Insulating unused chimney

[EarSlaps]

We have a chimney in our living room that seems to be completely open (you can feel a massive draught when you stick your hand up there and the wind is making quite a noise blowing over the top of the chimney). In the fireplace there is a gas fire, but it has been disconnected so cannot and will not be used.

We don't want to spend a fortune insulating it or capping it etc, as we'd quite like to put a woodburner in there in a year or two, but we'd like to stop all the heat disappearing up there in the meantime. I know blocking them can cause damp, but would it be a problem sticking a pillow up there or taping some fleece inside it until the spring?

My mother used to stuff scrunched up newspaper up the unused chimneys to stop draughts. I was young at the time so didn't feel draughts so not sure how effective it was, but should be worth a try.

We've stuffed ours up with pillows. Has made a big difference, and haven't noticed any problems with damp since we did it.

I've ordered one of these. www.amazon.co.uk/1/dp/B009MYL5PO

Well DH was saying the other day that we need new pillows, might get a load and use the manky old ones up the chimney then .

I'd use a chimney balloon like Efferlunt or a load of bubble wrap. Pillows will attract damp and suspect they would go mouldy over time.

We have pillows up our unused chimneys. There seems to be enough of a gap left for some airflow, so no problems with damp that we've noticed.

yep, old pillow wrapped in a bin liner. Job done.

just don't forget it is there!

Well I'd be a bit worried if a HETAS engineer didn't spot the pillows when we get a log burner put in

usually a good test of competence...