Lots of people ask us about why their fireplace smokes -- a complex question, indeed!  Here's a list of possible, contributing reasons:

1. The flue is too small for the size of the fireplace, and all the air rushing in from the big fireplace opening has trouble squeezing through the narrow flue size.
2. The chimney may be too short --
   *  A minimum 15' height is recommended.
   *  The top of the chimney should be at least 2' above any part of the house within 10' -- to avoid    wind induced down drafts!
3. The damper may be too small or not opening properly.
4. The "smoke chamber" dome above the damper is poorly designed and not aerodynamic.
5. The firebox is too shallow, or wood is being placed too far forward.
6. Your house configuration allows for "thermosiphening" of air down the fireplace flue to replace air being lost via other vents or poorly sealed openings, thus counteracting your fireplace draft -- your house may be too tight or conversely too drafty.
7. Wind currents against the house may set up high pressure zones that force air back down the chimney.
8. You may need a raincap to buffer wind currents.
9. Your raincap lid may be too low on the chimney, creating back pressure.
10. Tall trees or other, nearby buildings may divert wind currents, leading to chimney interference.
11. A cold, outside chimney may take a long time to heat up enough to establish adequate draft.
12. Your personal fire building skills may need some improvement on top of everything else!

Long story short, you probably need us to come look at your whole system and, including fire building experimentation, help you isolate and determine the contributing factors -- we're good at this!

 

Example of fireplace smoke stains.  Black soot above fireplace opening.