remedy for fireplace smoke in airtight home

[lindaheldbass]

This is a newly constructed, energy-efficient, 1200-sq-ft single story brick home, with a traditional masonry wood-burning fireplace with glass doors. We have smoke billowing back into the house. The doors help, but doesn't remedy the problem. Would drilling a hole (what size?) into the back wall of the firebox to the outside add necessary ventilation? Would building a smaller fire help? Would keeping the glass doors shut at all times help? Please advise. Thank you

[jtp10181]

Using well seasoned dry wood will help, cut and split and stacked drying for at least a year, two years is better.

Also as a test open a window up all the way on the other side of the room. If this helps a lot then your main problems is negative pressure. Your house might be leaking warm air out up top, but the bottom is so tight no cold air can get back in. This causes a big pressure difference from inside to outside. Smoke doesn't want to go up the chimney anymore when that happens.

[teddy bear]

Caution fireplaces can kill you when the fire is down to glowing coals, no odor/smoke but CO. Fireplaces on the outside of a home have cold chiminies which down draft until they get heated up to create a draft. A chiminey on the upwind side of a home will naturally down draft. Add a clothes drier, bath/kitchen fan furnace creating a negative pressure and you have a diedly stituation. You need a make-up air system that has a enough capacity to create a positive in the area of the fireplace or any wood burner. This is nothing to fool with. Also suggest a good CO monitor/alarm in the middle of the home. Regards TB