dissipating into the air it is seeping through these cracked areas and is making the smoke more predominate at a lower level causing the smell of smoke I am experiencing in our sun room and house?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer
Welcome back Mary, it is still not clear why you are getting this odor. It sounds like the 2 buildings are not connected? Then it might just be wind driving it towards your chimney (still seems far away to do this)I would have a local Certified Chimney Sweep (www.csia.org, there you can look up by zip code to find one near you) take a first hand look at what you have they might be able to see or find some thing not described here
James