How to block an unused fireplace without it looking awful
Using foam boards stops major heat loss from the room, but leaves an ugly surface that is hard to cover attractively. Even completely capped fireplaces become frustrating traps for dust and toys, pushing homeowners to consider drywalling the opening entirely. People get stuck trying to find a decent-looking material to put in front of the foam, or figuring out if a full drywall project requires a handyman.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
How to block an unused fireplace without it looking awful
- 1Stuffing the opening with foam boardsDid this help you?
- 2Leaning a large custom-cut piece of tempered glass against the opening to block drafts while showing the brickDid this help you?
- 3Placing a shallow bookshelf in front of the opening to hide it without needing a renovation.Did this help you?
- 4Removing the hearth, framing and insulating the cavity, and securing drywall to the brick using construction adhesive and masonry screws.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm losing a lot of heat here as this is in the same room that my mini split heat pump is in, which is my main source of heat.”source ↗
“I'm going to use some foam boards to close it off, but I want to do it in line with the outside wall”source ↗
“What could I put in front of the foam that wouldn't look awful?”source ↗
“We have a gas fireplace. It’s been capped off from the outside. The chimney shute is also capped off from the base. My wife hates it. Collects dust and toys. She’s thinking about getting it dry walled. Is this something we can tackle if we are fairly decent or worth to get a handy man to do it?”source ↗
Where this came up
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